the expert's advice
From Suite Benessere
Magazine
Issue N. 15 | Fall 2003
| Dear
Daniele
Cantoni, My home has a finished basement
and garage, which I rarely use. My wife and I have
decided to transform them into a small wellness
area and we have already decided what kind of sauna
and turkish bath we want to install [we read your
article in the last issue]. We would like to learn
more, though, about sensory hydro-massage showers
and other similar shower systems. Thank you. Uccio
M. [Caltagirone - Catania] |
The term "sensory hydro-massage shower"
is often used in our field to describe one or more types
of water effects which, coupled with certain lights, scents
and sounds, stimulate pleasurable sensations and emotions
in the user. The most well-known are:
Cold fog - an extremely fine, fresh rain,
coupled with a mint scent to be used with a blue/green
light.
Tropical rain - large, hot drops with a tropical
scent [maracuja], to be used with an orange light.
Blade shower - a large, cascade of water that
gently performs a pleasurable massage.
Summer storm - an abundance of large drops
that fall from the ceiling, recreating an effect similar
to a summer rainstorm.
Water paradise - a path [often U-shaped]
which utilizes a sequence of different water effects,
creating a pleasurable surprise with each step you take.
The combination of these water effects with "heat
baths" is very effective for the body and is also
pleasantly refreshing in hot weather, characteristic of
the area where you live.
| I
was recently in a center where they practice ayurvedic
masagge and I heard them talking about Marma. In
the past, I had only heard about Chakra. Can you
explain to me what this is and what purpose it has?
Greta B. [Zerobranco - Treviso] |
Very often the term "Chakra" is eroneously attributed
to the concept of "Marma". The term Marma belongs
to the ayurvedic tradition and refers to the energy centers
within the body - anatomic points from which energy
is reflected. The most important Marma total 107 in all
and they are activated by the prana [vital energy], which
is brought to them through the Nadi [thin channels]. Imagine
a great pianist, who with a precise sequence of pressure
on the piano keys, is able to make beautiful music...
the same thing happens when a good therapist, through
applying a precise sequence of pressure on the Marma points,
is able to restore balance to the pranic flow and help
us return to a sense of perfect harmony with ourselves
and, therefore, with the universe.
| I
manage two hotels in tourist cities for an international
company. In one of the hotels, we are just completely
the construction of a beautiful 350 sq. meter wellness
center with a waiting area, steam rooms, beauty
center, shower and hydro-massage area, a gym
and a large relaxation room. We are considering
the possibility of hiring another company to run
the center for us. We also need to decide whether
or not to open it up to those who are not guests
at the hotel and to both men and women. I would
like to know your expert's opinion and receive any
advice he might have regarding the imminent construction
of a second center in the other hotel. Thank you.
Nicola R. |
Dear manager, imagine asking a friend of yours to to buy
you a new outfit, without telling him what size you are
or whether you need it for a formal summer ceremony or
an informal winter engagement. In all probability, you
would be given an outfit which you would have to have
altered to fit you and to correspond to your needs. The
same thing happens with a wellness center when it is designed
and built without specific "sizes" and clear
"objectives" for the future. I say this because
you won't find an outside company with a methodology that
perfectly espouses a center that has already been built.
They will have to adapt to it, which will require extra
energy, while not fully utilizing some of the areas you
have installed. In addition, the clients often sense that
they are dealing with a company that is not operating
in perfect harmony with the facility. As far as opening
it up to those who aren't guests at the hotel is concerned
[which I personally almost always recommend] and deciding
whether or not to make it available to both men and women,
these are decisions that should have been made before
designing the center because they deeply influence your
choices regarding the use of space and technology. For
example, I see in your list of services that you haven't
built any changing rooms, which would be necessary if
you would want to open it up to "outsiders".
As far as the male/female issue is concerned, unless you
have designed the center with separate areas for men and
women, I would recommend requiring clients who use the
steam rooms to wear a bathing suit [it is more hygienic
to use them nude, but this is considered unacceptable
in most areas in Italy]. You could then designate one
day exclusively for men and one for women, during which
the use of a bathing suit would not be required. Another
possibility [which would be more complicated] would be
to have separate hours for each sex. You would first need
to carefully study your clientele and the tendencies for
use of such a center in your city. In the absence of information
such as the name of the city, the number of hotel rooms,
the existing clientele, etc., I don't feel capable of
giving you further advice except that, before designing
and building the second center, it would be a good idea
to have the consultant who is assisting you in this project
perform a careful analysis of the points I have mentioned
and others.
| Dear
Daniele Cantoni, I would like to know if the nationality
of the clientele should be taken into consideration
when designing a wellness area because our hotel
[despite the September 11th attack] has a client
base that is about 80% American. I would appreciate
your suggestions. Thank you. Vania M. [Venice] |
The nationality of your client base is one of the fundamental
parameters in the design of a wellness area. In your specific
case, Americans love water and all the facilities connected
with it. I imagine you might have some serious problems
trying to build a large swimming pool in your city, so
I would opt for a series of whirlpools for individual
use as well as larger ones for group use, coupled with
other water facilities. I would also create a beauty area
with floating pools for relaxation and water massages
[which are quite common in America] such as the wet table.
All of this should characterized by that Italian touch
that Americans look for everywhere.
| Dear
Dr. Cantoni, we are a family of hotel owners in
northern Italy who work in an area where there are
well-known hot springs. We are considering
the possibility of putting in a wellness area in
our hotel. We asked an architect friend of ours
to help us and he drew up a project that we feel
is lacking in character. When asked what type of
income it might generate, he confessed that he didn't
have the slightest idea. We would like to know who
we should talk to and if you have any suggestions
for us. Thank you. |
Dear Mr... hotel owner, your problem is one that is often
voiced by many others in hotel management. Allow me first
of all to speak in defense of your architect because this
"lack of character" may be the result of technical
and structural difficulties. In addition, it is certainly
not his place to analyze the financial earnings that the
center will generate. So, if you have a clear idea of
what you want to build, I suggest that you seek the help
of a company that specializes in building wellness centers.
Be very careful though, because in Italy you can count
on one hand the companies in this field that have experience
and are trustworthy. If, on the other hand, you want to
figure out what would be the most profitable type of facility
to install in your hotel, I suggest you contact a consultant
in the field who, after a careful analysis, can organize
a project that suits your needs, taking into account already-existing
factors and particularly the objectives that you want
to reach. He will also be able to draw up a business plan
that will take everything into consideration [from the
cost of personnel to the impact that certain products
have, etc.] allowing you to face this new investment with
confidence. As far as making suggestions is concerned,
I'm afraid I can't go into further detail since I don't
know anything about your facility, except that it is near
hot springs. I can say that a year ago, I was hired to
give a consultation to a company that ran famous hot springs
and which, like many others of its kind, was trying to
shift its image from a typically curative one to a more
wellness-oriented one. The most difficult hurdle
in reaching this objective was that of convincing the
hotel owners in the area that they needed to work together
as a team in reaching this objective and that they would
have little success if they faced these challenges individually. |
