the expert's advice
From Suite Benessere
Magazine
Issue N. 17 | Spring 2004
| Dear
Dr. Cantoni,
our architecture studio is in the final phase of
construction of a large wellness center, which will
be part of a facility north of Turin. Besides a
spacious beauty and relaxation center and several
steam rooms, the plans include two swimming pools
- one outdoor and one indoor - which will be open
exclusively to members of the wellness center. The
two pools will be open year round and for this reason,
the construction company has suggested that we separate
them, to keep the outdoor one from affecting the
water temperature of the indoor one. In this way,
the facility would spend less money on keeping the
indoor pool heated to 34 degrees Celsius. What do
you suggest that we do? Pierpaolo M. [Turin] |
Last year, while overseeing the construction of a SPA
in a hotel, some of my colleagues and I asked ourselves
the same question. The SPA was being built on a 1,100
sq. meter area and it also had two circular swimming pools
which had several hydro-massage features and were kept
at a temperature of 33 degrees Celsius. The indoor pool
was 90 sq. meters and the outdoor one was 85 sq. m. and,
according to the architect's plans, they were to be connected.
In this case, "someone" expressed those same
doubts - that the cost of heating the pools would be higher
and there would be an increase in water evaporation. After
a careful analysis, we realized that there would be no
increase in the cost of heating the pools, since the water
in the outdoor pool would need to be heated anyway (so
the water in the indoor pool would not be affected by
the temperature of that of the outdoor pool). Not only
that, but by connecting the two swimming pools, we were
able to use the same filtration system, overflow tank,
monitoring system, filters, pumps, chlorine and ph monitoring
systems, etc. for both. Because they were being used for
both pools, we did have to increase the power output of
certain "pieces" of equipment, but in the end
we still saved 18,000 euro and had a slight reduction
in electrical absorption. In any case, I suggest you try
asking one of the wellness center's members how they would
prefer to access the outdoor pool in the wintertime -
by walking to it outside or by swimming to it from the
indoor pool? The tone of voice with which they answer
you will suffice to help you make your decision.
| Dear
Daniele Cantoni, we are a family of hotel owners
and we are thinking of transforming a few areas
of our hotel [which are currently used as storage
space] into a wellness center, open to both our
own guests and outsiders. How can we evaluate whether
or not this is a good idea and what kind of profits
it might yield? Thank you. Simone T. [Rome] |
Dear Simone,Regarding your question about whether or not
this is a good idea [even though I know nothing about
your hotel], I would have to say that it is because there
are very few hotels today that would not benefit from
a wellness center. Nowadays, that added value that went
along with a private bathroom in the '60s and with a mini-bar
and television in the 80s is recognized in the wellness
area. I believe that just as in the year 2004, it would
be hard to imagine a hotel room without a private bath
and television, in the year 2009, a hotel without a "small"
relaxation area will seem strange to us. If this idea
seems too modernistic to you, let me tell you that it's
already been happening for several years now in the Trentino
Alto Adige region, where the first hotel owners in Italy
began moving in this direction and where there has been
a veritable wellness center explosion in the hotel industry.
How can you find out "if" and "how much"
it might yield in profits? I suggest that you contact
a consultant who specializes in wellness and who will
be able to draw up a detailed business plan for you. This
plan will illustrate for you how this transformation could
be made, how much it will profit your business and what
type of wellness center would best help you reach your
objectives.
| I
would like to know the difference between a "turkish
bath" and a modern "calidarium" and
what the benefits of each one are. Francesco S.
[Cuneo] |
The turkish bath and the calidarium are both steam rooms
with 90% humidity. The only difference between them is
that in the calidarium, the seats are heated internally
[37 degrees Celsius] with electric resistors or hot water
pipes. The benefits are very similar, as both facilities
cause the body to sweat. In a turkish bath that opens
in the morning, the benches will not be hot until the
material from which they have been made is able to absorb
enough heat from the internal environment which, as I
imagine you know, is kept at 45 degrees Celsius.
| What
is a reaction tub and how is it built? Manuele M.
[Taranto] |
A reaction tub is a container that holds ice-cold water
and is large enough to allow [at least] one person to
be fully immersed. It is normally used after a sauna to
cause a reaction, similar to diving into the snow or the
freezing cold waters of a lake, as the Finnish tradition
calls for. The reaction tub is often cylindric in shape
and is made of wood or cement, with a mosaic finish. The
law requires that they have a water filtration system
like that of a small swimming pool so, in proportion to
their size, their installation and upkeep is quite expensive.
They are rarely used in Italian wellness centers, where
less "violent" reaction systems such as the
icy waterfall or cold mint-scented fog are preferred.
| Dear
Daniele Cantoni, we are in the process of furnishing
a relaxation area and we can't decide what kind
of lounge chairs or armchairs we want to use. Is
there any particular rule of thumb we should follow?
Damiano P. [Ancona] |
There is no real rule of thumb, except that the client
should feel extremely comfortable and should ideally have
his legs at the same level as his heart. It's hard for
me to make any more specific suggestions to you, since
I know nothing about the style of the area, but I can
say that chaise lounges with two positions [one for reading,
the other for relaxing] are generally preferred. It's
best to choose those made of materials that are washable
and that "breathe" well. |
