Spas are of course older than this, and the oldest in the UK is the Roman spa at Bath, still there and in use today. This history has left an association of spas with treatments and a feeling of well-being. It is the feeling of well-being that is sought after by spa users of the 21st Century, much as it was by Roman soldiers seeking treatment for the damp and cold of England’s climate.

Our current sedentary lifestyle demands a calorie intake to match, probably around 1800 to 2000 calories a day, yet the eating habits developed in earlier centuries has led to health problems that didn’t exist previously. For example the job of locomotive fireman no longer exists, and the nearest equivalent is a lorry driver. A locomotive fireman spent an average 300 mile journey standing on an open footplate shovelling five tons of coal into a boiler to propel the train. A truck driver spends the same 300 miles sitting comfortably in a heated cab listening to his radio.

This sedentary existence is characteristic of many occupations, and machines now do what was previously manual labour. We all welcome these advances, but it has contributed to an explosion in obesity as diets have failed to adjust to the lower calorific requirements a sedentary existence requires. Many now choose to replace the effort of work with effort in play through their use of gymnasia, whilst still more try to diet to control their eating. It is here that the spa becomes a part of their lifestyle.

Spas have been a major growth market for hotels for some time, and predictions now are that they will become as important to the hotel turnover as the food and beverage operation. There are already many reports of hotels claiming that the spa is now over 20% of their turnover, and I have seen claims of it being as high as 50%. In this market the spa is already beginning to become a standard part of the designers brief in a new hotel, and to form a major element of refurbishment programmes.

With the help of spa designers Corporate Edge, with over 16 major spas to their name, and Goff Associates, designers of a number of other spas and gymnasia, and input from operators Shire Hotels, this series sets out to look at spa design and operation, with a view to stimulating your thinking and helping develop some design guidelines and suggestions for spa design. All contributions are welcome, so don’t be afraid to put me right or to send offerings, photographs of your spa and contributions to me, the Editor@hoteldesigns.net

Share|