Dedicated to restorative treatments and wellbeing, the Spa is destined to promote harmony between body and mind. Designed in a world of excellence and luxury, the Spa has become a sociological phenomenon where the care of oneself is the core of the offer proposed. One of the major challenges faced by professionals of the Spa universe is the acknowledgement and consolidation of the very unique position they hold in an increasingly competitive world, without losing their identity or renouncing their philosophical values – all this in an environment becoming more and more restrictive where regulations and economics are concerned.

This is the main reason that motivated the creation of Spa-A, an association created under the 1901 Law, a non-profit organization with a public vocation, bringing together professionals from the world of Spas and wellbeing. Its purpose is the promotion and recognition of Spas.

How did this happen?

Spa-A was founded in 2001 by professionals of the sector who were struck by the enormous demand for information and communication from Spa Professionals, and also the increasingly specific expectations that were emerging in terms of quality and service from Spa-treatment customers.
Since then, Spa-A has brought in other specialists professionally engaged in the Spa and water (aquatherapy??) sector. Today the team consists of experts from complementary fields as diverse as the hotel business, water purification, wellness medicine, treatment and massage procedures, project study firms, training, engineering. It includes managers, therapists, doctors, beauticians, and others. All of them are working professionals and volunteers in the association.
Spa-A defines itself, above all, as a “group for reflection” on our profession. Let us be our own critics, expand our knowledge, take our profession into our own hands – this could be a summing up of Spa-A’s philosophy, which also opens itself to the world through exchanges with various other associations and professional groups of the “Spa” and wellbeing sector. Spa-A pools its information, creates synergies through professional networking, promotes reflection, helps in creation and encourages innovation and progress in our industry.

Who is Spa-A addressed to? And with what purpose?

Spa-A addresses all Spa Professionals:
−    Spa centre employees, eager to learn new skills in a professional environment that is evolving constantly;
−    Those managing Spa facilities of any kind – whether or not they are attached to a hotel, fitness centre or clinic, and who seek information that will improve the dynamics of their Spas;
−    Participants, suppliers, managers, specialized laboratories seeking accurate information in order to develop new products and new communication and training tools.

Our goal: to create a “quality reference”
Based on a participatory process, the association Spa-A created a (professional ethics) charter based on specific quality requirements for Spa centres, sub-divided into quality references, for the attribution of a (quality??) label, called The Quality Spa-A Charter. This charter consists of 50 criteria of quality, of which 7 are mandatory, and is sub-divided into 5 chapters:
1 – Receiving the client
2 – Services and treatment procedures
3 – Equipment and premises
4 – Products
5 – Preserving the Environment
These quality criteria cover all stages of the life of a Spa, from its design and development to operation and maintenance. The charter allows any Spa operator wishing to institute a quality procedure in their establishment to assess its strengths and weaknesses, and adjust its service to the most pertinent levels of performance. Three national consultation reunions were organized during the year 2009. Reunions during which key Spa players, grouped according to their fields of expertise (Operators, Spa Managers, Consultants / Architects / Equipment suppliers, Brands, Institutions / Schools), worked and enriched the discussion with their comments and experiences.

How do you intend to put the Quality Spa-A Charter into practice?

The goal of Spa-A is to set up a process for certifying services by an independent agency which, based on an objective evaluation of the quality criteria defined by the profession, will be able to grant a Quality Spa-A Charter to Spas that fulfil at least 90% of the requirements. This Charter has been finalized with the help of Excel Place, specialist in certification for upscale hotels – the hotel sector representing about 70% of Spas.
The procedure is as follows: Spa candidates apply to Spa-A, which furnishes them with the documents, explains the process to the establishment and ensures that it is carried out correctly. Excel Place carries out the evaluation in phases, after which the charter label is awarded to the institution, which is free to display it wherever convenient. The Spa thereby undertakes to maintain its quality for 3 years. This is to establish and develop a truly customer-oriented momentum, mobilizing Spas around the quality of service and enhancing the image of their profession. The Spa-Quality Charter gives the certified Spa operator due recognition for its professionalism and the quality of its services and they thereby acquire a competitive edge.

For the Spa, the Spa-A Quality Charter is a real commitment to quality.
The Spa-A Quality Charter allows clients to have at their disposal a selective spa offer, to benefit from a guarantee of quality at the service level as well as in the ambience of the treatments, and to serenely choose the Spa to which they will entrust their need for resourcing and wellbeing.  For Spa guests, the Quality Spa-A Charter is a real guarantee of quality.
Deadline for sending us your Spa candidatures: May 31, 2010
You will find all the information on the website of the association: www.spa-a.com

Aldina Duarte-Ramos, Chairperson of the SPA-A Association is also Brand Manager at Sofitel Resorts & Spa
MEET SPA-A AT THE NEXT
European Spa Exhibition & Spa

from 12 to 15 September 2010, Porte de Versailles – Paris