New research from Journey reveals spa trends including changes to lead times, and cheapest and busiest days for spa breaks and treatments, highlighting opportunity for hotel spas to increase their revenue.
CHELTENHAM, UK – Spa goers can find the best value for money by enjoying a treatment or spa break on Thursdays, saving around 13% on peak weekend days, finds research conducted by hospitality technology company, Journey. Saturdays remain the busiest and most expensive day for spa visits.
The report also revealed consumers are booking closer to their spa breaks than the previous year, suggesting that while people are watching their spending, when they have funds available they remain eager to prioritise health and wellbeing.
Cover of Journey’s white paper ‘Tomorrow’s Spa Today’.
Journey studied data from over 73,000 bookings at almost 120 luxury spa hotels in the UK and Ireland to identify trends that can help spas optimise their business and consumers bag a bargain.
Revenue from wellness is tipped to grow by 52% from 2024 to 2027 (according to the Global Wellness Summit 2024) and with 26 million wellness trips in the UK each year, and each person spending around £462 (according to the Global Wellness Institute, 2022), wellness is increasingly important to today’s urban population.
For consumers seeking a bargain spa day, Thursdays and Tuesdays represent the best value for money, with Tuesdays and Sundays the quietest days for bookings. Saturdays and Sundays are the most expensive, while Saturdays and Thursdays are the busiest days for those enjoying a relaxing spa day.
For individual spa treatments, Wednesdays and Thursdays offer the best value, with Tuesdays and Wednesdays receiving the fewest bookings. Saturdays were both the most expensive and busiest day for spa treatments, followed by Fridays (for number of bookings) and Sundays (for cost).
Laura Meeson, Director of Spa at Journey, said: “The research indicates consumers who want the best value should consider booking their Spa Days on a Thursday or Tuesday, as these days represent a saving of around 13% over peak weekend prices. Budget conscious spa goers should avoid Saturdays – it’s the busiest and most expensive day for both spa days and individual treatments.
“We’ve also seen a shift in how soon people are booking spa breaks – down from 31 days in 2022 to 26 days in 2023 – as consumers are seemingly keeping a closer watch on their personal spending. If the date of your visit is key, we recommend guests book a minimum of five weeks in advance to secure their preferred date.”
The digitalisation of spa booking processes is a response to changing consumer behaviours, driven by today’s digital-first society and a more cautious approach to lifestyle spending amidst the cost-of-living crisis.
Meeson said: “To be successful in today’s world, wellness businesses need to connect with their customers, providing easy pathways for them to find and book their preferred experience. Digital bookings are vital; spas need to offer true online booking where consumers can book what they want when they want it, without having to call or email. Without that facility, spas are losing business to other wellness businesses, as well as other activities and services.”
As increasing numbers of spa businesses understand the importance of offering digital bookings, Journey recorded a 40% increase YOY in the number of spa day and spa break reservations made via its booking solutions during peak summer season (May to July 2022 vs May to July 2023).
Spa Day appointments
|
% of total bookings |
Ave revenue per booking |
|
|
Monday |
15.1% |
£114.08 |
|
Tuesday |
12.8% |
£113.31 |
|
Wednesday |
13.5% |
£113.58 |
|
Thursday |
15.4% |
£111.44 |
|
Friday |
14.7% |
£122.04 |
|
Saturday |
15.6% |
£129.22 |
|
Sunday |
12.9% |
£125.04 |
Data from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023
Spa Treatment appointments
|
% of total bookings |
Ave revenue per booking |
|
|
Monday |
11.9% |
£77.39 |
|
Tuesday |
11.0% |
£76.03 |
|
Wednesday |
11.3% |
£74.90 |
|
Thursday |
12.5% |
£75.05 |
|
Friday |
16.3% |
£80.55 |
|
Saturday |
21.4% |
£85.59 |
|
Sunday |
15.6% |
£85.34 |
Data from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023
Spa Breaks – lead time for bookings
|
2022 |
2023 |
Change YOY |
|
|
Jan-Mar |
34 days |
32 days |
-5.9% |
|
Apr-Jun |
36 days |
22 days |
-38.9% |
|
Jul-Sep |
27 days |
25 days |
-7.4% |
|
Oct-Dec |
28 days |
26 days |
-7.14% |
|
Full year |
31.25 days |
26.25 days |
-16% |
Data from 1 January to 31 December each year
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
