Steiner Leisure Forms Spa Consulting Division

Steiner Leisure has formed a spa consulting division, Steiner Spa Consulting (SSC), which will be jointly headed by Jeff Matthews and Bruce Pine.

SSC will have a global team of 40 full-time experts across business, education and spa operations drawing from its expertise in developing and managing over 200 award-winning and successful spas.

"We are the only spa consultancy today that offers the breadth and depth of expertise and resources needed to take hotel spas from dream to reality," said SSC co-president, Jeff Matthews. "At a time when spas are under increasing pressure to produce ROI, Steiner's reputation for developing profitable and high performance spas sets it apart. SSC has amassed a resource of rigorous business practices, fail-proof operational systems, training programs and case studies. Its scope of services includes Concept & Design, Construction Assistance & Advice, Recruitment & Training, Pre-Opening Planning and Assistance through to Post-Opening Support and Ongoing Operations Management."

Strengthening its arsenal, SSC is developing the Steiner Index, a predictive tool to assess the viability of spa projects, which will be made available as an industry-wide resource in June 2013.

Moreover, Steiner Leisure's portfolio of spa and product brands, which include Mandara, Elemis, Bliss, and Chavana is beneficial to hotel operators, developers and investors looking to leverage on the brands' appeal, equity and retail potential. However, SSC will not be limited to using only these brands. "We are open to all product brands to ensure we deliver the best solution for any spa scenario, as well as creating a spa concept from scratch if that's what the mandate calls for," said co SSC-president Bruce Pine.

SSC will also be able to draw training resources from the Steiner Education Group (SEG). SEG's extensive network of educational centers worldwide has been training health care professionals for more than 30 years and graduates more than 5,000 massage and skin care professionals per year.

Jeremy McCarthy, Director, Global Spa Development and Operations Starwood, said, "Steiner is a global spa powerhouse with an incredible reputation in the industry for their strong spa brands, results-oriented product lines, profitable spa operations, and their leadership in spa training and education. By putting their diverse expertise into consulting services they become an invaluable resource for anyone needing spa support from development to design to operations."