Difference between a spa and a salon

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Nevergivingup

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What is the difference?
 
There have been more current threads than the one posted as I remember commenting on it before so won't labour on but to me the very essence of a spa is Hydrotherapy.

The trouble I have locally is a lot of NSS etc. call themselves nails and spa when what they really mean is nails and spa pedicure chair!
 
A Saloon is where cowboys drink after chasing Indians all day, and a Spar is a corner shop,Simples!
 
Sorry to hijack this thread but you have got me thinking.

My salon in set in very pretty grounds, with seating outside, a hot tub.

Inside there is a largish room that has a double size luxury shower cubicle which has a steam facility (and music, tv, mood lighting) The room also has part floor to ceiling windows so clients could sit on loungers inside should the weather not be good.

I do all the various beauty treatments, shellac, cnd spa mani & pedi, massage, lash extensions, facials, microdermabrasion, Micro-current, galvanic along with all the usual waxing, tinting etc.

I wouldn't mind offering a few more body treatments, ie exfoliation, scrub, moistuising but not really interested in investing in wraps/ weight loss.

At present I'm sort of offering Pamper Days and haven't mention Spa, do you think I could be classed as a spa? I don't have a pool.

I have attached a few pics so you can see, I know I may need to make some adjustments but wondered what you all thought. I do have the facility to offer light lunches but would need to maybe send a menu and have guests pre order.
 

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Sorry to hijack this thread but you have got me thinking.

My salon in set in very pretty grounds, with seating outside, a hot tub.

Inside there is a largish room that has a double size luxury shower cubicle which has a steam facility (and music, tv, mood lighting) The room also has part floor to ceiling windows so clients could sit on loungers inside should the weather not be good.

I do all the various beauty treatments, shellac, cnd spa mani & pedi, massage, lash extensions, facials, microdermabrasion, Micro-current, galvanic along with all the usual waxing, tinting etc.

I wouldn't mind offering a few more body treatments, ie exfoliation, scrub, moistuising but not really interested in investing in wraps/ weight loss.

At present I'm sort of offering Pamper Days and haven't mention Spa, do you think I could be classed as a spa? I don't have a pool.

I have attached a few pics so you can see, I know I may need to make some adjustments but wondered what you all thought. I do have the facility to offer light lunches but would need to maybe send a menu and have guests pre order.

Before I give you my opinion, have you got insurance for the guests to use the hot tub?
 
Before I give you my opinion, have you got insurance for the guests to use the hot tub?

Haven't used it officially yet with the hot tub, the photo was friends of my sisters as this is in the grounds of her home.
 
I asked as a colleague of mine uses her whole house as a practice, her OH is a chiropractor and she is a LMT,so they have a lot of clients.

I asked her why she doesn't make use of the pool in her treatments and it was all to do with insurance as if someone drowned or slipped and hurt themself it made it way to expensive to have the pool as a facility.

Bit different to a smaller hot tub I know but you would need to look into that first and foremost. Also these tubs can create germ soup so you would need to be hot on making sure the water was treated properly etc. if you were using it as a professional facility.

You have a lovely place but as far as a Spa goes, ask yourself can you treat more than one customer at a time or would you just put the other clients in the tub til it was their turn, what if it was raining or what about the 10 months of the year its too cold in the UK! You would probably have to make the space more private if you had different clients in too.

My honest opinion is at the minute you couldn't say you were a spa/dayspa but it has the potential for something on a small scale This is only my opinion but maybe food for thought if you want to go down this road.
 
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I know of places that seem more salon like that call themselves spas so you could argue that it comes down to interpretation.

My definition of spa is somewhere that you can have the full relaxation process which may include a swim, use of a sauna, walking around in a dressing gown and lying around chilling in between treatment(s). Clients may be using the spa as part of another service (hotel, gym etc) and may be captive to that environment for the day if it's in a remote location. Repeat business can be hard to achieve frequently because guests/clients have travelled a long way to be at the destination.

My definition of salon is somewhere local that perhaps has a sense of community where you have regular clients who pop in for their treatment and then leave the salon afterwards. They may have a drink and/or read a magazine whilst waiting for their treatment. The list of treatments may be more cosmetic rather than relaxation based (however you can get massage in salons and waxing done in spas so I guess this isn't strictly true).

I guess the definitions sort of cross over to a point in the sense that different salons and spas have different objectives, treatments, locations and clientelle.
 
I recently went to a place advertised as a Day Spa but it really wasn't. Although very nice, it was clearly and definitely someone's house that was also used as a B&B (5 rooms). There was a grumpy old woman sitting in the front room who scowled at us. It was pouring with rain but the owner made us don flip flops and bath robes to go to the 'spa' outside - this was a hot tub in the garden which she made my OH take the lid off! Next to it were 10 chickens and it was 10 foot away from a gigantic pig! Next to the hot tub was a tiny, and I mean tiny, sauna. 4 people in there was very very friendly and there was only changing facilities for one person at a time.

It was like being in the house of a very rich friend. Spa it wasn't. Needless to say the person who lived there was also the beauty therapist, hairdresser and business owner. If she'd said 'pamper day in home salon' it'd be fine. But the fact she said 'spa' made us feel v uncomfortable about being in someone's home. Spas are more public. I think people should be careful with the word 'spa'!
 
I recently went to a place advertised as a Day Spa but it really wasn't. Although very nice, it was clearly and definitely someone's house that was also used as a B&B (5 rooms). There was a grumpy old woman sitting in the front room who scowled at us. It was pouring with rain but the owner made us don flip flops and bath robes to go to the 'spa' outside - this was a hot tub in the garden which she made my OH take the lid off! Next to it were 10 chickens and it was 10 foot away from a gigantic pig! Next to the hot tub was a tiny, and I mean tiny, sauna. 4 people in there was very very friendly and there was only changing facilities for one person at a time.

It was like being in the house of a very rich friend. Spa it wasn't. Needless to say the person who lived there was also the beauty therapist, hairdresser and business owner. If she'd said 'pamper day in home salon' it'd be fine. But the fact she said 'spa' made us feel v uncomfortable about being in someone's home. Spas are more public. I think people should be careful with the word 'spa'!

I agree it is a misused term.
 
I recently went to a place advertised as a Day Spa but it really wasn't. Although very nice, it was clearly and definitely someone's house that was also used as a B&B (5 rooms). There was a grumpy old woman sitting in the front room who scowled at us. It was pouring with rain but the owner made us don flip flops and bath robes to go to the 'spa' outside - this was a hot tub in the garden which she made my OH take the lid off! Next to it were 10 chickens and it was 10 foot away from a gigantic pig! Next to the hot tub was a tiny, and I mean tiny, sauna. 4 people in there was very very friendly and there was only changing facilities for one person at a time.

It was like being in the house of a very rich friend. Spa it wasn't. Needless to say the person who lived there was also the beauty therapist, hairdresser and business owner. If she'd said 'pamper day in home salon' it'd be fine. But the fact she said 'spa' made us feel v uncomfortable about being in someone's home. Spas are more public. I think people should be careful with the word 'spa'!

Yes, I totally agree, this is why I haven't and have at present merely thought in terms of "Pamper Days". I think I would rather continue with this thought and have clients pleasantly surprised than dissappointed.

My space is completely independant from any home tho in the grounds, I have some luxury loungers that I lay in front of the glass doors when the weather is not good.

jacqueline - I do work alone but have availability of a qualified therapist to help me when needed.

I do run it as a beauty salon day to day, but was thinking of offering pamper days where I would book either mornings/ afternoons or whole days to group of people on Pamper Days, the salon would be booked for their use solely and I would price according to the amount of people and treatments required.

I've had enquiries recently from bridal parties and group of friends so really need to decide what I'm going to do as I don't really want to turn these people away.

The people in the photos were as I said friends of my sisters, I did do treatments on them and asked them feedback of what they thought if I were to do it professionally and they all thought it was a great idea but just really don't know if I'm making hard work for myself with not much reward.
 
I think the term "clinic" is very misused.

I have seen salons that offer massage and facials and the odd set of nails and lash extentions call themselves a clinic. I just think it's misleading at best and self important and worst.
 

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