Thinking of adding to your specials and packages repertoire?

Consider forming a partnership with an area masseuse, or spa that would be willing to have masseuses come and do in room massages, or give a discount on spa services. Being able to offer a discounted voucher to them, or to their customers, towards stays at your inn, is always a terrific incentive for both the spa, and the spa’s customers, as well as additional advertising for your inn.

Most spa packages consist of general offerings like in-room massage or couples massage, but consider expanding the offerings to make them a bit more unique.

Morning or Afternoon Yoga or Tai Chi Packages: Many Yoga and Tai Chi instructors are looking for space to hold their classes. If you have a meeting room, dining room, general space or outdoor grassy flat area that doesn’t get used early morning or afternoon, get in touch with some local instructors and offer the use of your space in exchange for letting guests attend classes.

It gives you additional advertising and branding as the instructors will be advertising your inn for you.

Check out some of the specials and packages that other inns and B&Bs are offering, as well as look at what retreats and spas are offering as well.

http://www.retreatsonline.com/site/health-wellness/fasting-retreats.html has a great list of places that you can look at for ideas.

Offering Spa breakfasts (and lunches) is a terrific, easy and cost effective way of leveraging the spa style appeal to guests. Most, if not all, of the ingredients that fall into the heart healthy spa food category are ones that innkeepers stock as part of their daily breakfast inventory.

Fresh fruits, vegetables and juices make up the primary foods that are offered as part of a spa regime, and you may find many of your regular guests opting in, if it’s also offered as an alternative to your regular breakfast items.

Smoothies and fruit soups are very popular in spa cuisine and are a terrific way to use up cut up fruit from the day before or fruit salad that is left from a prior day’s breakfast prep that is still very good but a little rough around the edges looking. Any type of melon, berries, mangoes, papayas, pineapples, apples and bananas are terrific for fruit soups and/or smoothies.

Try to stay away from adding grapes (adding grape juice is fine) as the skins sometimes don’t blend well, and you end up with odd bits in the puree. Citrus fruits should not be added as is but instead add just the juice, again you may end up with pulp if you add whole pieces. If prepping a smoothie or fruit soup that is going to be used for several days that you will be including citrus in, add the citrus in prior to service or if using the next day, hold any citrus juice seperate from the puree until service. A soup or smoothie with added citrus may taste great that day, but when added and kept overnight, the acidity in the citrus will change the flavor dramatically of the rest of the fruit.

If you are looking for some ideas for spa recipes, here are some very useful sites:

• http://www.spaindex.com/recipes/
• http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/articles/50-smoothies.html (many of the smoothie recipes can also be re-purposed as chilled cold soups)

When sourcing amenities, a great place to check out for specialty soaps is http://www.soapguild.org/consumers/find-soap-cosmetics/product-type/private-label-products.php and don’t forget to check out  inSPAration, Inc and  Gilchrist & Soames.

To further enhance both the marketing aspect as well as guest appeal, offer the calorie and nutrition information that your spa recipes offer. Don’t forget both the recipes and the additional information makes terrific blog content that can then be re-posted on your other social media channels.

Here are three websites (and there are many more) that will take a recipe and give you estimated calorie and nutrition information.

• https://www.supertracker.usda.gov/myrecipe.aspx
• http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator
• https://www.caloriecount.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php

Spa Baskets are also a terrific add on and can be put together quite inexpensively if you utilize overstock websites and brick and mortar stores. Here are few suggested ingredients for spa baskets. Some of these, like the bath bombs, (suggestions on the prior page), can be made inexpensively at your own inn.

• Bath salts or Crystals
• Relaxing or mediation music CDs
• Mineral water
• Aromatherapy oils
• Loofahs and bath puffs
• Aromatherapy soaps
• Nail brushes and pumice stone
• Massage Rollers
• Herbal Teas
• Spa Recipe Cards
• Bath Bombs
• Slippers
• Skin Lotion
• Embroidered branded Robe
• Embroidered branded workout towel
• Scented Soaps
• Wooden Eco-friendly Hairbrushes
• Moisturizing Spa Socks
• Lip Balms

Homemade Bath Bombs/Fizzes (for Spa Baskets)

Bath bombs are a great addition to a spa basket, either individually or in small glass or ceramic containers. Some suggested sites to check out for recipes:

• http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2015/03/homemade-bath-bombs.html
• https://brightnest.com/posts/little-luxuries-how-to-make-the-perfect-bath-bomb
• http://www.instructables.com/id/How-To-Make-Bath-Bombs/
• http://www.everythingetsy.com/2014/05/diy-lush-inspired-bath-bombs/
• http://www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com/how-to-make-bath-bombs.html

It’s suggested not to use food coloring in your bath bomb recipes as it may stain your tubs and whirlpools. There is a great article here about alternatives for food colors and most with the exception of beet will not leave a stain on your tubs. http://www.offthegridnews.com/how-to-2/how-to-color-homemade-soap/ When in doubt though, better to do without.

Packages sell better with a catchy title. Here are a few ideas to help get you inn-spired!

• Spa-tacular Summer (or Fall/Winter/Spring) Special or Package
• Total Relaxation Special or Package
• A Place to Relax Special or Package
• Serenity Spa Special or Package
• The Getaway Special or Package
• Pure Bliss Special or Package
• Pamper Yourself Spa Special or Package
• Head 2 Toe Spa Special or Package
• A New You Spa Special or Package
• Harmony Spa Special or Package
• Just Let Go Spa Special or Package
• All About You Spa Special or Package
• Body and Mind Spa Special or Package
• Escape Reality Spa Special or Package
• A Peaceful Escape Special or Package
• Queen for a Day Special or Package
• Rejuvenate Spa Special or Package
• Free Your Mind Special or Package
• Massage Away Your Stress (or Troubles) Special or Package

Filed under: B&B, How tos, marketing Tagged: Packages, Spa, Spa Packages, Special Diets, Specials and Packages