Sep 7 2010
Spas for the Masses
Spas were once the preserve of wealthy housewives, swaning around in their robes all day drinking chardonnay and spending every waking hour preening themselves in an attempt to reach an Aphrodite-like state. This stereotype is famously mocked in Little Britain with the bubbles character. The fact is that Spas are becoming more and more popular these days and are starting to shed their bourgeois, exclusively middle-class stigma. Many holiday resorts are now installing spas as part of their overall service to the holiday maker. One resort which has used the mass-appeal health spa with great success is Club La Santa in Lazarote.
Club La Santa is an mid-range family holiday resort that is also very targeted in that it caters for celebrity athletes. Along with the usual swimming pool surrounded by sun loungers, numerous restaurants and a disco, the resort houses a full sized football pitch, an Olympic pool, indoor and outdoor gyms and a large sports hall. This makes it the perfect winter training camp getaway for athletes wanting to get away from it all. The Wellness Centre added to the resort three years ago offers a sauna, steam room, heated pool, Jacuzzi, plunge pool and flotation chambers allowing anyone from the professional sportsman to the casual holiday maker to enjoy the rejuvenating, restorative effects of a spa.
The difference is that The Wellness Centre does not conform to a traditional spa day format. Instead tokens can be purchased for around ten pounds which allow a single use of the spa for an unlimited amount of time. This veers away from spa days simply being seen as gifts for women and positions it as moreof an express or drive-thru facility where punters can relax after a day of physical exertion (or sunbathing!) before venturing out for the evening meal. This is re-defining the spa, making it relevant and accessible for all. Who knows, with an increasing focus on health and fitness, the UK may soon follow suit with its own express spas.
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