Ultimate Getaway
The Spa At Saddle brook Resort - Tampa
by Matt Morgan

THE 7,000-SQUARE-FOOT SPA is part of the center club building and main lobby of the resort, neighboring restaurants, bars and meeting rooms. The outside entrance is inviting, offering guests a glimpse of the luxury to come.

Visitors walk down two flights of stairs, past the spa terrace, to enter the spa. “It has beautiful, lush gardens surrounding it and tables with umbrellas,” says Deborah Oakley, former spa director at The Spa at Saddlebrook Resort. Spa-goers can be seen eating lunches or taking breaks between treatments.

“After the guests have checked in, they’ll go back to the locker room where they’ll meet with our attendants who get them set up with a locker, robe and slippers, and point out the different amenities in the facility: the showers, steam room, sauna, whirlpool and restrooms,” she continues. “We have complimentary spring water, herbal teas, white wine and fresh strawberries so the guests feel free to enjoy anything before and after their treatments.”

Some 20,000 square feet of imported Italian marble was laid to give the place a sense of cool comfort. “It’s very natural-stonelooking,” Oakley explains. “The floors are all marble, and there’s lots of tile work—very muted colors throughout.”

The Spa features 12 treatment rooms. Five rooms are dedicated to massage—two of which are for couples—three rooms for wet treatments, one for hydrotherapy and three for facials. Two manicure stations, two pedicure stations and two hairstylist stations round out the appurtenance.

Between 25 and 35 staff members are employed depending on the season. Estheticians and massage therapists are licensed and have two to three years of experience in the spa industry, Oakley says. Nail technicians, hairstylists, locker room attendants and front-desk staff also can be seen busy at work during business hours.

A half-hour north of Tampa International Airport, the Saddlebrook Resort is tucked far enough away from the bustle of downtown, yet still sees its share of corporate business. In fact, during the peak season—December through May or June—80 percent of resort and spa guests come from the corporate market, Oakley says.

“When we’re in season, resort guests are mostly corporate clients who are here for an annual sales meeting or whatever, and they either have time in between their meetings or the company pays for them to have a spa day,” she says. “We’ll have 100 appointments booked out for some company.”

Overall, clientele ranges widely in age. Spa guests who own homes on the property tend to be older, while local visitors tend to be younger, Oakley says.

In the off-season, spa business comes from local guests who visit for the day, half-day or even for a single treatment such as a massage. “They’ve gotten to make good relationships with our therapists,” Oakley says. “We’ll book a series of appointments so they can get a better price by buying 12 treatments at once.”

Instead of selling memberships, the Spa sells prepaid services to encourage repeat visitations. “It’s good for us because we keep the clients coming back,” Oakley says.

The Spa offers what it calls A Year of Indulgence, where guests can purchase any number of treatments in packages of 12. They include sports massages (80 minutes, $1,534), European facials ($1,000) and airbrush tanning ($885).

There is something about the Florida atmosphere that drives demand for sunless treatments. “Airbrush tanning has been incredibly successful for us,” Oakley says. The Spa has carried various brands of self-tanning lotions and sprays in the three years Oakley was at the spa, but in March 2003 it switched to airbrushing. Fantasy Tan™ provides the solution and equipment.

“It’s a flawless application,” Oakley says, “and they have different formulations for different skin types.” Estheticians and massage therapists perform the airbrush treatments, which average around 60 to 80 per month, year-round.

Saddlebrook’s availability of athletic activities combined with a global appeal of massage makes the Sports Massage the Spa’s most popular treatment. Saddlebrook, consistently named one of the nation’s top tennis resorts, is home to a renowned tennis facility that includes 45 courts with six different playing surfaces. Many people make their way to the Spa after their workouts, Oakley says.

The Sports Massage is billed as ideal for pre- or post-activity, consisting of range of motion, stretching and deep-pressure techniques. The Spa offers 25 minutes for $60, 50 minutes for $90, and 80 minutes for $130.

Oakley also notes guests’ pursuit of pedicures: “There’s something about when people get to Florida, they’ve got to get their feet done,” she says.

There is a standard pedicure and, for those seeking further decadence, the Spa Pedicure (50 minutes, $60). Aromatherapy bath salts, an exfoliating scrub, a therapeutic masque and a mineral-rich moisturizer condition feet and delight the senses.

Facials also are in demand. The menu includes the Luminous “C” and “Sea” (50 minutes, $105), Sun Lover’s (50 minutes, $105), Men’s Fitness (25 minutes, $55) and Refresher (25 minutes, $55).

The Epicuren™ Pure Radiance Facial, the Spa’s featured new service, was added in November. The treatment (50 minutes, $120; 80 minutes, $155) begins with facial exfoliation and features a massage using Brazilian rainforest Corigem Propolis, rich in antioxidants, bee serum and olive oil. The facial continues with a silver-ion mask and applications of alpha lipoic acid and Epicuren’s Skin Tightener for immediate results.

Epicuren is the Spa’s No. 1 skincare line—15,000 to 20,000 units are sold every month, Oakley says. MD Formulations® and Pevonia® Botanica are other popular brands.

Staff are given a 10-percent commission on the sale of retail items, which also include candles by Archipelago Botanicals and Nirvana, as well as slippers, sandals and microfiber robes.

“The commission definitely gives them the incentive,” Oakley explains. “But some of it sells on its own, just because people will recognize the brand names and most of the staff use the products too—we can clearly make a great recommendation.”

This year, the Spa began selling about 200 spa products online. It’s been a great tool to help retail sales, because many guests wish to purchase products after they’ve gotten home, she says.

The take-home retail products give visitors a chance to relive their Spa at Saddlebrook Resort experience. “We strive to offer guests the best in spa services using the finest products and equipment, provided by the most knowledgeable and sensitive therapists,” Oakley says, “all in a luxurious and peaceful setting.”

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