In September 2005, we got the go ahead to start planning the new location at the Marriott.   I don’t know where I acquired this list of Top 10 questions for design, but somewhere along the way, I housed it into my spa architecture folder.
Questions for Design & Overall for Spa

1. Does the physical setting have trend-setting infrastructure.
2. Does it live up to reputation, advertisements & hype?
3. Is the range of treatments indicative of current advances?
4. Are product lines tested & reputable?
5. How does the program complement the location?
6. Do therapists & aestheticians enjoy thorough education and in-service training?
7. Rather than spa cuisine, think healthy cuisine.  Does the food have eye appeal & taste as well as low-fat nutritional value?
8. How are housekeeping standards maintained?
9. Regardless of size, does the combination of treatment areas, outdoor recreation, fitness equipment and staff provide COMPLETE satisfaction?
10. Would you go out of your way to experience this spa
    

So, if I could answer these questions going forward, I would be okay.  You see, I was coming from the day spa environment and moving to a resort hotel spa environment.  These are really not easy questions.

At ISPA, I also order special saddle seats for all of the nail technicians for manicures and for pedicures.  After years of bending over clients, it is really important to have great posture…plus it will save you from injuries. 

The saddle seats are from a company called Humanscale and they are so ergonomic…after 2 years of using the chairs, not one technician complains of back pain.  The only problem we had is that the chairs were about 6 inches too high, but the company corrected this by sending us new hydraulics.  

You should have heard the nail techs heckle me about this chairs…you don’t know what you are doing, we cannot sit in those chairs.   Bum’s and Backs…Humanscale chairs are the answers.  Check them out.

Life gives you all kinds of puzzles…you just never know when they are going to put the pieces together.  I had been researching pedicure chairs for months and months. I had looked at all of the models, read all of the spec sheets, and then reviewed the sanitation, i.e. the pipe situation.  You see the pipes hold bacteria, mold and all kinds of surprises.  I finally decided on SaniJet    Look at this chair, it has all of the bells and whistles, it has lights, heat, massage, lumbar, and the footprint is small. 

This is our chair on their website and you can learn all about the chairs—we are very proud of these chairs…they are bacteria-free.  We also have a special cleaning technique, which I will go into later that ensures that our clients will never have a fungus or disease from the spa.   I special ordered the fabric in the most beautiful blue suede and I bought four chairs.—What a bargain.

So I spoke many times with Phillip at Sanijet..when I was having an oops about the architect’s plans..Phillip had told me about how he was the recommended vendor for Blu Spas.  He ended up giving me Lisa Henry Jacob’s name and a phone number.  Thank goodness for puzzles.  Lisa was one of the pieces to a puzzle and I got her through a pedicure chair!