Massage and covid compliance: Our interview published by GQ Magazine

With social distancing still being a thing due to COVID-19, is it a great idea to go for a spa? We had a chat with Woodstock Spa Suite to find more

Extracts from an article published by GQ Magazine

With social distancing still being a thing due to COVID-19, is it a great idea to go for a spa? We had a chat with Woodstock Spa Suite to find more. 

GQ: How has the spa industry changed for you during COVID-19?

Social distancing has resulted in “the death of the waiting room” as one industry expert recently stated. Walk-ins (where guests have no appointment) has also ground to a halt, as guests do not want to sit around and wait for the next available time slot. Our focus has been on creating a private suite for treatments, that is only available on appointment. With many of guests working from home on flexible hours, the mid-morning and mid-afternoon time slots are becoming popular.

Regulatory pressure has had a major impact due to lockdown restrictions. But it has also forced us to relook how we can offer exceptional experiences with minimal guest impact, whilst still complying to the restrictions.

Our touch-points with guests are shrinking due to the rapid acceptance of technology. Previously, guests would want to physically visit a Spa, pick up a services menu, and talk to a receptionist to book an appointment. 

Today we use Whatsapp to have a consultation, to share photos and videos and to book appointments

GQ: With level 2 now coming in, a lot of people will be wanting to do spa treatments. How are you as a business ensuring the people's safety?

We adopted three 'pillars' to ensure safety: Social distancing, personal hygiene and protection, and stringent cleaning protocols.

1. The Spa Suite is for the exclusive use of one guest (or two in case of a couples experience,) ensuring social distancing. We only accept guests with confirmed bookings. Last minute bookings are however available for those on flexible schedules.

2. We do temperature reading and recording of our guests (and Therapists) on arrival, and insist on hand washing on arrival.

3. Our sanitation protocols have always been stringent, whilst maintaining minimal Guest impact. Additionally, all touch surfaces are sanitised between appointments, and there is a complete linen change.

GQ: Tell us about your spa, and what does it specialise in?

Woodstock Spa Suite is situated 5-minutes drive from Cape Town CBD and the V&A Waterfront, and approximately 20-minutes drive from Cape Town International Airport. It is discretely located in the residential section of a brand new development, with safe underground paid parking available. Treatments are done in the outside Pavillion overlooking Table Mountain, but can be moved indoors on cold weather days.

The Spa is exclusive. We only accept one appointment at a time, and we allow sufficient time between guests. We do this to ensure privacy, social distancing and proper sanitation protocols are adhered to.

All our Therapists are male, and although the majority of our guests are men, we do welcome ladies as well and couples treatments can be arranged.

We offer a range of treatments, including Swedish, Deep Tissue, Aromatherapy and Reflexology. The treatments are bespoke, and very often we would combine massage styles based on Guest requirements.

Shower facilities are also available to freshen up.

GQ: For someone who is wondering why a spa is important right now, what would you say to them?

The last couple of months have been exceptionally stressful. Our new normal is placing stress and strains on us that we are not accustomed to. And up to now, we were not allowed to pamper ourselves.

During the upcoming recovery and rebuilding phase, we will continue this relentless pace with the resulting stress and strains. Our previous ways of managing stress and fatigue has also changed, making it more of a challenge to remain healthy. Basically, if you drive a car without topping up the oil, it will break down eventually.

More than ever before, we need ways to destress and recharge. Having a great massage in a safe, discrete environment is perfect for ‘recharging the batteries.’

With our new normal, finding time in our routines to schedule down-time had actually become increasingly difficult. Some Spa Guests use treatments as way of scheduling down-time into their very busy dairies, even during traditional 9-to-5 ‘office hours.’

GQ: What are 3 things one shouldn’t do before and after a spa?

Before:

1. Don’t eat a heavy meal or drink lots of fluids. You want to be comfortable during your treatment.

2. Avoid stimulants like coffee or energy drinks. It could make you jittery and you wont be able to relax and switch off.

3. Jam packing your dairy just before a treatment. The more relaxed you are before a treatment, the sooner your will enjoy the experience.

After:

1. Don’t plan on doing anything that requires high energy levels or mental focus. Just like when you wake up in the mornings, your body needs time to get up to speed.

2. Don’t forget to drink water. Water is very important post treatment.

3. Don’t forget to tip your Therapist. Like all service professionals, we appreciate the acknowledgement, and will remember you on your next visit.