Spa of the Month

“The component that is the most important to us is creating a space that honors the unique wellness journey for each guest,” explains Spa Director Ashley Shinkle. “Our custom offerings are a wonderful way for us to be able to craft a personalized experience for each of our guests.This helps us tap deeper into our guests’ needs, then we go to work ensuring our physical space is a safe and welcoming environment to house their journey.”

Signature Treatments

The Custom Massage is a guest favorite! By using the intake process, the staff discovers the individual needs of each guest and create a fully custom experience for their time at the spa. Many options of aromatherapy, tools, and massage pressure are available to select from, and guests are delighted with all the extras they may not have experienced before. The Custom Massage is available in either 60 or 90 minute sessions.

Marketing & Promotions

“Social media is a perfect tool for us,” shares Shinkle. “Through photos and videos, we work to capture the guest experience, and tempt incoming guests with hints of luxury wellness.”

In 2023, Alderbrook plans to launch the Overture Spa in an effort to marry the wellness aspect of the property with the food and beverage offerings of the resort. This monthly event will be split into two parts, service offerings and a wellness-centered class, such as Gua Sha instruction, guided meditation, and sound bath.

Exploring the seasons is another popular pastime, through custom services and expanding available add-ons for guests to enjoy. For example, this holiday season, the spa incorporated juniper and fir oils, as well as an organic shea butter with orange oil, perfect for being enveloped into the Winter season!

Training 

“We focus on quarterly team meetings where we discuss seasonal offerings and changes within the industry. We strive for mid-day, that way we are still ‘fresh’ and not burned out after a long day, and also mentally engaged with our craft,” notes Shinkle. “We talk a lot about the guest experience: what’s working (or not working) and where there are areas we need to grow.”

Revenue and Retail 

The spa’s main brand partner is Kerstin Florian, a luxury skincare brand founded and operated by Kerstin herself, with the motto “outer beauty, inner health.” They also try to partner with local brands from the Pacific Northwest, like Tailfeathers, based in Seattle, as well as HydroPeptide, out of Issaquah.

“It’s important to remember that the spa is like a battery, charging you up and getting you moving, but the work done at home holds the charge,” says Shinkle. “For that reason, our Custom Facials have retail credits built into the cost of the service to really encourage our guests to focus on that homecare, and prolong the work done by our master estheticians.”

Guests typically visit the spa as a part of their resort stay, with hour-long day spa guests the second-largest category. The property lends itself well to the day guests; they come to the spa for service, then stay for an afternoon of lunch and trips to the pool. 70 percent of guests identify as female and make up most of the daily visits.