Of US Upscale Lodging Projects Under Development - 40% Contain Spa Facilities and Services / PricewaterhouseCoopers / September 2006

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Of US Upscale Lodging Projects Under Development - 40% Contain
Spa Facilities and Services / PricewaterhouseCoopers . 27 Percent of Existing Luxury and Upper-Upscale Hotels Have Spa Facilities and Services

New York, September 5, 2006 - PricewaterhouseCoopers research, supplemented by Smith Travel Research and the International Spa Association, indicates that approximately 40 percent of luxury and upper-upscale lodging projects under development in the US have spa facilities and services, compared to 27 percent of existing luxury and upper-upscale hotels that have spa facilities and services.

The International Spa Association defines a spa as �an entity devoted to enhancing overall well-being though a variety of professional services that encourage the renewal of mind, body and spirit,� further elaborating a hotel/resort spa as �a spa owned by and located within a resort or hotel providing professionally administered spa services, fitness, and wellness components and spa cuisine menu choices.� Spas in resorts or hotels provide an array of services including massages, sauna/Jacuzzi, facial treatments, alternative stress management, fitness programs and spa cuisine.

The following table summarizes the percentage of existing hotels and resorts in US that have spa facilities and services.
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Of all planned US hotel projects, 1.9 percent have spa facilities and services compared to 0.6 percent of existing hotels with spas, with the percentage for luxury and upper-upscale chains approximating 40 percent.

The increasing trend of including spa facilities and services in lodging projects is reflected in the following table:
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According to the International Spa Association, resort/hotel spas are the second largest category of spas after day spas, accounting for 14 percent of the spa locations but disproportionately high shares of the total industry space and revenues - 37 percent of the total industry space in terms of square footage and 41 percent of the spa industry revenues.

�This is a dramatic trend reflecting the lifestyle appeal of hotels to an increasing number of business and leisure travelers,� says Bjorn Hanson, Ph.D. and principal, Hospitality & Leisure practice, PricewaterhouseCoopers.

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Also See:	Coyle Hospitality Group�s 2005 Spa Industry Survey Finds Quality of Service Provider and Cleanliness are Keys to Satisfaction / September 2005
	Hotel Spa Survey Indicates 1 in 3 Guests Spend More on Spa Treatments than Hotel Dining / April 2005

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