Every spa owner or individual looking to start a spa must first answer a fundamental question: What is a spa?
Having a clear understanding of what a spa is before you define your offerings sets a clear direction for how your spa will serve its customers. This will set you apart in an industry that’s getting increasingly crowded.
However, defining what a spa means in today’s world can be tricky due to how much it has evolved over the years. So, if you find yourself without an answer to this question, that’s okay. That’s why you‘re here. And that’s why I’m writing this.
By the end of this article, you’ll have not only learned what a spa is but also gained insights into the types of spas in Nigeria and the distinct experiences they all offer.
If you are ready, I’m ready. Let’s begin.
What is a spa?
The term “spa” is an acronym formed from the Latin phrase “Salus Per Aqua,” which translates to “Health from Water.”
Spa was the word used in the eras of Ancient Greece and Rome to describe naturally occurring thermal springs believed to have healing properties. Soon, spas became establishments that provided therapeutic baths for treatment, therapy, and relaxation, using mineral-rich water, oils, and stones.
In recent times, however, spas have evolved to encompass a wide range of beauty and wellness services, including facials, massages, nail treatments (manicures and pedicures), waxing and hair removal, and even hair salons. They are designed to create an immersive experience that rejuvenates the body and soothes the mind.
Spa culture in Nigeria
Relaxation and well-being hold some cultural significance in Nigeria. Most offerings combine modern techniques with traditional wellness practices to create a holistic approach to health and beauty.
While the general goals of spas are to improve your health, help you relax, and address any physical discomfort, different types of spas achieve these goals using distinct techniques and offerings. That brings us to the various types of spas in Nigeria.
Types of spas in Nigeria
Now that “What is a spa?” has been answered, the next question is how many types of spas are there in the country. While Nigerian spas integrate traditional therapies with modern spa services, different spas still offer various options and outcomes.
As a spa owner or someone looking to own one, having a deep understanding of the different types of spas will help you define your offerings and serve your target audience. When you clearly state your services, your customers will know what they are getting into and what they will get out of it.
In this section, I’ll show you the four types of spas in Nigeria; all others are a variation of the ones on this list.
#1. Day spas
These are spas in their simplest form and the most common type in Nigeria. As the name implies, these spas don’t offer accommodations for customers to stay more than a day. If you run a day spa, it means your customers come in daily for their treatments and can’t stay overnight.
Where do you find them?
You’ll typically find day spas in sprawling city centres and residential areas offering quick treatment options and repeat appointments to the local clientele. Escape House in Abuja and Priscilla’s Pride in Lagos are examples of day spas.
What do they offer?
Service time could be anything from 30 minutes for single treatments like massages and facials to the whole day for combined treatments. Some day spas offer home service, which is known as a mobile spa experience.
Who’s looking for them?
For most people who visit day spas, it offers a quick escape from the bustling city lifestyles. If you can make your spa a haven, you will attract more people seeking quick escape in these cities.
#2. Resort spas
They are also widely known as hotel spas. They are becoming more popular, thanks to hotels and resorts that want to add wellness to their often luxurious offerings.
Where do you find them?
As the name implies, you’ll find these spas in most high-end hotels and resort centres. While some hotels run their spa operations in-house, some outsource the service to third-party spa outfits.
So, if you fancy running your spa business in a hotel, you can approach hotels and resorts that don’t already have spas with a partnership proposal. With the rise of luxury hotels and resort spots in Nigeria, these spas are bound to become more common.
Examples of resort spas include Apples and Oranges at Transcorp Hilton Abuja and Epe Resort and Spa in Lagos.
What do they offer?
For the most part, their treatment options are similar to well-run day spas but tend to be more luxurious. Facilities in resort spas also tend to be more extensive than your average day spa, with some of them fitted with spa pools, saunas, and steam rooms.
Unlike day spas, resort spas offer spa services and accommodations to guests for as long as they want. Some hotels and resorts even open their doors to walk-ins — people who just want to enjoy the spa services without lodging.
Who’s looking for them?
People, especially couples and groups, who go to hotel spas are looking to add wellness activities, which spas provide, to their brief getaway plans. They relish the convenient access to multiple amenities in one location.
Say you partner with a hotel or a resort to run a spa; your clientele will be hotel and resort guests, which can significantly boost your business.
#3. Destination spas
It’s easy to confuse destination and resort spas, but they are not the same.
You’ll find resort spas in hotels and resort centres, where they serve less intensive needs, such as pampering, relaxation, and beauty treatments. The resort or hotel is the main thing; the spa is just an additional feature.
Destination spas, however, are full-fledged spas that cater to overall well-being intensively. Here, the spa is the destination. You go there for — the spa, which comes with food and accommodation. Destination spas are also called health farms. Nisa Wellness Retreat in Abuja is an example of a destination spa in Nigeria.
Where do you find them?
Destination spas are typically built in remote areas, preferably with stunning views and natural water bodies. The locations are usually without telephones, TVs, or anything that could be a distraction from your wellness activities.
What do they offer?
Since destination spas are all about wellness and health, their offerings usually include intensive spa treatments, healthy foods, wellness talks, nutrition counselling, fitness programmes, and even yoga.
These spas tend to be fully equipped with cutting-edge spa facilities and highly trained practitioners. Guests can stay for an extended time, from a few days to weeks.
Who’s looking for them?
People go to destination spas to escape the busy city lifestyle for an extended time to focus on a more immersive wellness experience. Usually, the guests want to improve their health through comprehensive programmes that include spa treatments, diets, and exercises.
Destination spas are common in Nigeria, like the other spa types. It’s also more expensive to start because of the facilities and human resource requirements.
#4. Medical spas
Medical spas, also known as medspas or health spas, combine conventional spa treatment with medical procedures. Because of the medical component, a qualified medical professional runs or at least supervises the day-to-day activities in these spas.
Where do you find them?
You’ll generally find medspas in the same areas you find day spas: city centres and residential areas. Examples of Nigeria medspas are Oasis MedSpa in Lagos and Laser Med Spa in Port Harcourt.
What do they offer?
Medical spas offer various medical and spa procedures, including chemical peels, laser therapies, microdermabrasion (removing dead skin cells), botox, collagen injection, laser hair removal, body contouring or sculpting, photo facials, etc.
You can also get day spa offerings from a medspa. Guests can pick which one they want: medical procedures, spa treatments, or both.
Who’s looking for them?
The people who go to medspas are looking for something a little more than the usual spa offerings. Their needs are a lot more specific, ranging from health to cosmetic issues. These people want to improve their appearance without undergoing invasive medical procedures. And they want to do so while enjoying the comfort of a spa and the assurance of medical competence. If you’re starting a medspa, these are things to consider.
Conclusion
As we conclude this article, two things are clear: one, spas are associated with relaxation and wellness, and two, there are different spas for different purposes.
With this understanding of what a spa is and knowledge of the four types in Nigeria, the next thing is for you to pick a particular type of spa from the list, define your offerings, and go on to run a successful spa business in any location in the country. If have yet to register your business with the Corporate Affairs Commission, see our comprehensive guide on how to quickly and easily do so in Nigeria.
