By Meghan Hickey

A simple Google search of “spas on Guam” will yield dozens of choices that point to a growing industry on island. From extravagant, brand-oriented resort spas to your mom and pop, single bed operation, there are ample choices for the pamper-seeking individual.

Most spas offer a mix of services that include a variety of full-body to partial massages, as well as facial treatments. Other popular services include scrubs and baths, waxing and even aroma therapy. Throughout the years, what has made it possible to differentiate and compete with the growing number of businesses is the variety and specialty that each spa has to offer.

Merle Ann Robinson, president and owner of Spa Bali at the Guam Plaza Resort & Spa — which has been in business since 2004 — says that although other spas claim to use the style, Spa Bali is the only spa on island that truly trains for an authentic Balinese massage technique. This stems from the company’s original owner, Ketut Bradley, who flew in therapists directly from Bali to administer the services and teach others their technique. However, increasingly stringent work visas made it difficult for those workers to continue their profession on Guam. “So, the original owner flew to the Philippines and opened a school to train therapists there,” Robinson said. Known as the Bulacan Institute of Massage Therapy, the school is where Spa Bali senior therapist, receptionist and trainer Jennifer Gurwell was trained. She travels to Bali, where Bradley today operates another spa, for two weeks each year to learn new skills and techniques and bring them back to train the other therapists at Spa Bali.

 

 

Island Sirena Spa, which is located in and affiliated with the Hyatt Regency Guam, provides a variety of different massage techniques, to include warm oil and hot stone, says Lead Esthetician Susan Fields. For each, they use an “all-hands” technique, which has an utmost focus on human connection. Because of this, much like with the Balinese technique, training is first and foremost. “There is somebody from Japan who came over and trained everybody … and it all [flows], same technique, same timing. And if you don’t perfect that … you can’t have a guest until you pass through the training.” Now, Field administers the training for all new employees to Island Sirena Spa, starting from the basics and helping the new therapist to learn the technique and practice about 200 hands-on training hours before graduating. Estheticians that work with them must be licensed on Guam, no matter where they have trained, with required continued education at least every two years.

 

 

Others on island offer unique techniques and products for their customers — including halotherapy (salt therapy) at the Devarana Spa at the Dusit Thani Guam Resort, a state-of-the-art heated memory foam treatment table with LED color-changing chromatherapy lighting at the Navasana Spa at the Outrigger Guam Beach Resort and jade rolling at Island Skin Spa. Yet as the industry grows, so does its consumers knowledge. “In the last five years, our customers have become more massage educated and savvy. The expectation for service has risen and we have to try and keep up with the upcoming trends and products,” says Ramil Estoy, spa hospitality manager at Navasana. Emerging are three main trends necessary for continued success in the marketplace.

 

 

All-natural

The most prominent trend is the swing toward all-natural products, tools and more. “I think a lot of clients are really looking for a more natural approach to their skin care,” says Charly Leonen, general manager at Island Skin Spa. “They don’t want harsh chemicals, fragrances, because a lot of people are having more skin sensitivities now. So, we do our best to get products that are beneficial to the skin in a more natural way.” The spa focuses both its services and retail around the product Dermalogica, which is sulfate-free, paraben-free, fragrance-free and almost always includes a sunscreen component. Leonen says that the trend stemmed from customers becoming more aware of health issues derived from environmental concerns such as pollution and UV rays.

“There’s a real botanical focus as well,” says Veronica Flores, marketing communications manager at the Hyatt. “[The spa team] is very talented in identifying ingredients that hold natural benefits.” The spa recently ran a promotion with coconut where the team grated the coconut in front of guests to develop a natural scrub. “That helps them restore even their outer skin, and what we do with the extra, that’s what we use as an oil to help provide them with the massage,” Fields says.

 Ahead of the trend, natural oils are what Spa Bali has based its services on from the start and is the core of its offering, Gurwell says. Since 2004, customers have had the choice of four types of oil. “They can choose the balancing oil, the relaxing, the uplifting and an essential oil,” she says.

The trend also stems from an earlier focus on aging, says Eriko Mutoh, director of spa and wellness at Dusit. “As this generation grows older and seeks to mitigate the effects of aging, they are also driving the exponential growth of the beauty and anti-aging markets … This same demographic has traditionally represented — and will continue to represent — a major customer base for the spa industry, the health club industry and other similar sectors. … it is partly reactive (done to address or cover up perceived flaws in appearance or to respond to and treat perceived or real problems related to getting older) but can also be pursued in a wellness-oriented way to enhance self-image.”

This focus on wellness has not only accelerated the trend toward natural beauty but has developed into a trend of its own. 

 

 

Experiential and holistic

With the growing importance of wellness in all aspects of self-care, the spa industry has adapted to focus more on not only the service or product provided, but the entire experience a guest undergoes.

For the spas that are housed at hotels and resorts, and typically cater to anywhere from 60% to 80% tourists, there is a certain way that the guest wants to feel. “It’s definitely more experiential when you go to a hotel. You know when you walk into a hotel and you expect to have a certain type of spa treatment, and that’s really what we try to deliver on and I’m sure what a lot of the other properties that have spas do as well,” Flores says. “And of course, being on an island as well, you want to feel like there is something different than, say, a city spa.” Fields says when guests come in, they often expect a lot of coconuts and local fruits, so they have begun to test out varying natural ingredients with monthly treatment promotions. 

Mutoh says it’s not just one or two things, but a sense of total wellbeing of body, soul and mind. “People voluntarily become customers of the wellness industry,” she says. “It provides products and services to healthy people, with the goal of making them feel even healthier and look better, slowing the effects of aging, and/or preventing sickness from developing.” And many of the resort and hotel spas have adapted this way, focusing less on set packages that each guest receives, and more on counseling with each guest individually before treatment to focus on specific ailments or needs. “We believe that not all body types are the same, so we treat each individual with the utmost care and attention to ensure our guest receives his or her personal treatment accordingly,” Estoy says.

For those spas that cater to the local market, personal treatment has always come out ahead, and the holistic and wellness trend plays into clients being more aware of their body as a whole. “A lot of people are interested in skincare for other areas of their body, rather than just the face,” Leonen says. “We’ve been getting a lot of our waxing clients saying, ‘what do I need to do after waxing, how can I keep ingrown or anything like that the hair coming out, how can I keep it smooth and hydrated?’” The client’s questions sparked the newest product line that Island Skin Spa launched this summer, the Cha Cha Skin System, which focuses on “intimate” skin care.

 

Social

From product ingredients sourced from your surroundings to a focus on a purposeful environment, the personal aspect of spas has affected the industry when it comes to marketing as well. In the tourism industry, free independent travelers penetrating the market has prompted outreach to adapt. “It’s no longer just going straight to a tour agent and saying this the package if you want to integrate it in but realizing other channels to talk about the services of the spa,” Flores says. “People are finding out about a spa through social media and blogs and bits and pieces.”

Robinson agrees and says Spa Bali hasn’t run a print ad in years. But although its tourism clients have remained steady, social media more specifically is changing how she markets for local clients. “[It] gave us more exposure to the locals. They didn’t realize that we had local rates. And they’re just loving it — they really like it and it makes me feel so good; they come in and they’re like, ‘We never knew it existed,’” she says.

Leonen agrees, saying that Island Skin Spa communicates with its clients primarily via Facebook, Instagram and an exclusive email list that allows them to see the sneak peeks and exclusive deals first.

 

As the spa industry on Guam continues to grow and become more sophisticated, so will the need for collaboration amongst those looking to stay on top. “The way the spa industry is — from the past and present — it’s growing,” Fields says. She explains that the introduction of Bill 226-34 in January 2018, which aimed to establish certification and licensure requirements for the massage therapy industry on Guam under the oversight of the Allied Health Board, brought a few of the resort and hotel spas together to try to understand the bill and learn how it would affect the hotel luxury spa industry. “… [We] are trying to start some sort of relationship together.”

“We look forward to continued growth in the spa industry here on Guam and we share [a] positive outlook on the future,” Robinson says.

 

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SPAS ON GUAM AND SAIPAN

A choice of spas in the region are typically open six days per week, if not daily, with a range of hours between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. Services and pricing will vary depending on location, but a range of example services and pricing that can be found at popular spas in the region includes:

• Facial treatments: $60 to $115
• Lash and brow: $20 to $85
• Massage therapy: $75 to $200 for full body, $40 to $45 for partial
• Scrubs and baths: $113 to $152
• Waxing: $10 to $80
• Variety packages: $125 to $451

 

GUAM

Kutsurogi Spa Guam

750 San Vitores Rd., Tumon

646-7579

 

Chandan Spa

Pacific Star

145 Trankiludat St., Tamuning

648-1681

 

Spa Bali

Guam Plaza Resort & Spa

1328 Pale San Vitores Rd., Tamuning

649-4772

 

Spa Ayualam

Hilton Guam Resort & Spa

202 Hilton Rd., Tamuning

646-5378; and

Nikko Hotel

105 Gun Beach Rd., Tamuning

648-1007

 

Island Skin Spa

285 Route 30A, Tamuning

989-7546

 

Devarana Spa

Dusit Thani Resort

1227 Pale San Vitores Rd., Tamuning

648-8064

 

Island Sirena Spa

Hyatt Regency Guam

1155 Pale San Vitores Rd., Tumon

647-1234

 

Paradise Spa

K-Plaza Pale San Vitores Rd., Tamuning

649-3318

 

Phruksa Thai Spa

Oceanveiw Hotel & Residence

1433 Pale San Vitores Rd., Tamuning

646-2400 ext. 109

 

Tenjudo Spa

Fujita Rd., Tamuning

649-9336

 

Orchid Spa & Massage

901 Pale San Vitores Rd., Tamuning

646-9558

 

Guam Royal Spa

194 Chalan San Antonio Rd., Suite 204, Tamuning

989-3398

 

Jenny’s Phruksa Thai Spa & Garden Thai Spa

Oceanview Hotel & Residences

1433 Pale San Vitores Rd., Tamuning

646-3384

 

Jinky Mini Spa

ET Calvo Memorial Parkway

646-1788

 

Navasana Spa

Outrigger Guam Beach Resort

1255 Pale San Vitores Rd., Tumon

649-9720

 

Sugar Hut Express Spa

Ada Center Plaza

173 Aspinall Ave, Suite 204b, Hagåtña

969-4772

 

Shiatsu Spa

144 Fujita Rd., Tamuning

649-9336

 

Mirage Spa & Nail

Osho Building, Tumon

649-0086

 

Lavender Spa

105 Gun Beach Rd., Tamuning

647-7611

 

Dream Spa Massage

Tumon Vie, Suite A3, Tamuning

646-1213

 

Isa Spa

1000 Pale San Vitores Rd., Tumon

969-5845

 

Sirinya Thai Massage

Route 2, Agat

929-1699

 

Olive Spa

Guam Reef Hotel

1317 Pale San Vitores Rd., Tamuning

646-6881

 

By the Ocean Massage

Hotel Sante Fe

132 Lagoon Dr., Tamuning

929-5444

 

LeoPalace Spa

LeoPalace Resort Guam

221 Lake View Dr., Yona

471-0085

 

Beng Teng Spa

Lotte Hotel Guam

185 Gun Beach Rd., Barrigada

646-6933

 

Jivani Spa

Pacific Islands Club

210 Pale San Vitores Rd., Tumon

648-2448

 

Angsana Spa

Sheraton Laguna Resort

470 Farenholt Ave., Tamuning

646-2222

 

Lilawadee Thai Spa

Pacific Bay Hotel

1000 Pale San Vitores Rd., Tumon

649-8001

 

Royal Thai Spa

Holiday Resort & Spa

881 Pale San Vitores Rd., Tumon

969-6772

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SAIPAN

Isagua Spa

Hyatt Regency Saipan

Royal Palm Ave., Micro Beach Rd., Garapan

323-5888

 

Nilala Spa Saipan

Fiesta Resort and Spa Saipan

Coral Tree Ave., Garapan

234-6452

 

Lagoon Spa

Grandvrio Resort Saipan

Beach Rd., Garapan

233-5599

 

Serenity Salon and Spa

Beach Rd., Garapan

233-6688

 

Natural Nail Spa

Middle Rd., Gualo Rai

233-6245

Massage Spa Care

Route 305, San Vincente

234-6366

 

Arc Health Spa

Aqua Resort Club Saipan

Route 30, Achugao

322-1234

 

Smile Massage

Paseo De Marianas, Garapan

233-6998

 

Hanamitsu Hotel & Spa

Paseo De Marianas, Garapan

233-1818

 

Aroma Salon Kasumi

Coral Tree Ave., Garapan

233-0058

 

Mirage Spa

Paseo De Marianas, Garpan

233-4137

 

Kasumi Spa

Route 308, Garapan

233-0058

 

Blue Wave Massage

Beach Rd., Garapan

588-4440

 

Royal Thai Massage

Beach Rd., Garapan

234-2521

 

Marianas Skin Care, Salon and Spa

Middle Rd., Garapan

233-1217

 

Saipan Nail Spa

Kadena Di Amor St.

286-9274

 

Hana Health Massage

Beach Rd., Susupe

234-7773

 

Verde Spa

Palm St., Garpan

233-7766

 

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Stepping up

With a changing tourism market, the hospitality industry on Guam has set its sights on increasing appeal and service offerings to provide a new and refreshed look and experience to customers. Here are just a few of the changes that have recently taken place both in Tumon and beyond that have readied the industry to take the step into a new era of hospitality.

 

Guam Reef Resort

• Opened two new restaurants in July 2018 — Rica & Rico, with Asian Pacific cuisine, and Yoshoku-ya Sango Restaurant, with Japanese-Italian Western fusion cuisine, to replace the previous tenants Main Restaurant & Lounge and Waon Japanese Restaurant.

 

Hilton Guam Resort & Spa

• A 2018 renovation of the Hilton’s main lobby.

 

 

Hyatt Regency Guam

• Small renovations to accommodate the needs of multi-generational guests due to the growing number of families from Korea and Japan. The rooms and suites are equipped with an extra bed with children’s bedding, baby amenities for the bathroom, crib or bed guard, and a small play area complete with books and toys, as well as cookies and milk upon arrival.
• Changes to the breakfast menus at Café Kitchen and the Regency Club Lounge with child-friendly food and beverage items and colorful dining ware. Al Dente also now offers an early bird sharing menu suitable for a family of four.
• The introduction of resort credit to accommodate the free independent traveler market by offering value added opportunities for in-house guests by providing the ability to purchase credit (at a value-added rate) to be used during stay and at a number of dining outlets and services throughout the hotel. This allows guests the freedom to create their own hotel experience and enjoy more hotel services for less.
• A refurbishment of the Hyatt’s Stay-Fit gym with 12 cardio and weight Life Fitness machines. Some cardio equipment is also compatible with the LFconnect app which allows guests to access personalized and interactive workouts through the in-workout display on the equipment. A second floor has an open area for body resistance and synergistic movements. The updated gym was unveiled on May 25.
• The introduction of edible centerpieces as interactive features for large scale gala banquets, showcasing the creativity of the culinary team while minimizing the amount of waste generated from more traditional table decorations. The property also eliminated the use of plastic bottles during meetings and conferences by providing infused water stations.

 

Outrigger Guam Beach Resort

• An expansion of the Bambu Bar, increasing seating capacity to 127 with a renewed Happy Hour from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday.
• Launch of a Coral Kids Club Winter/Summer Camp, which hosts children for a variety of themed activity weeks throughout the summer from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday.
• A facility and furniture upgrade to Palm Café with an expansion to serve draft beer, house red/white wine, coffee and tea at the lunch and dinner buffet.
• A furniture upgrade to Navasana Spa offering heated memory foam treatment tables with LED color-changing chromatherapy lighting for the first time on island.
• A $10 million-plus upgrade to windows and balconies, replacing all exterior single pane window glass with aluminum framed double-panes insulated with argon gas in four phases from 2016 to 2019 for all 600 rooms and public areas on all 21 floors. The double panes offer energy savings of between 18% and 30%, reduce condensation, absorb sound and offer weather protection.
• Coming soon: A facility upgrade to Ohana Beach Club with a new menu scheduled to open by the end of 2019.

 

 

Spa Bali at the Grand Plaza Resort and Spa

• In 2016, Spa Bali experienced a move and complete makeover build out as it relocated to the Grand Plaza Resort and Spa for a total investment of approximately $100,000.

 

Tasi Grill Beachside Seafood and Grill Restaurant at the Dusit Thani Guam Resort

• A revamp of product and service offerings with poolside lunch fare and a seafood dinner experience lead by award-winning Chef de Cuisine Christian Panganiban. Featuring locally inspired flavors, the revamp aims to provide Guam with best beachside fresh seafood experience.
• Coming soon: The grill plans to offer beachside a-la-carte breakfast by fall.