In part two of our Kuwait series we take an in-depth look at the
Al Corniche Club Resort and Spa, with its successful membership model, and pay a visit to Sahara Spa
By Kate Cracknell | Published in Spa Business 2012 issue 3
Al Corniche refers to its steam and sauna rooms as a hammam experience and this is the only traditional type of therapy on offer
Al Corniche Club Resort and Spa can best be described as, in general manager Gerard Oliver’s words, “a resort without a hotel” in which the spa – while substantial at 1,858sq m (20,000sq ft) – is just one of many facilities (see opposite).
The impression is one of a country club with a wide array of offerings to cater for guests who might stay the whole day. So how significant is spa to the overall offering? “It’s hugely important,” says Oliver. “Two-thirds of our members use the spa. Yet no one aspect of our offering has priority over the other.”
spa offering The ground floor of the spa offers a particularly exclusive feel, comprising male and female areas for Premier membership holders. On each side is a lounge, changing area, pool and thermal suite. The female area also has a small single-sex gym, while the male area recently had its thermal suite overhauled by Schletterer (all other heat experiences in the spa are supplied by Balnea). The kwd250,000 (us$886,850, €728,100, £575,900) refurb included a glass-fronted relaxation room with leather seating, sauna, steamroom and ice fountain. There are also sensor-activated aroma showers and hot-cold footbaths. This floor is open to 1,000 Premier members only, with annual costs ranging from kwd850 (us$3,000, €2,500, £1,950) for a single female to kwd1,300 (us$4,600, €3,800, £3,000) for a couple – plus joining fees.
Upstairs are the treatment rooms: 11 on the female side, plus sauna and steamroom (collectively referred to as a hammam); and seven on the male side, plus sauna and steamroom. An LPG (cellulite and firming) treatment room and a large hydropool area can be used by men or women. Pevonia Botanica supplies Al Corniche in an exclusive deal for Kuwait but another product range may be added in 2012. In total there are 12 therapists – all are international and some have been with the club since it first opened.
The overall design of the spa is, in the words of spa director Maria Davydova: “classical, minimalistic”. Using dark wood throughout, complemented by natural tiles and with quiet lighting, the mood is calming and the large space made more intimate than you might expect.
Overall, Al Corniche has 3,600 members and the club uses the Intelligenz Solutions software system to handle its complex offering. Although 55 per cent of members are Kuwaiti, the base is diverse thanks to the large numbers of expats in the country – both Arabic and European. But for all customers, says Davydova, the appeal of the club is that “it doesn’t feel like Kuwait”. She adds: “This is even the case for our Kuwaiti members – what unites our customers is that they’re all very modern in their outlook and needs. Other than the hammams, we don’t really offer traditional Arabic services.”
day retreat When the club first opened, the 110 Premier Founder members received free treatments for life, and all members still receive one complimentary spa treatment on joining. They then receive ongoing discounts in the spa, with many regularly incorporating spa into their visits. “Women will come in and leave their kids in the crèche while they go to the spa, while on a summer weekend we can easily have 1,500 members visiting us in one day and staying all day,” explains Oliver.
Davydova agrees: “Women, especially our Premier members, come for the social aspect – they chat, have tea… It’s common for guests to book multiple treatments, but while the average stay in the spa is two hours, we have some members who come all day, every day. They feel Al Corniche is their home.”
It’s therefore not surprising that, although treatment rooms are also open to non-members, 80 per cent of the spa’s business currently comes from members. “People locally know the club is members-only, so they assume the spa is the same,” explains Davydova. “Our main concern is certainly to keep members happy – ultimately the whole of Al Corniche is one big profit centre – but at the end of the day we’re still a business, and the spa is a great way to introduce people to the club. We’re doing a marketing campaign now to promote the spa to non-members, and we hope to get their share of the business up to 40 per cent.”
But, adds Oliver: “The focus for non-member usage will be during the week, when we’re currently at around 50-60 per cent capacity. During our busy weekends, we aim to reach 100 per cent spa occupancy with members only.”
Longer massages and sauna/steam are the most popular treatments among men, who tend to visit more regularly than women, often coming for a weekly massage. “The word ‘spa’ might be new here, but we’ve had hammams for a long time and men are very accustomed to these,” explains Davydova. Meanwhile, women opt for facials, massages and slimming treatments and spend a lot on retail, which accounts for around 25 per cent of total income. Bust treatments have not proved popular in the Kuwaiti culture, so have been removed from the menu.
A question going forward will, says Davydova, be how to meet women’s desire for more permanent beauty solutions – liposuction is seen by many as preferential to slimming treatments, for example. “Although medical spa is not yet available in Kuwait – Botox, restylane, chemical peels and so on – I expect it to arrive soon,” she says.
‘me time’ Davydova concludes: “There are lots of spas in Kuwait – most five-star hotels invest in a spa and restaurant as a way of driving revenue, as the hotels themselves aren’t that busy. But Al Corniche is unique in that it offers members a total experience: crèche, pool, lunch, beach, spa [see p83].”
“It’s the only exclusive family club in Kuwait,” adds Oliver. “We’ll be defining our positioning even more clearly along those lines going forward – the family market is huge here, with very little on offer. Everything we do will be designed around how a family can get the most from our club, with a strong focus on kids’ activities.”
All of which means more free time for the parents who, with the high salaries enjoyed in Kuwait, will no doubt spend increasing amounts of time in the spa.
To read the first part of the Kuwait series, which focuses on Six Senses Missoni, see Spa Business, issue 1, 2012, p86.
ABOUT AL CORNICHE
Al Corniche Club Resort and Spa, located on the seafront in Kuwait, is a large, members-only country club-style offering. Facilities include a large 80-station gym overlooking the sea, numerous exercise studios, an outdoor pool, a private beach, tennis and squash courts, a wide array of kids’ activities, several restaurants, a Toni & Guy hair salon – and the 1,858sq m (20,000sq ft) spa.
Designed by UK-based architect Jean-Paul Blissett and opened in 2005, the club is owned by Tameer, which is part-owned by real estate company Al Massaleh. It was built at a cost of kwd8m (us$28m, €23m, £18m) in a BOT project – ‘build, operate and transfer’. Under these terms, the land belongs to the government and Al Corniche pays rent on it and will ultimately have to hand it back. It currently has the right to operate the club until the end of 2018, but will apply for another five years.
There are 3,600 members – 55 per cent women and 45 per cent men – all acquired via word-of mouth; the club has never advertised. Gross operating profit is over kwd1m (us$3.5m, €3m, £2.3m) a year, with only 55 per cent of this coming from membership. F&B can take £70k-80k (us$108k-123k, €88k-101k) a month – impressive as there’s no alcohol in Kuwait – while the spa takes anything from £40k-60k (us$62k-92k, €51k-76k).”
AL CORNICHE: FIRST-PERSON EXPERIENCE
Kate Cracknell Journalist, Spa Business
Kate Cracknell
Kate CracknellJournalistSpa Business
The Al Corniche spa is huge, with expansive facilities – I started off in a large hydrotherapy pool area which would easily cater for 20 people, but which was for my private use. An hour session costs kwd12 (us$28, €35, £43) for members, kwd15 (us$53, €44, £35).
My first treatment, the 60-minute De-Ageing Body Wrap comprised a scrub, wrap and moisturise – kwd45 (us$160, €131 £104) for members, kwd50 (us$177, €146, £115) for non-members. Delivered well, albeit a little chilly at times as the scrub and moisturiser were cool, it was wonderful when I was wrapped up and the bed inflated with warm water beneath me, cradling me to sleep.
I was seamlessly handed over to a second therapist for a 60-minute caviar anti-ageing facial – kwd30 (us$106, €87, £69) for members, kwd35 (us$124, €102, £81) for non-members. Identifying problem areas using a UV light box, cleansing and a mask followed slightly uncomfortable blackhead extractions. This was less about pampering and more about effectiveness, my skin certainly felt and looked very healthy afterwards.
Day two offered a wonderful 90-minute hot stone massage – kwd30 for members, kwd35 for non-members – with enough pressure to ease the muscles but not so much that it prevented me drifting into a semi-sleep. Then finally, a 45-minute cryo-facial – kwd30 for members, kwd35 for non-members – using temperatures of -18?C to encourage the serum (collagen was chosen for my skin) to absorb deeper. Whether it was the facial alone, or the two combined, my skin looked amazing.
There are limited relaxation areas for nonPremium members, so I didn’t stay after my treatments. But overall, I enjoyed a friendly welcome by name, seamless transitions, good and effective treatments and thorough follow-up in the shape of retail recommendations and suggestions for future treatments.
Sahara Spa Designed by architect John Edison and opened five years ago, Sahara Spa is located just outside Kuwait City on a golf course. Other facilities include a mixed gym, outdoor pool and sports courts. There’s a mix of memberships for golf and leisure use, all of which include discounts in the spa.
The spa has separate male and female areas which each offer five treatment rooms, plus steam, sauna, changing and relaxation rooms. There are also hairdressing and crèche facilities, and a women-only gym. A large indoor pool area can be men-only, women-only, mixed or family, according to a strict schedule.
Product houses are Docteur Renaud and Casmara Prestige – for treatments and retail – with Éminence also used for treatments only. The 60-minute Swedish massage is priced at KWD29 (US$103, ¤84, £67).
Sahara currently has over 830 members, of which 80 per cent use the spa facilities; 60 per cent have treatments. The spa is also open to non-members, with a total of 510 visitors in an average month, and 554 treatments sold.
The large pool has a gender-based timetable
The club currently has 3,600 members, two thirds of which use the spa. Only the treatment rooms are for non-member use
The facilities are expansive – the private-use hydrotherapy pool could easily accommodate 20 people
In part two of our Kuwait series we take an in-depth look at the
Al Corniche Club Resort and Spa, with its successful membership model, and pay a visit to Sahara Spa
Kate Cracknell
Al Corniche refers to its steam and sauna rooms as a hammam experience and this is the only traditional type of therapy on offer
The club currently has 3,600 members, two thirds of which use the spa. Only the treatment rooms are for non-member use
The facilities are expansive – the private-use hydrotherapy pool could easily accommodate 20 people
Al Corniche Club Resort and Spa can best be described as, in general manager Gerard Oliver’s words, “a resort without a hotel” in which the spa – while substantial at 1,858sq m (20,000sq ft) – is just one of many facilities (see opposite).
The impression is one of a country club with a wide array of offerings to cater for guests who might stay the whole day. So how significant is spa to the overall offering? “It’s hugely important,” says Oliver. “Two-thirds of our members use the spa. Yet no one aspect of our offering has priority over the other.”
spa offering The ground floor of the spa offers a particularly exclusive feel, comprising male and female areas for Premier membership holders. On each side is a lounge, changing area, pool and thermal suite. The female area also has a small single-sex gym, while the male area recently had its thermal suite overhauled by Schletterer (all other heat experiences in the spa are supplied by Balnea). The kwd250,000 (us$886,850, €728,100, £575,900) refurb included a glass-fronted relaxation room with leather seating, sauna, steamroom and ice fountain. There are also sensor-activated aroma showers and hot-cold footbaths. This floor is open to 1,000 Premier members only, with annual costs ranging from kwd850 (us$3,000, €2,500, £1,950) for a single female to kwd1,300 (us$4,600, €3,800, £3,000) for a couple – plus joining fees.
Upstairs are the treatment rooms: 11 on the female side, plus sauna and steamroom (collectively referred to as a hammam); and seven on the male side, plus sauna and steamroom. An LPG (cellulite and firming) treatment room and a large hydropool area can be used by men or women. Pevonia Botanica supplies Al Corniche in an exclusive deal for Kuwait but another product range may be added in 2012. In total there are 12 therapists – all are international and some have been with the club since it first opened.
The overall design of the spa is, in the words of spa director Maria Davydova: “classical, minimalistic”. Using dark wood throughout, complemented by natural tiles and with quiet lighting, the mood is calming and the large space made more intimate than you might expect.
Overall, Al Corniche has 3,600 members and the club uses the Intelligenz Solutions software system to handle its complex offering. Although 55 per cent of members are Kuwaiti, the base is diverse thanks to the large numbers of expats in the country – both Arabic and European. But for all customers, says Davydova, the appeal of the club is that “it doesn’t feel like Kuwait”. She adds: “This is even the case for our Kuwaiti members – what unites our customers is that they’re all very modern in their outlook and needs. Other than the hammams, we don’t really offer traditional Arabic services.”
day retreat When the club first opened, the 110 Premier Founder members received free treatments for life, and all members still receive one complimentary spa treatment on joining. They then receive ongoing discounts in the spa, with many regularly incorporating spa into their visits. “Women will come in and leave their kids in the crèche while they go to the spa, while on a summer weekend we can easily have 1,500 members visiting us in one day and staying all day,” explains Oliver.
Davydova agrees: “Women, especially our Premier members, come for the social aspect – they chat, have tea… It’s common for guests to book multiple treatments, but while the average stay in the spa is two hours, we have some members who come all day, every day. They feel Al Corniche is their home.”
It’s therefore not surprising that, although treatment rooms are also open to non-members, 80 per cent of the spa’s business currently comes from members. “People locally know the club is members-only, so they assume the spa is the same,” explains Davydova. “Our main concern is certainly to keep members happy – ultimately the whole of Al Corniche is one big profit centre – but at the end of the day we’re still a business, and the spa is a great way to introduce people to the club. We’re doing a marketing campaign now to promote the spa to non-members, and we hope to get their share of the business up to 40 per cent.”
But, adds Oliver: “The focus for non-member usage will be during the week, when we’re currently at around 50-60 per cent capacity. During our busy weekends, we aim to reach 100 per cent spa occupancy with members only.”
Longer massages and sauna/steam are the most popular treatments among men, who tend to visit more regularly than women, often coming for a weekly massage. “The word ‘spa’ might be new here, but we’ve had hammams for a long time and men are very accustomed to these,” explains Davydova. Meanwhile, women opt for facials, massages and slimming treatments and spend a lot on retail, which accounts for around 25 per cent of total income. Bust treatments have not proved popular in the Kuwaiti culture, so have been removed from the menu.
A question going forward will, says Davydova, be how to meet women’s desire for more permanent beauty solutions – liposuction is seen by many as preferential to slimming treatments, for example. “Although medical spa is not yet available in Kuwait – Botox, restylane, chemical peels and so on – I expect it to arrive soon,” she says.
‘me time’ Davydova concludes: “There are lots of spas in Kuwait – most five-star hotels invest in a spa and restaurant as a way of driving revenue, as the hotels themselves aren’t that busy. But Al Corniche is unique in that it offers members a total experience: crèche, pool, lunch, beach, spa [see p83].”
“It’s the only exclusive family club in Kuwait,” adds Oliver. “We’ll be defining our positioning even more clearly along those lines going forward – the family market is huge here, with very little on offer. Everything we do will be designed around how a family can get the most from our club, with a strong focus on kids’ activities.”
All of which means more free time for the parents who, with the high salaries enjoyed in Kuwait, will no doubt spend increasing amounts of time in the spa.
To read the first part of the Kuwait series, which focuses on Six Senses Missoni, see Spa Business, issue 1, 2012, p86.
ABOUT AL CORNICHE
Al Corniche Club Resort and Spa, located on the seafront in Kuwait, is a large, members-only country club-style offering. Facilities include a large 80-station gym overlooking the sea, numerous exercise studios, an outdoor pool, a private beach, tennis and squash courts, a wide array of kids’ activities, several restaurants, a Toni & Guy hair salon – and the 1,858sq m (20,000sq ft) spa.
Designed by UK-based architect Jean-Paul Blissett and opened in 2005, the club is owned by Tameer, which is part-owned by real estate company Al Massaleh. It was built at a cost of kwd8m (us$28m, €23m, £18m) in a BOT project – ‘build, operate and transfer’. Under these terms, the land belongs to the government and Al Corniche pays rent on it and will ultimately have to hand it back. It currently has the right to operate the club until the end of 2018, but will apply for another five years.
There are 3,600 members – 55 per cent women and 45 per cent men – all acquired via word-of mouth; the club has never advertised. Gross operating profit is over kwd1m (us$3.5m, €3m, £2.3m) a year, with only 55 per cent of this coming from membership. F&B can take £70k-80k (us$108k-123k, €88k-101k) a month – impressive as there’s no alcohol in Kuwait – while the spa takes anything from £40k-60k (us$62k-92k, €51k-76k).”
AL CORNICHE: FIRST-PERSON EXPERIENCE
Kate Cracknell Journalist, Spa Business
Kate Cracknell
Kate CracknellJournalistSpa Business
The Al Corniche spa is huge, with expansive facilities – I started off in a large hydrotherapy pool area which would easily cater for 20 people, but which was for my private use. An hour session costs kwd12 (us$28, €35, £43) for members, kwd15 (us$53, €44, £35).
My first treatment, the 60-minute De-Ageing Body Wrap comprised a scrub, wrap and moisturise – kwd45 (us$160, €131 £104) for members, kwd50 (us$177, €146, £115) for non-members. Delivered well, albeit a little chilly at times as the scrub and moisturiser were cool, it was wonderful when I was wrapped up and the bed inflated with warm water beneath me, cradling me to sleep.
I was seamlessly handed over to a second therapist for a 60-minute caviar anti-ageing facial – kwd30 (us$106, €87, £69) for members, kwd35 (us$124, €102, £81) for non-members. Identifying problem areas using a UV light box, cleansing and a mask followed slightly uncomfortable blackhead extractions. This was less about pampering and more about effectiveness, my skin certainly felt and looked very healthy afterwards.
Day two offered a wonderful 90-minute hot stone massage – kwd30 for members, kwd35 for non-members – with enough pressure to ease the muscles but not so much that it prevented me drifting into a semi-sleep. Then finally, a 45-minute cryo-facial – kwd30 for members, kwd35 for non-members – using temperatures of -18?C to encourage the serum (collagen was chosen for my skin) to absorb deeper. Whether it was the facial alone, or the two combined, my skin looked amazing.
There are limited relaxation areas for nonPremium members, so I didn’t stay after my treatments. But overall, I enjoyed a friendly welcome by name, seamless transitions, good and effective treatments and thorough follow-up in the shape of retail recommendations and suggestions for future treatments.
Sahara Spa Designed by architect John Edison and opened five years ago, Sahara Spa is located just outside Kuwait City on a golf course. Other facilities include a mixed gym, outdoor pool and sports courts. There’s a mix of memberships for golf and leisure use, all of which include discounts in the spa.
The spa has separate male and female areas which each offer five treatment rooms, plus steam, sauna, changing and relaxation rooms. There are also hairdressing and crèche facilities, and a women-only gym. A large indoor pool area can be men-only, women-only, mixed or family, according to a strict schedule.
Product houses are Docteur Renaud and Casmara Prestige – for treatments and retail – with Éminence also used for treatments only. The 60-minute Swedish massage is priced at KWD29 (US$103, ¤84, £67).
Sahara currently has over 830 members, of which 80 per cent use the spa facilities; 60 per cent have treatments. The spa is also open to non-members, with a total of 510 visitors in an average month, and 554 treatments sold.
