Barefoot luxury and sensory experiences

Beverley Bayes, creative director of Sparcstudio, discusses creating memorable outdoor spaces and how they can generate revenue for your business

Sparcstudio has always been passionate about spa gardens, particularly as we love to create an informal ‘barefoot luxury’ vibe to the spas we design. Gardens provide an amazing opportunity for heightened sensory experiences – be it the smell of wood-burning smoke in an open fire or the aroma of herbs, trees and aromatic plants – as well as bathing and thermal rituals.

There is also a joy to be had from escaping an air-conditioned environment and enjoying fresh air. Even in the winter, blankets, firepits, hot drinks and warming relax rooms to snuggle in are all key parts of the wellbeing experience.

A sense of place To create a sense of place in new-build spas we position the spa to ensure that guests can take full advantage of a special vista and the sun’s trajectory to experience that sunset moment. Natural swimming pools surrounded by reeds and wildlife, as found at The Scarlet and South Lodge Spa, enhance this.

To ensure a seamless flow between the indoor and outdoor sections of a spa, we provide a visual connection, such as a panoramic sauna with floor-to-ceiling glass, and ensure the décor palette runs through from inside to outside.

Embracing trends such as forest bathing allows spa gardens to creep out of the manicured confines of a walled garden and into forests, meadows, cliffs and urban roof terraces.

We also love how exterior spaces can provide an ever-changing spa setting, with seasonal changes in the planting and landscape – as well as the sky of course, which provides a dramatic backdrop and focal point in its own right.

Revenue possibilities A spa garden can enhance the guest journey and provide a multitude of revenue-generating opportunities for a business. The Spa at Pennyhill Park’s garden refurbishment scheme substantially increased the number of covers, which increased food and beverage revenue in the new spa garden.

There is also an opportunity to create private or exclusive experiences that can be purchased as an add-on to spa packages, including private cabanas. At Rockliffe Hall we helped to create a pavilion with a retractable side and an infinity hydropool, providing an inside-outside space – light and airy in summer, cosy and warm in winter.

Spaces like this can be rented as VIP or exclusive spa pamper party experiences, while wellness decks for yoga and meditation, and outside gyms can also add value and additional revenue streams for hotel businesses. www.sparcstudio.co.uk

“The vision for Cottonmill Spa at Sopwell House was based around a garden spa concept from day one. The three-storey building that houses the spa is glazed to blend into the landscape, providing views from each level onto the garden. Award-winning designer Ann-Marie Powell designed the garden and together we created a seamless transition from inside to outside.”