hospitalitystyle.com

(January 2009) posted on Tue Jan 20, 2009 EST

Spa Chakra balances bold architectural statements and brand-specific details to immerse each guest in a private, pampering world.

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By Mary Scoviak

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Eleven-year-old Spa Chakra never had a locker room design mentality. In fact, its 19 existing facilities don't even have locker rooms in the spa proper (only the fitness centers do). Nor will the more than 70 facilities being developed via a partnership with Hilton Hotels Corp. and strategic relationships with Guerlain Paris and Acqua di Parma, renowned fragrance and cosmetic houses that are wholly owned subsidiaries of Louis Vuitton - Moët Hennessy (LVMH). Each guest is met at the reception desk and escorted to a private room that functions like a suite.

"Spa-goers don't want to start their experience changing clothes in a common area or a little stall. So every minute of their visit has to feel personalized, customized, one on one. Layout and design have to support that," says Rana Makarem, vice president of design and technical consulting, in Spa Chakra's Los Angeles office.

Transitioning clients from the public realm to their private world as efficiently as possible is the design foundation for facilities such as the newly opened Guerlain Spa at the Waldorf-Astoria New York City, which Spa Chakra manages. The 14,000-square foot floor plan, mapped out by Spa Chakra's team for design architect/interior designer AC Martin, features a reception area directly off the elevator and short, straight corridors that cut the number of steps to the treatment areas.

Where budget and footprint allow, Spa Chakra likes to think big. The Waldorf's 300-square foot treatment suites are as large as some of the Big Apple's upscale guest rooms and share many of the same amenities, including a private bathroom with a shower and hand basin. The 15 treatment rooms at Florida's new Guerlain Spa at The Regent Bal Harbour, designed by Jeffrey Beindorf, a specialist in upscale hotel and international projects with architect/interior designer CMMI, Atlanta, blur the line between hotel suite and spa space even further with features usually reserved for premium accommodations, such as floor-to-ceiling windows and sculpted freestanding bathtubs.