Hotel spa operations and SOPs

I give the team a written framework for every step of the day, from booking to the guest’s departure.

Managing a hotel spa rests on tasks repeated every day. Booking, welcoming, advising, treating, taking payment, ordering, passing on information. When these tasks are not written down, everyone does them their own way and guests notice.

I build the spa’s operating model, then write the standard operating procedures, checklists and tools that structure daily operations. I also map the guest journey from booking to departure, including the exchanges between the spa and the hotel front desk. I can select the management software and organise booking, reception, billing and stock processes.

The operating model

I build demand scenarios to define guest capacity, staffing levels and schedules. These scenarios also provide the operating assumptions for financial forecasts, frame the opening budget and organise purchasing.

The operating model answers practical questions. Which opening hours? How many people on each shift? Which products in stock? It is the basis for the procedures that follow.

The guest journey, from booking to departure

I map every stage of the guest journey. Booking, information sent before the visit, welcome, changing rooms, treatment, advice, payment and departure.

I coordinate the welcome, guest information and communication with the hotel front desk to remove gaps and unclear points. A guest booking a treatment from their room should receive the same information as someone calling the spa.

Standards, SOPs and checklists

I write the procedures, checklists and tools that structure daily operations, from service standards to opening and closing the spa. They also cover booking, reception, billing, stock and coordination with the hotel.

Each document is written to be used. The team relies on it during preparation, on test days and after opening. These tools also make onboarding easier for people who join the spa later.

Software, stock and billing

I can select the spa management software. It connects booking, reception, billing and stock, and its set-up is organised with the hotel’s other departments.

At Antarès Méribel, I implemented the software and coordinated spa operations with the hotel’s other departments. At Jeanne & Jules, I handled the software, purchasing, technical oversight and maintenance.

Tracking performance after opening

After launch, I set up a dashboard to monitor performance, understand gaps against forecasts and decide which adjustments are needed.

These figures matter to the team too. A spa works when the team understands the project, knows its numbers and has the structure needed to look after both its guests and the business.

Frequently asked questions

What is a spa SOP for?

A standard operating procedure describes how to carry out a daily task step by step, such as opening the spa, preparing a treatment room, welcoming a guest or taking payment. It gives the whole team the same reference and makes onboarding new people easier.

Can you work on a spa that is already open?

Yes. I review the spaces, tools and current team to identify gaps, then organise the changes needed to the procedures, guest journey or operating model. This work overlaps with a takeover or repositioning project.

Do you help choose spa management software?

Yes. I can select the software and organise booking, reception, billing and stock processes, along with the flow of information between the spa and the hotel.

Which KPIs should a hotel spa track?

The choice depends on the project and its forecasts. After launch, I set up a dashboard to monitor performance, understand gaps against forecasts and decide which adjustments are needed.