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All hands tothe deck at spas 18/09/08 - By Tan Hui Leng - mediacorp.com.sg

Foreign bookings floodin, masseuses gearup for overtime work.   MASSAGE beds and aromatherapy may not have anything to do with the nuts and bolts of racing, but the high-end spa industry here is going into overdrive this inaugural Singapore Grand Prix — with visitors already planning their pampering pit stops   In laidback Changi, a group of 25 has booked spa getaways at The Retreat. The booking was done by “a big German company” that is “a major F1 team sponsor”, which had heard about the spa from business contacts. Said The Retreat’s managing director Jeannie Sim: “We have already planned to gear up (for) the increasing demand, by deploying all our available therapists during this period.” Forty therapists at the spa’s six branches islandwide will be on standby in two shifts from next week — with overtime pay for the extra hours put in — while another 15 freelancers will be on hand in case of further demand. Other spas, too, are receiving bookings via email and preparing for a surge in the number of walk-in guests looking for a break from the trackside action. The best news for customers? Generally, prices are not being marked up, unlike room-rates. “We are not taxed like the hotels,” quipped president of 60-member Singapore Spa Association Nancy Lim, referring to the up-to-30-per-cent levy hotels pay for five nights of the Formula 1 race period at the end of this month. One exception is St Gregory Spa, which will charge a 25-per-cent premium at its two trackside locations — at Marina Mandarin and Conrad Centennial. But this hike will take effect only during the extended operating hours of 11pm to 1am. The qualifying session on Sept 27 flags off at 10pm and the actual race on Sept 28 starts at 8pm, so nearby spas hope to cash in on tired race-goers after the late-night action. Spa Valley, which is owned by Ms Lim, has already received 30 bookings for the F1 weekend with most of them from Korea. This is more than her usual load of 20 customers per weekend, so it’s all hands on deck at the Cairnhill outlet. Just a stone’s throw away at Estheva Spa, on Orchard Road, a dozen email bookings have been registered from Europe, Indonesia, China and even Russia. Both spas are just some of those listed on the official F1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix website. Despite being further from the race track, Estheva’s marketing director Gerald Tan said their location had one important advantage: “Orchard is quieter during the race — the trial run in March only involved one car and it was already noisy, so you may not be able to enjoy a spa in peace near the circuit.” More concerned about having to turn away customers for the F1 weekend, he is already making contingency plans. “The staff may have to work longer hours, take days off later. And we are considering hiring part-timers to do peripheral duties like preparing the room,” Mr Tan said.   Related news:   y back to top

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