In 2025 and 2026, the spa sector is at a strategic turning point. At the latest Forum Hôtel & Spa, the leading event in Paris for professionals in the well-being and upscale hotel sectors, this issue and the transformations taking place in the industry were at the heart of discussions. Beyond the care provided or the aesthetic setting, it is now the overall vision of the establishment that counts: respect for the environment, quality of life at work, ethical consistency, sincerity of welcome.
These new demands are forcing spa operators to rethink their practices, on both a strategic and human level. Today, it’s not just the comfort of a place that attracts customers, but also the meaning it conveys, the authenticity of its gestures, and the way in which the establishment takes care of both its guests and its staff. This is the philosophy behind Delporte Hospitality’s generous approach to hospitality: putting people back at the heart of the experience, in a spirit of respect, consideration and sustainability.
Long centered on the promise of a moment of relaxation and pampering, it is now caught up in major societal transformations. Customers’ expectations are rapidly evolving: they are no longer just looking for a quality service, but an overall experience aligned with their values. Their gaze is no longer limited to the textures of the products or the aesthetics of the premises: they want to understand what lies behind them, to know the environmental impact of the practices, the working conditions of the teams, the coherence of the establishment’s approach.
Against this backdrop, spas can no longer afford not to take an in-depth look at their business model. How can we reconcile excellence in customer experience with social and environmental responsibility? How to maintain profitability in a context of rising costs and pressure on purchasing power? And above all, how do you recruit, motivate and retain the teams who embody the DNA of the place every day?
These changes call for concrete responses. They require spa operators to undergo a cultural, managerial and energy transformation. This article explores the new expectations of customers, the challenges facing professionals in the sector, and the levers to be activated to imagine the spa of tomorrow: a spa that is more responsible, more human and more resilient.
An increasingly committed and aware customer base
In 2025, spa customers are no longer looking just to relax or improve their physical well-being: they want to enjoy an experience in line with their values. Notions of sustainability, ethics and social responsibility are no longer secondary, but central to the decision-making process.
A recent study reveals that 70% of customers experience greater satisfaction in environmentally committed establishments. This goes far beyond the simple use of organic cosmetics: it’s the spa’s overall practices that are under scrutiny. Today’s customers are asking questions about the origin of the water used, the heating system used, waste management, the origin of hospitality products and the establishment’s energy policy.
Customer behavior is evolving towards abroader form ofhospitality, which takes into account both the environmental impact and the human aspects of the experience. In France, 9 out of 10 customers now expect concrete proof of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) commitment from hoteliers, and this demand logically extends to spas, which are at the heart of the wellness offer. The idea that luxury and ethics are incompatible is now outdated. On the contrary: the new luxury is transparent, fair and responsible.
Another significant point is that customers are no longer satisfied with marketing based on the naturalness of products. They want to understand how these products are used, under what conditions, and by which professionals. The issue of working conditions for our staff has become a criterion of choice in its own right, particularly with international customers who are sensitive to social ethics.
The spa then becomes a mirror of the establishment’s sincerity: you can’t promise harmony and relaxation to the customer if, behind the scenes, the teams suffer or feel invisible.
Meeting energy and economic challenges
The year 2024 marked a brutal turning point for many spas: the explosion in energy prices undermined the economic model of these structures, which are particularly dependent on heating, hot water, ventilation and filtration systems. Hammams, saunas, heated pools, experiential showers… all these energy-guzzling devices are now being called into question, not to be eliminated, but to be rethought more intelligently.
Many operators are turning to more sober and efficient solutions: heat exchangers, solar panels, new-generation heat pumps, heat or water recovery systems… The design and renovation of spaces are becoming essential levers for preserving profitability while meeting customers’ ecological expectations.
But this energy pressure is compounded by another: economic pressure. Against a backdrop of persistent inflation and strained purchasing power, consumer habits are changing. We’re seeing more frequent visits to spas, lower average baskets, and a desire on the part of customers to get real added value for every euro spent.
In this competitive environment, the key question for operators is: how to differentiate? What story to tell? What emotion to create? What is the meaning of the spa experience?
It’s these storytelling and experiential elements that will help justify rates, attract loyal customers and maintain a sustainable business. It’s no longer enough to have a well-constructed skincare menu or a beautiful cosmetics brand: you need a global promise, a values-driven project, embodied by the teams and visible at every stage of the customer journey.
A deepening human resources crisis
While energy is often the most visible issue, human resources is undoubtedly the most structural. For several years now, the spa industry has been facing a growing shortage of qualified personnel. This trend is not weakening, quite the contrary: by 2025, some plants will be struggling to recruit and retain staff, with turnover rates as high as 47%.
This lack of stability has direct consequences on the quality of the customer experience: understaffed teams, exhausted practitioners, lack of consistency in protocols, difficulty in maintaining a personalized relationship… In a sector where emotion, the right gesture and a caring attitude are at the heart of service, this human fragility can quickly undermine the customer promise.
Why is it so difficult to recruit? There are many reasons for this. Being a practitioner is physically and emotionally demanding. Work rhythms can be demanding. Development prospects are sometimes unclear. Above all, the meaning of the job can be eroded if it is not valued internally.
Yet solutions do exist. More and more spas are investing in ongoing training programs, managerial coaching and quality of working life initiatives. Some even create integrated career paths, enabling practitioners to progress to trainer, coordinator or spa manager.
Another essential lever is management. The most successful establishments are not necessarily those with the highest salaries, but those that know how to create a climate of recognition, listening and cooperation. The role of the spa manager is evolving towards that of a facilitator, a benevolent leader, capable of giving meaning, detecting fragility, and helping each team member to grow.
In-depth rethinking of healthcare hospitality
At the intersection of all these issues – ecological, economic and human – there is an urgent need for transformation. The spa can no longer be thought of as a simple treatment center, but as a hospitality ecosystem in its own right.
The customer experience doesn’t begin on the massage table, but well before: in the welcome, in the posture of the teams, in the coherence of the discourse, in the perception of environmental and social commitment. In the same way, it doesn’t stop at the cabin, but continues with post-care advice, follow-up and the emotions that the customer will take away with them.
In this sense, the spa reveals the corporate culture. It reflects the manager’s vision, the attention paid to the teams, the way the hotel or resort conceives hospitality. It can become a strategic lever for creating a strong relationship with the customer, based on trust, authenticity and respect.
This transformation will require not only material investment, but above all a change in mindset. The aim is to restore meaning to care, put people back at the heart of the project, and build experiences in line with contemporary aspirations.
Conclusion: for a generous and committed hospitality of care
Spas are no longer just relaxing interludes. In the eyes of customers, they become places of truth: truth about environmental commitments, truth about working conditions, truth about the consistency between rhetoric and reality. These expectations, far from being incidental, outline the contours of a more demanding, but also more inspiring, hospitality of care.
Faced with this transformation, the challenges are numerous: energy, economic and human. But they also bring opportunities. An opportunity to stand out from the crowd with a sincere, meaningful story. Opportunity to recreate links within teams. An opportunity, finally, to put people back at the heart of the customer experience.
At Delporte Hospitality, we deeply believe that generous hospitality – the kind that comes from a sincere commitment to others – is the cornerstone of any successful experience. In the spa world, hospitality means more than a smile at the reception desk or a well-executed gesture in the cabin. This is evident in the quality of working life offered to practitioners, in the care taken with the spaces, in the authenticity of the relationship with the customer.
It’s a change of outlook. It’s not just the products that determine the quality of a treatment, but the person providing it, the meaning he or she puts into it, and the way he or she is supported in his or her work. This is where it all begins. Generous hospitality can only be embodied if it is first experienced internally.
Spa operators who rise to these challenges and embody this new vision will be the pioneers of a rapidly changing sector. They will create places where people come not only to relax, but also to reconnect, rediscover meaning, and enjoy an experience aligned with the profound aspirations of our times.
Would you like to rethink your spa in light of these challenges?
At Delporte Hospitality, we support establishments in their transformation towards a more humane, sustainable and inspired form of healthcare hospitality. Diagnosis, training, strategy, team coaching, customer experience: our tailor-made approach puts people and meaning at the heart of every approach.
➡️ Are you a spa or hotel manager?
Let’s discuss your challenges together and imagine the levers for a spa experience in line with tomorrow’s expectations.
Vladi Kovanic, founder of the Hotel&Spa event, and Laurent Delporte
