The reception desk must be located in the foyer and be well accessible.
The ambience must reflect a consistent concept.
The following services must be provided partially or completely:
Wellness-Welcome, welcome drink, page service, valet parking.
The employees at the reception must possess the following demonstrable competences:
- Friendliness
- Competence in room categories
- Competence in the wellness offer
The reception has to be occupied:
Hotel / resort: 24 hours
Day Spa: continuously during the
opening hours
Guided house tours must be performed on requirement at any time.
The guest must be informed adequately about the offers of the house. (e.g.: wellness info center, wellness library, shop, wellness brochure, culture, trips, etc.)
Electronic payment media must be accepted in suitable form.
The safe-keeping of the guests’ valuables must be guaranteed.
Insurance against losses incurred by theft must be proven.
1.4 Food & beverage
Requirements for the restaurant:
The company must have at least one restaurant of their own. The size of the restaurant must be sufficient for the maximum number of guests possible.
The ambience must reflect a consistent concept.
There must be a nonsmoking area.
The wellness concept must also be reflected in the F&B offer.
The F&B concept must consider the following guest groups with at least one offer for each group:
- Allergic persons (e.g. gluten)
- Diabetics
- Vegetarians
The individual food needs of the guests must be considered.
Room service must be offered, corresponding to the concept of the house.
The breakfast times must be appropriate for the concept of the house.
A systematic in the structure of the breakfast is recognizable. The offered food must be varied and contain home-made meals, professional labeling is used.
Hygiene and cleanliness are ensured.
The beverage offer must have a consistent concept.
The employees in the restaurant must possess the following demonstrable competences:
- Friendliness
- Competence in food questions
- Competence in beverage questions
1.5 Hotel rooms
The ambience must reflect a consistent concept.
The room concept must meet the guests’ expectations. To be considered are the number of seating accommodations, desk, deposition space, light design as well as the basic room size / category.
The room furniture must offer a good appearance and be neat and clean.
A sufficient contingent of non-smoker rooms must be available.
The single beds must be at least 90 cm wide, the double beds 160 cm, the length must be at least 200 cm. The beds are comfortable to lie on.
A safe must be available.
There must be a sufficiently large storage space for clothes.
There must be a consistent concept regarding offered entertainment media.
Bathrobes, showering towels and normal towels must be available for the guests in adequate sizes.
Information about the current wellness offers must be available in the hotel room.
Adequate ventilation and lighting, solid armatures and shower heads and sufficient deposition space must be present in the bathroom.
In the bathroom, a hair dryer must be available. Suitable guest amenities must be available in sufficient quantity, consistent with the concept of the house.
The hygiene and cleanness of the bathroom must be guaranteed.
A beverage service or mini bar must be present.
A butler service (e.g. laundry service, newspaper service …) must be available.
1.6 Halls and traffic routes
The ambiance must reflect a consistent concept.
The signposting in the hallways must be comprehensible.
If necessary, the number and size of the elevators is adapted to the number of rooms. The condition must be perfect. An emergency service must be on call 24 hours.
Safety aspects such as fire extinguisher, escape routes, smoke detectors, escape doors etc. must be present and fulfill the respective national statutory and legal requirements.
Perfect hygiene and cleanliness must be maintained in the corridors and hallways.
1.7 Ecological commitment
A holistic environmental management concept must exist, which considers the following resources:
- Water
- Air
- Energy
- Waste
Environmentally sound washing and cleaning agents must be used.
The information and reference regarding the environmental protection activities must be kept accessible for guests and employees, and the employees receive regular mandatory briefings.
II. Spa (Wellness)
2.0 General requirements
The ambiance and the content of the offer must reflect a constant concept.
The wellness area must be accessible directly, i.e. without crossing any conference or restaurant areas.
The air must be clean, the temperature comfortable and the lighting must be pleasant.
Beverages must be available at any time.
Services for the guests must be provided during the core hours.
The certificates of education and advanced training of the personnel must be available.
The services must be rendered by technically trained and qualified personnel. An employee matrix and a training plan must be available.
There must be a spa reception.
The employees at the reception must have the following demonstrable competences:
- Friendliness
- Competence in treatments
- Competence in products
- Competence in sales
The guest must have the possibility of an individual, discrete consultation.
It must be possible for early travelers and guests checking out late to use the area.
The employees must be present a neat appearance and a friendly demeanor and correspond to the corporate design of the house.
At least the following divisions have to be present in the spa / wellness area:
- Spa reception
- Consulting area
- Quiet rest area
- treatment area for the offered treatments
- Shower rooms
2.1 Pool area
The ambiance must reflect a consistent concept.
The pool area must at least be opened between 07:00 and 18:00.
The temperature of room and water must be adequate.
The area must be completely clean and hygienic.
Hygiene must be maintained and controlled continuously, i.e. a proper care and maintenance has to be warranted.
2.1.1 Pool area safety
There must be a safety concept for the pool area.
A first aid facility in the form of an ambulance box and a telephone must be present.
2.1.2 Indoor pool area
The water surface of the pool must be adequate in size.
2.1.3 External pool area
The water surface of the pool must be adequate in size.
2.2 Quiet rest area indoors / external
A sufficient number of couches must be available.
The couches and their furnishings must be maintained in good order.
2.3 Changing area
The following equipment must be present:
- Lockable dress locker
- Seating accommodation
- Washing basins with hair dryer and mirror
- Toilets
- Showers
- Shelves for bath accessories, eyeglasses and coat hooks
2.4 Toilets / hygiene
The equipment and number of toilets must be adequate.
2.5 Sauna, steam bath etc.
One sauna type must at least be open from 11:00 to 20:00.
Water is poured on hot stones to increase humidity and ceremonies are performed on request. Fragrance additives are available for self-application.
The equipment depends on the recommendations of the German Sauna Confederation.
Regarding the hygiene, permanent implementation and control as well as correct care and maintenance have to be assured.
Air conditioning and lighting are pleasant, the air is fresh.
2.5.1 Indoor and outdoor Sauna
The sauna must have space for at least six guests.
2.6 Treatments in general
The ambience of the treatment rooms must reflect a consistent concept.
Characteristics, e.g. acoustics must be considered.
The treatments must be offered for a total of at least 8 hours per day.
The treatment areas must have a minimum size of 12 m².
2.6.1. Tap treatments
The offer must reflect a consistent concept.
The individual treatments must be given authentically.
A permanent hygiene conversion and hygiene control as well as normal care and maintenance must be ensured.
2.6.2 Massage treatments in general
The offer must reflect a constant concept.
Hygiene must be maintained and controlled continuously, i.e. a proper care and maintenance has to be warranted.
2.6.3 Types of massages
The offer should contain a selection of the following massages, for which the employees must have the training and practical experience:
- Swedish massage
- Hammam
- Authentic ayurveda treatments
- Traditional Thai massage
- Shiatsu massage
- Bali massage
- Lomi lomi
- Hot stone
- La stone
- Herbal stamp massage
- Tuina
- et al.
The individual treatments must be given authentically if they are offered.
2.6.4 Asian offers
The offer should contain a selection of the following offers, for which the employees must have the training and practical experience:
- Tai chi
- Qi-gong
- Reiki
- Yoga
The activities must be held authentically if they are offered.
2.6.5 Medical wellness
With the scope “medical wellness”, the requirements of the standard of the “International Medical Wellness Association” must be fulfilled. Employees must have the training and practical experience.
2.6.6 Beauty
The offer and the atmosphere must reflect a consistent concept.
The employees must have the training and practical experience in their areas of activity.
The beauty area must be accessible directly, i.e. without crossing conference or restaurant areas. A connection to the guest rooms must be provided.
Hygiene must be maintained and controlled continuously, i.e. a proper care and maintenance has to be warranted.
The rooms must be professionally equipped.
2.6.7 Gymnastics
The offer and the atmosphere must reflect a consistent concept.
The employees must have the training and practical experience in their areas of activity.
The area must be equipped with various, professional fitness machines and have a sizes of at least 20 square meters.
An instruction on the use of the fitness machines by qualified employees is guaranteed.
In addition, a selection of accompanying activities, which take place under professional guidance, is offered, e.g.:
- Guided walks, bicycle tours
- Guided sports activities (e.g. hikes)
- Cardio training
- Back training
- Weight and muscle build-up training
- Gymnastics offers (also pool gymnastics)
Hygiene must be maintained and controlled continuously, i.e. a proper care and maintenance has to be warranted.
The area must at least be open from 07:00 until 20:00.
Equipment (in a good technical condition) e.g. bicycles, nordic walking poles, skis and pulse rate watches are borrowed to the guests upon request.
2.6.8 Relaxation area
The offer and the atmosphere must reflect a consistent concept.
An area for gymnastics, yoga, meditation etc. is available, protected against visual and acoustic disturbances. The room size must be at least 25 square meters.
Hygiene must be maintained and controlled continuously, i.e. a proper care and maintenance has to be warranted.
A separate relaxation area, equipped with couches (with blankets and cushions) must be available. Deposition space as well as coat hooks must be available.
III. Soft Skills
3.1 Management guidelines
The contact to the guest during the stay in the house and departure has to be carried according to the highest standards of politeness.
The company introduces a wellness quality system (WQS) and guarantees its maintenance.
3.2 System requirements
A documentation has to be generated, which contains the following documents:
The structural organization has to be described by the company.
Service tasks and authorities have to be defined.
Trans-sectoral service tasks must be defined.
Deputy regulations are to be determined.
Regulations for verbal arrangements are to be specified.
Inspections by the GM or representative have to take place regularly in all departments. A documentation is necessary.
Operational procedures or service routes must be defined clearly and have to be trained verifiably.
The requirements of the guests must be ascertained in writing (e.g. over the internet) or inquired verbally, e.g. at the reception during the check-out.
Quality guidelines must be available in each division.
Guidelines for the greeting of guests (eye contact, handshake, beverage offer, accompaniment to the treatments, explanation of the treatments etc.) must be defined by the management.
Guidelines have to be determined by the management regarding the contact with the guests during their stay in the spa-area or during the leave-taking.
The guests’ requirements have to be ascertained.
Binding, key-data-oriented goals must be specified for all departments and supported by action plans.
3.3 Wellness quality handbook
It must contain:
3.4 Qualification of employees
A list of the employees’ qualifications and the job descriptions must be available.
Training plans must exist.
The effectiveness of the training courses must be monitored.
3.5 Error and complaint management
The company has to implement a complaint management, consisting of
A defined procedure must exist for corrective actions resulting from complaints.
A procedure must be described for the definition of the approach regarding the reaction after customer complaints to guarantee guest satisfaction.
Employees must have a defined freedom to act on customer complaints.
A continual improvement process (externally and internally) must be implemented.
Training courses regarding the treatment of complaints are to be held.
3.6 Guest retention
There must be a quality system for customer retention activities.
The customer retention measures must be evaluated regularly.
3.7 Marketing and sales
An overall marketing and distribution strategy has to be defined.
Guest expectations are to be considered in the marketing and distribution strategy.
The marketing and distribution strategy is integrated into the service standards.
The defined statements in brochures, on the internet and in advertisements must conform to the actual standards of the house.
The responsibility for the adjustment of the marketing strategy to the service standards must be defined.
3.8 Corporate Design
The company must develop a corporate design for employees, house and exterior facilities.
The maintenance for house and exterior facilities must be specified and sustained.
The definitions must conform to the conditions in the whole company.
All areas (cleanliness, currentness, representation) must be monitored regularly.
The equipment must be inspected thoroughly and regularly.
It must be possible to obtain sufficient information etc. regarding the relevant ranges (hotel, wellness) with the help of a good navigation, practicability and efficiency over the internet.
