Name of Spa: Librisa Spa - Cape Town, South Africa Open since/Opening date: 21st of March 2008Hours of Operation: 9am-8pm

Type of Spa: Destination Luxury Day Spa Size of Spa: 6,100 sq.ft.Number of Employees: 2 managers, 10 therapists, 3receptionistsNumber of Treatment Rooms: 8 treatments roomsplus a manicure and pedicure roomTypes of Treatments offered: massages, manis andpedis, facials, wraps, waxing, kiddies and teens spa,packages

Business Stats:Software Program used: Emerald SpaStaff Compensation Method: For therapists:Monthly Salary: R6000-R7500 ($733.25 - $916.57CAD) (depending on experience).Retail commission: 10%

Group target commission for treatments: this is setat a different target every month but if they make target they get a R1000 bonus ($122.21 CAD) plus asliding scale for anything over 100%

Tips: They get to keep their own tips, minus 30% forservice staff

Leslie’s Note: The Rand is the South African currency. As a point of interest, we have converted theRand to Canadian Dollars. These rates will varydepending on the date of conversion.

Product Lines used: Elemis, Clarins, Africology,Victorian GardenTop 3 selling services: Therapeutic/Deep Tissue mas-sage, Facials, Manicures/Pedicures

Contact Information: 

Natasha Springett (Spa Manager) +27 (0)21 483 1551,nspringett@mountnelson.co.za Reception +27 (0)21 483 1550,librisa@reception.co.zawww.mountnelson.co.za or www.orient-express.com

Your valued advice to those opening/operating a

spa:

The products you choose as well as the theme of yourspa is important, decide who 'you' are and don’t offertoo many eclectic treatments, identify yourself

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LESLIE’S PICK

Leslie Lyon began her career in the Health andBeauty Industry over 25

years ago and today enjoysher profession as an

International Consultant,Educator, Key Note Speaker,

Published Columnist andFreelance Writer. Leslie is

the President of Spas2b Inc.,which is a full-service Spa

Development, Consulting andTraining Company based inWaterloo, Ontario, Canada.Her company’s international

Consulting Assignments range from the smallest

Boutique Spas to the 25,000square foot super spas, andeverything in between – from

Spa Start Ups to SpaTurnarounds.

2009 Spring ClassroomCourses:

5-day Spa Start Up, Mgmt. &Operations - May 4-8, 2009

4-day Spa Mgmt. &Operations - May 5-8, 2009

NOW AVAILABLE! Spa Management Distance

Learning Programs

Bringing the Classroom to You

Course #1 - Spa Start Up- 10 disks, 7 Manuals

Course #2 - SpaManagement & Operations

- 9 disks, 6 Manuals

Save Time • Save MoneyYour Schedule • Your Pace

You can find out more about Spas2b by contacting

Leslie Lyon directly at 1-519-585-0626,

llyon@spas2b.com, or by visiting the website at

www.spas2b.com.

strongly and who your target market is. Staff can makeor break a business so  hire the best possible.  Try tooffer some  treatments that are different to what allother spas are offering. Constantly re-assess your spaand what you offer to keep it fresh and exciting and inline with current spa trends.

PURITY, THERAPY AND LUXURY AT CAPE

TOWN’S MOST DISTINCTIVE SPA

Mount Nelson Hotel, Cape Town’s last word in timeless elegance, is home to Librisa Spa - an exquisitedevelopment offering an original holistic spa experience in a sublime setting. Since opening in April2008, the spa has established itself as one of the best inSouth Africa. Named after the fragrant South African Librisa Pelargonium, it takes inspiration primarilyfrom nature, with a philosophy based on the healingpower of touch and a botanical theme which prevails inthe choice of products, treatments, styling and décor.

A NATURAL SELECTION

Librisa Spa’s philosophy centers around the healingpower of touch. Product ranges combine blends of healing herbs and botanical extracts to create a nurturing and holistic spa experience. There is anemphasis on supporting local suppliers whose productshave been sourced to provide guests with a completelyAfrican experience (traditional herbs and flowers andAfrican indigenous plants have been long known fortheir therapeutic and medicinal properties and theirantiseptic and healing powers have been used for centuries both medicinally and cosmetically).

Africology: The Healing Essence of Africa

Librisa Spa is one of a few local spas to carry the SouthAfrican-made Africology range. Created by RenchiaDroganis, a healer and skin care therapist, the rangecaptures the healing essences of Africa and is symbolic of South Africa’s own healing journey.Products contain botanical ingredients like Marula,African Potato, Rooibos and Aloe Vera, and 100 percent natural essential oils. Also incorporated is aunique form of energy therapy and radionics wherebythe active energetic essences of plants work in

FYI - There are over 200 spas in South Africa!

Here are some of our pics:

Angsana Spa at Vineyard Hotel - A Banyan Tree Spa

Arabella Spa - Exclusive 5 star Resort

Cybele - Relais & Chateaux property

Lanzerac Spa and Wellness Centre - Located on a private working wine estate

ONEwellness Spa - Integrating Fitness & Spa

Pezula Spa - Cliff-top Retreat

Renaissance Spa at Michelangelos - Celebrity spa

Sanctuary Spa at The Twelve Apostles - On the rim of the Atlantic Ocean

Spa in the Country - An African Sanctuary

LESLIE’S PICK

SPA CANADA MAGAZINE 31

harmony with the body’s energetic field. The rangeincludes a selection of effective anti-aging skincareproducts and heaven-scented body products.(www.africology.co.za)

The Victorian Garden: An Enchanting Heritage

Available exclusively at Librisa Spa, the The VictorianGarden range has been created by hand by a localherbalist and aromatherapist using original formulaswhich date back to Victorian Times. Products areaffordable and completely natural, containing traditional herbs and flowers known for their antisepticand healing powers. (www.thevictoriangarden.co.za)

Other South African brands available at Librisa

Spa include:

Thyme for Men is the first locally produced skincarebrand exclusively for men. Each product containsHydrochrosite crystals (which are sourced from theKuruman region of South Africa) to help stimulate andpreserve cells for supple, younger-looking skin.(www.thymeformen.com)Eklon is a unique range of body care treatments, manufactured from the brown seaweed Ecklonia

Maxima which is indigenous to South Africa’s WestCoast and rich with nutrient which help eliminatestress, tension and toxins from the body.(www.eklon.net)

Elemis: Integrity, Purity and Efficacy

Librisa Spa now stocks a comprehensive selection ofproducts and offers a variety of treatments from theUK’s biggest beauty brand - Elemis. With over 17years experience in treating both men and women inthe professional spa environment, Elemis is availableat only the most exclusive spas and salons around the

world. The professional spa-therapies are worldrenowned for their efficacy, results and powerful massage sequences, combined with the most dynamicactive ingredients available in the world today. (www.elemis.com)

Clarins:

A Commitment to Nature and Visible ResultsLibrisa Spa is one of two local destination spas to carryClarins - one of the world’s most popular high-qualitybeauty brands. Clarins is famous for cultivating botanicals from around the globe to be used exclusively in their formulations. The comprehensiverange of skincare, sun-care and body products excels inthe area of protecting the skin from harsh, environmental aggressors – making it ideal for thelocal climate. (www.clarins.co.za)

A FRESH APPROACH

Librisa Spa’s treatment menu incorporates facial treatments, massage and body treatments, everyday‘finishing touches’, men’s treatments and spa experience packages for all-out pampering. Each treatment has been specially designed by Spa ManagerNatasha Springett and her team of therapists to incorporate sequences unique to the spa. It’s not easyto single out the most remarkable treatments on offersince they are all exceptional, but these signature treatments have earned legendary appeal:

The Bouquet Facial – a fantasy of floral extracts toboost the skin and up the feel-good factor.The Energy Massage – a holistic healing experienceincorporating colour crystals and stimulating BlackPepper body balm.The African Well-being Experience – a blissful soak ina Victorian bath followed by a Ginger and Vanilla massage.The Lavender and Aloe Cinderella Facial – the ultimate indulgence for little princesses.

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The Spa People, a new and dynamic Spa

Consulting Group in South Africa, helped

Spas2b develop this feature. The company is

made up of three wonderful and talented women:

Sheila Otieno-Osanya, Mimmie Cronje and

Leigh-Anne Wagner. Their company mission

is Respect, Responsibility and Relationships,

and through knowing Sheila for 5 years, I can say

with certainty that they practice what they preach.

For more information, you can reach Sheila at

sheila@thespapeople.co.za ; +27836363461.

Librisa Spa is the first spa in South Africa to offer dedicated treatments for teens and children. All treatments are based on the therapeutic healing powerof touch, as opposed to machines and invasive practices. Also on the menu is a selection of LibrisaExperiences which combine treatments with culinaryindulgences at Mount Nelson Hotel.

AN ELEGANT HERITAGE

Librisa Spa is situated in an elegant heritage home atthe edge of the hotel’s property, on a strip of land adjacent to the Oasis wing. The main spa buildingbelongs to a collection of five late Victorian buildingson Faure Street (recently acquired by the hotel, thiswas one of the city’s first residential streets). Thesebuildings were recently identified as heritage sites,after having been sensitively renovated and restored totheir pristine former glory.

BEAUTY IN THE DETAILS

The 570 square metre (6100 square feet) developmentcombines classic architecture with fresh contemporarystyling and distinctive finishes. Think hand-paintedsilk wallpaper, hand-blown glass and natural driftwoodaccessories, stylised botanical motifs and a cutting-edge chandelier by local manufacturerWillowlamp, juxtaposed with romantic Venetian mirrors and sumptuous hand-embroidered throws.Glass, marble, dark wood, water features and a paletteinspired by nature complete the look. Highlights include:Hand painted silk wallpaper creates a striking backdrop to the light and spacious reception zone.Natural wood, marble, glass and mirror set the themefor the look and feel of the main spa building.Changing areas contain a sauna and steam bath, sensation showers and heated marble slabs. Anenclosed courtyard with a heated pool in each changing area is the perfect place to unwind before andafter treatments, and the charcoal textured flooring (orquartz carpeting) underfoot is a sensory experience initself.The main spa building houses eight oversized treatment rooms (which are rumoured to be the biggestin the country) split between the ground and upperfloors of the main spa building, with four rooms oneach level. Continuing the botanical theme, each treatment room is named after a plant or flower(Protea, Cosmos, Hibiscus, Gardenia, Aloe, Amaryllis,Cascara and Azalea). A spiral staircase is a focal pointof the double-volume space. Four of the treatment rooms have been speciallydesigned for tandem treatment packages (for couples,mother and daughter treatments, etc.). Two of theupstairs rooms, Aloe and Amaryllis, lead out onto spacious balconies with inspiring views of TableMountain, for an idyllic post-treatment retreat.An opulent copper bath takes pride of place in

Cascara’s bay window, for treatments incorporating thehealing power of water.In addition to the eight treatment rooms are custom-designed manicure and pedicure rooms whichcan each accommodate up to three people at the sametime.A sun-splashed conservatory with natural cork flooringand comfortable loungers is an inviting spot for gueststo take time out to read, relax and indulge in healthysnacks from the refreshment station. g

Please visit www.mountnelson.co.za to download the

complete Librisa Spa menu.

Librisa Spa at Mount Nelson Hotel, 76 Orange Street,

Gardens, Cape Town, South Africa

LESLIE’S PICK

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