Submitted by Teofil Nikolov on
Is it SPA or not??!
Have you noticed how in the last 10 years everything is getting more Spa-like...or at least has a SPA added to it??
Auto Spa; Pet Spa; Boat Spa.....and many more (you have seen them probably).
SPA (Sans per Aqua)...direct/indirect translation (depending on who translates it from Latin or Spanish) as
"Health By Water". There can be other translations that are similar but i like this one as near perfect explanation.
Some may say that only when water treatments and or balneotherapy in combination with the peace and calmness, topped up with eats and treats during a day or week long visit, are supplied, can you qualify as a SPA.(there is a lot of truth to that).
then you have:
Roman Baths;
Russian Baths;
Swedish Baths;
Finnish Baths;
German Baths... and
other traditional baths from around the world.
we are talking thousand of years of tradition in some of these countries.
So it seems like we need to have a lot of water treatments (mostly soaks or balneotherapy) with health reasons behind them to be called a SPA, but mostly it is connected with the warm air, steam and water in combination with some type of bodywork and the general relaxing atmosphere.The common teem is 1 whole day to 14 days of these rejuvenating activities.
As you might see already, most of the establishments around your town (USA) do not offer this type of service and yet they call themselves Spa's!!
...the things they get away with in advertising!!!.....
bottom line is:
....Does it matter or it does not matter what they call themselves??
maybe not-if the establishment can deliver a superior experience and a health benefit coupled with it - at least in USA.(we are such a young country!!!)