Dora Koromila – spa director of the Anazoe Spa – said the partnership is a way for the Anazoe spa to promote its services to the UK market / Anazoe Spa

Starwood’s Greek Anazoe Spa at the Costa Navarino resort in Messinia has partnered with The Chelsea Day Spa Boutique in London so that both facilities can cross-promote each others’ services abroad.

Between 10-14 March, staff from the Anazoe Spa will offer its ancient Greek healing experiences to guests of the London day spa. The Costa Navarino facility will then host the Chelsea spa’s staff and its founder Faye Fasan, during a week in September as part of what is expected to be a continued swap of services.

Speaking exclusively to Spa Opportunities, Dora Koromila – spa director of the Anazoe Spa – said the partnership is a way for the Anazoe spa to promote its services to the UK market.

“We wanted to partner with a facility with a brand that attracts the right kind of customer,” said Koromila. “Both spas cater to an affluent spa audience and hence the idea is to share each other’s expertise, treatments and special cross-promotional offers for the respective guests. For example, we are offering The Chelsea Day Spa Boutique customers exclusive offers for dedicated spa breaks at Costa Navarino.

“In addition to learning new skills and new therapies, the exchange of services will enrich both therapists’ knowledge of treatments, how different spas operate and how the UK spa market is developing,” continued Koromila. “Aside from the different techniques and operational procedures, our Greek therapists will learn the cultural nuances of guest-handling at a luxury British day spa.”

“Throughout the week, I believe we will learn far more about the similarities and differences between our locations,” added Koromila. “For example, Fasan and I were both surprised to find that both facilities struggle to recruit the right level of therapist to meet our guests’ expectations.

“Guests at Costa Navarino plan their trip to the spa in advance or on the first or second day of their stay as part of their holiday, however at the Chelsea Day Spa Boutique the bookings are gradual – almost last minute – requests. The London spa can have maybe three treatments pre-booked for the next day, but in a couple of hours the whole day’s schedule is full.”

The Anazoe Spa serves guests of the surrounding Starwood properties, Westin Costa Navarino – which is open for nine months a year – and the Luxury Collection Hotel The Romanos – which is open for six months a year. During the months of July and August, when the hotels are at full capacity, the spa can handle a maximum of 200 appointments a day. At this time of year (March), however, it receives bookings for 30-40 appointments a day.

In terms of size, both wellness sites are extremely different. The Chelsea Day Spa Boutique, for example, has two branches: the flagship two-storey two-treatment room King’s Road facility and the two-treatment room spa on Hollywood Road. The 4,000sq m (43,056sq ft) Anazoe Spa has 21 dry treatment rooms, seven hydrotherapy treatment rooms, herbal garden, relaxation lounge, plus a 1,000sq m (10,764sq ft) thermal zone that features three saltwater pools of different concentrations and a number of heat experiences.

The Anazoe Spa is has room for the development of 13 more treatment rooms, which are planned to offer guests a more medical experience, according to Koromila.

“We’re still in the research and development stage of this project because we want to do it correctly,” said Koromila. “We need to find out what would be the ideal medi-spa component for our site, whether it’s weight-loss oriented, aesthetic procedures or offering medical services.”

The Anazoe Spa is also working on its own range of 100 per cent natural products using herbs from the site’s herbal garden. Once the formula is complete, there is a possibility that the Chelsea Day Spa Boutique will sell this, in addition to its current host of products – which include O2 Intraceuticals, Darphin and HydroPeptide.