The Spa Wet Room: What to consider if you are planning to install one in your spa (day, resort or destination)

Even the smallest day spa has a dry room where massages, facials, and thermal heat treatments occur. But if you want to add treatments to your menu like Vichy showers, hydrotherapy, and messier body treatments like mud or seaweed, then you will need to install a wet room. If you are planning to remodel your current spa or are designing a new spa from scratch, wet treatment rooms will be an important (and expensive) part of your design. Of course, in most cases, the decision to include a wet room would be made by the spa owner, or the spa manager/director in collaboration with the owners.

Before you make any decision regarding your spa’s wet room ask yourself some questions and create a plan of action based on the answers. How much square footage can you devote to you wet room? What treatments and services would you like to add if you had a wet room? Would you have the money and the space to have more than one wet treatment room? What equipment would you need to invest in? What is your budget? The answer to these questions will help you determine the following:

· square footage needed for the wet room

· number of wet rooms to add

· the equipment needed for each wet room to support your treatment options

The first factor to consider when building your spa wet room is space. By now you should have a rough idea of your space needs. If you are an existing day spa, consider where the space will come from. Will you build an addition or convert dry treatment rooms to wet? If you are converting treatment rooms, don’t forget to crunch your numbers. Your revenue projection for each wet room should exceed what the room made for dry treatments to ensure the room will pay for itself over time. Also, consider your clients and employee comfort. Your wet room should provide enough space for a three foot circle around each tub or table and it should house at least an average sized shower with a 4×4 giving the client even more room and a higher level of comfort. Space in a spa is very important; make sure you plan wisely at the beginning to avoid costly mistakes.

The second factor to keep in mind when setting up your spa wet room is cost. This will be a major capital expenditure and you need to budget accordingly. Not only will you need to worry about the cost of equipment (hydrotherapy tubs, Vichy showers and wet tables) but you need to consider the cost of building the room itself. A wet room needs a drain and proper plumbing to operate the showers and tubs. The whole room will need to be rebuilt with cement board, and tiled so that it can get wet. An electrician will need to be consulted to ensure you have access to a power source in the room and that it is set up to stay dry and safe. Other miscellaneous costs to consider are lighting and cabinetry.

While size and cost are major concerns, so are sanitation and safety in a wet room. As previously mentioned, your wet room will most likely be tiled. Be sure to choose a tile that is textured rather than smooth to ensure clients and employees do not slip on the wet floor. Additionally, build your wet room with some type of ventilation system in order to slow the growth of mold and mildew which are common in wet rooms.

Adding a wet room to your spa will be a useful and profitable addition to your other treatments and services. Approach the project with a space plan, budget, and an idea of what client treatment needs the new wet room will serve.

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