BUSINESS is bubbling at a luxurious spa complex following a healthy start to the year.
Iâl Spa was launched by Coleg Cambria in November, the focal point of its £14m Health and Wellbeing Centre at Yale in Wrexham.
An “incredibly busy” Winter has seen the state-of-the-art facility – which features a sauna, steam room, jacuzzi and health food bar – far surpass expectations and targets within the first three months of trading.
Cambria’s Head of Commercial Operations Maria Stevens revealed they will now look to recruit more industry-qualified staff and an apprentice to keep up with demand for commercial services including facials, massages, body treatments, and more.
There has also been huge interest in ‘pamper parties’ – or Spa-ties – for children and teenagers, and there are plans to eventually employ students at weekends and in the evenings.
“The demand has been huge since day one, all of the treatments and facilities have been popular with the public – there is already a waiting list for memberships – and as a result we will look to provide further resources to ensure our offering remains first-class,” said Maria.
“While this is an education facility and an amazing platform for the students to gain experience, the service and environment is comparable with any high-quality spa in this region while being open and accessible at an affordable price.
“The feedback and reviews about the professionalism of the staff and learners has been incredible as well as the standard of the facilities, which is fantastic to hear, especially as it has only been open a matter of weeks.”
Vice Principal of Technical Studies Vicky Edwards is thrilled with developments on-site and reiterated the centre’s importance to education in Beauty and Complementary Therapies, and Health and Social Care education in north east Wales and beyond.
“For Iâl Spa to have already achieved such a high benchmark in commercial sales and delivery is outstanding and eclipsed what we thought possible in the first year,” she said.
“Our expectations were positive but realistic, given this is so new to the academic sector and the city, but the people of Wrexham and surrounding areas have visited in their droves, demonstrating the demand is out there.
“For the students in particular this is fantastic, they are working in a real-life, real-time spa setting with customers alongside industry experts, and using top of the range products, equipment and technology – you could never replicate that in the classroom.”
Hair and Beauty Commercial Manager Sarah Edwards added: “Iâl Spa is a beacon of excellence for education and for the industry, and combining both is reaping the rewards.
“To see our vision come to reality was amazing, but this is next level in terms of the response from the public.
“From a commercial and academic perspective, the spa is already making waves, but the best is yet to come – this is just the beginning.”
