The Food Doctor Blog

With so many of us about to take our traditional summer holiday my own thoughts have been turning to travel. Like many people my first port of call is usually the internet as I have become quite used to making my own arrangements rather than using a travel agent. However I am looking to spend time in a spa later this year, and although I have been to a few over the years, there are so many to choose from that I am finding it hard to make a choice. Rather than go it alone, I decided to find an expert, and am very pleased to have been introduced to Wellbeing Escapes. I met with their founder and managing director, Stella Photi and put some of my questions to her;

Stella, I am sure that you go online for your own needs, and now that people have become more used to booking holidays themselves, why use a travel agent?

Although the internet is a great source for instant information, what you see is not necessarily what you get. You will find thousands of options with individual hotel websites whose job is to do a great marketing job on their resort. I know this personally as I have visited many hotels and spas that did not deliver on my expectations from their marketing tools.

You could say the same applies for travel agents BUT good travel agents and tour operators invest a lot of time and resource in quality checks and accuracy of marketing material to make sure their clients have a quality experience and that the experience delivers on what is promised. This is a worthwhile investment as if the client returns happy they will have trust in our recommendations and holidays.

People also have the misconception that they will get a better deal when they book directly with the hotel or airline. This view has been promoted by the press and is usually not correct – especially with specialist tour operators. For example we negotiate specific exclusive discounts such as reduced or no single supplements for our clients that are not available directly with the hotel – especially since a Wellbeing holiday is perfect for single travelers (time to focus purely on oneself!). There are often early booking offers and discounted spa treatment packages that are put together purely for our clients.

The other point to consider is that if something goes wrong (like your flight is cancelled or delayed) you don’t have to worry about it as the touroperator will try and limit the inconvenience. We had customers who were stuck in Thailand earlier this year when the airport was closed by the protestors. We made sure they were accommodated at the hotels at discounted prices and also used our contacts to get them on the first flights back when they started to operate again.

Last but not least, most good tour operators are ATOL bonded which means that in these days of financial uncertainty, you will be covered if an airline goes bust or even a hotel. The tour operator is legally required to find you a suitable alternative or refund your money.

How did you get involved in well-being holidays?

I have always been interested in complementary health options and for many years I sought out spa and wellbeing holidays for myself as a means for stress relief, living a typical hectic lifestyle! Sometimes I was disappointed with the experience, having spent a lot of money and not feeling like I got what I paid for. That’s when I started thinking about starting a company like Wellbeing Escapes that could pre qualify and check out the quality of the treatments, accommodation and provide a seamless wellbeing experience.

I made my decision to start the company when I started practicing yoga and wanted to go on a yoga retreat that would tick all the boxes with regards to my own requirements – I didn’t want anything too hippy like but some luxury
with like minded people and good quality yoga. I googled “yoga holidays” and ended up with hundreds of options that were difficult to differentiate without spending endless hours on the internet. At that point, I went to mylocal travel agent who looked at me like I was crazy and tried to flog me a beach holiday in Spain that had the odd yoga class. That’s when I decided to start a company that could provide a service for people like me who want advice and guidance to a wellbeing break that suits their individual needs.

What makes Well Being different?

It’s all in the detail. Every holiday we sell goes through very stringent quality checks and it’s not just about the facilities at the resort or the rooms. We look at the training of the therapists, the yoga teachers, how the programmes have been put together to achieve a specific goal. For example there are many gimmicky detox holidays available but you won’t find them through us – the combination of the treatments, food and activities has to be just right. We look at details like how the resort deals with emotional detox which often happens alongside a physical detox and what experts are on hand to help our clients deal with this. Other details such as the ambience, if single travellers will feel comfortable, if water is readily available without people being charged an arm and leg for it.

I started the company to give guidance and advise in the often confusingworld of spa and the team are very well trained to help people find the right option. We have conversations with all of our clients, gently finding out what they want to achieve from their holiday and what is important to them. Although our website provides a great source of information, we are very personal company and do not take bookings online for that reason. A wellbeing holiday is a very personal experience and we want our clients to feel taken care when they are choosing their holiday and before they go. We even schedule their spa treatments before they go so there is one less thing to worry about when they arrive!

What should we look for when choosing a spa holiday?

Quality and a seamless experience – does the food complement the experience are there holistic activities available, are the therapists well trained will they feel comfortable if they go alone?…its all in the detail – see answer above!

I want a spa holiday for my family, do any cater for children?

Most destination spas and authentic holistic retreats do not cater for children as their purpose is all about wellbeing, which usually goes hand in hand with peace & serenity. There are however many resorts that have very well run spas and have lots of other facilities including entertainment for kids. For example, the Aphrodite Hills resort in Cyprus has one of the best run spas we have come across in Europe but also has a kids club, a teen club and even evening entertainment to keep the little ones busy and happy.

There will be more from Stella over the next few days including her personal recommendations for the best spas in the world. In the meantime do check out www.wellbeingescapes.co.uk.