As I sip on my perfectly chilled cucumber water in a lounge chair at the
Spa at Pinehurst, I take notice of who is around me in this beautiful co-ed luxury lounge space.
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| The Spa at Pinehurst Co-Ed Relaxation Lounge/Lap Pool |
Eight women are together celebrating a birthday milestone. I happily take a group photo of them before embarking on my signature Pinehurst facial that came with my overnight package.
I wave to another woman who I had met the night before with her fiance in the hotel. Her fiance was playing golf in a tournament. She, like me, was having a spa day.
My friend sat beside me relaxing like one should in a spa, and she was probably doing her best to ignore the annoying journalistic curiosity questions I posed to her.
Across from me, I notice a married gentleman sitting in a monogrammed spa robe and browsing through the latest Robb Report magazine.
On this particular occasion, he was the lone man in the common spa areas. There may have been ten other men in the gentleman's private lounge areas talking about their putter, but from what I could see, this well-coiffed man was the lone spa ranger without his mask.
The Spa at Pinehurst, surrounded by PGA-played golf courses in the Sandhills region of North Carolina, offers a wide variety of male spa treatments. If a man enjoys going to the spa, then this spa ranks number one for men in North Carolina.
This male spa guest intrigued me. To me, he is the polar opposite of my husband, who has never set foot in a spa. I have told Will that he should go to the spa sometime because it would be good for his skin. When I give this speech, he gives me a look as if that will not be an expense that he will actively seek out on his own.
Will is 51. I believe many men born around my husband's generation are not used to going to the spa. The idea is foreign to him. I think many men, born before 1975, especially in the South, characterize going to the spa as "something women do." I know Will never thinks about the spa in terms of therapeutic wellness. He would almost need a doctor's note to go to a spa in my mind.
The Poll: Are Men Taking Advantage?
After my spa visit, I took a quick poll among a Facebook group in the Apex/Cary area near my hometown of Raleigh. Both of these towns have an average household income of around $90k, which is well above the North Carolina average of $47,830. If men in these zip codes want to go to the spa, then most could afford the expense. My research proves that my well-bred college husband is not alone as a man who has never been to the spa.
The results of this poll are not surprising. Out of 381 Cary and Apex residents who took the time to answer my survey, only 12 percent of men go to the spa. The gentlemen who regularly book appointments at a spa compared to the men who have never stepped foot in a spa is low. However, the bigger picture now is that the trend of men going to a spa is undoubtedly on the rise from previous generations.
Pinehurst Spa Director Brandon Fein confirms this rise.
"We have indeed seen an uptick in recent months in Spa services used by men. Pinehurst continues to evolve in many areas, including in its golf offerings. An example would be our new short course, The Cradle, which has been praised by mainstream media nationwide and been a very busy place since it opened in October. We’re seeing a lot of usage there, too, by our Pinehurst Country Club membership, which could help explain more men coming more regularly to the Spa, especially for innovative and timely services like full-body Cyrotherapy," said Fein.
Another interesting piece of information in this equation is those who commented on my Facebook survey responded their significant other who went to the spa without them were under the age of 45. The man who was in the lounge with me on my Pinehurst spa outing fits that age description.
The Rise of Male Spa Treatments in Luxury Hotels
Luxury hotel spas are embracing this rise in male clientele.
The Ritz-Carlton in Toronto told me that its' spa saw a 25 percent increase in male clients in 2017. The spa even dubbed the month of January of this year as "Manuary" and offered special services tailored for me at the hotel's well-ranked
Spa My Blend by Clarins.
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| Ritz-Carlton Spa My Blend by Clarins Male Treatments in Toronto |
At this Ritz-Carlton spa, men can choose spa treatments such as the Gentlemen's Power Hour or the Blokes & Beer treatment, a 2.5-hour service with a Man-E-Cure hand treatment, personalized facial, and full body massage. There is also a huge large screen television in the Gentleman's Relaxation Lounge for men to enjoy.
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| Kingsmill Resort Spa in Williamsburg, Virginia |
The Kingsmill Resort, a four-diamond condo resort in Williamsburg, Virginia, which overlooks the James River is a haven for both family-fun and relaxation. With a million-dollar spa on property and separate relaxation rooms for men and women, Spa Director, Jessica Nichols believes wellness education can take credit for new generations embracing the spa.
"We have seen an increase in appointments for men. I think wellness, fitness, and overall better care of your body is a priority now," remarked Nichols. "It is also no longer frowned upon for men to have spa services of any kind. Research shows the benefits of massage are great and have been known to relieve stress, neurological issues, digestive disorders, soft tissue and sports injuries, and more. Spa treatments are no longer just for special occasions but considered therapy."
Despite an increase in luxury hotel spas offering spa treatments for males, men are still the minority client as we expected. The luxury resort, Four Seasons Orlando, located within the gates of Walt Disney World, says that men make up about 30 percent of its' overall spa business.
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| The Four Seasons Orlando at Walt Disney World |
That figure has remained steady since the hotel's opening almost four years ago. Four Seasons Orlando's luxury spa offers four couple treatment rooms on site. Based on my survey results, the "couples spa appointment" route is the first point of entry into a spa for most men. Like Pinehurst, the hotel does confirm that it does see an increase in male treatments when there is a big male-oriented event on the property, such as a golf tournament.
Our Male Youth: What will the Future Hold?
Awareness, education, and personal experiences certainly can create change. As for today's male youth, will they be more open to seeking spa treatments as they grow into adulthood?
Exposure to the spa at a younger age may have an impact on that. The Kingsmill Resort spa offers a
teen program for spa services for 12 to 16-year-olds. My own daughter, who is now 8, was exposed to a luxury spa for a toe and nail polish at the age of 5. My son has never been exposed.
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| Photo by Leigh Powell Hines |
Liza now jumps at the chance any time she is given a spa opportunity now. As they say, the apple doe does not fall too far from the tree.
The Primland Resort, also in Virginia, like the Kingsmill Resort, offers both children and teen services. The Primland is where Liza was first introduced to the spa world. When I visited the property, highlighting children's spa treatment for a magazine, my son was still too young for any service other than nail services. At that time, he had no interest in doing that service.
How would my son feel now about the spa? I think he would go for it and not think twice about it being something that girls usually do.
His Dad? Well, I would need to make that appointment for him. But, I know once he had the service, he would see the benefit in spa treatments. Education and awareness have the power to cause change for the better. Like the other day, Will told me that he read that lentils help reduce belly fat. Y'all, I've had lentils on the menu for years. I guess now, he'll take another serving.
For more information on vacation options at the hotels listed in this post, visit the following:
Ritz-Carlton Toronto
The Kingsmill Resort
Four Seasons Orlando
The Primland
The Pinehurst Resort
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