The word
The word
spa
has several possible origins. One of these can be the interpretation of the three letters s p a which were often drawn as graffiti on the marble walls of the public bath houses during the Classical Antiquity. This code is then interpreted as
salus per aqua
= health through water.
Other possible interpretations of the word spa are etymological. The word can then be traced as a form of the Latin verb
spargere
– to pour forth. The old Romans usually built their establishments by hot springs, like e.g. the ones at Baden-Baden, Bath, Budapest and other similar locations, where the hot spring was "poured forth". The word was introduced into the English language via the old Walloon word
espa
, meaning fountain. The word espa later transformed into
spaw
.
In 1326, a small village in the mountains of southern Belgium reintroduced the word spa when the hot springs were discovered and therapeutic baths were explored for their medicinal value. 250 years later, in 1551, William Slingsby discovered the sulphurous spring in Harrogate, England. He compared these natural sulphurous springs with the spring in Belgium and its thermalogical conditions. During the early 1700’s Dr. Dean of York then published a number of flyers regarding the sulphurous spring in Harrogate and a few months later the spring was referred to as a spa.
The experience
Swedish Spa
Hotels’ view on the benefits of a spa experience is that a spa treatment is beneficial
to health and well-being, a sound life, a decrease of harmful stress and an
increased flow of vital energy. This is achieved through a balance between the
four cornerstones
motion
,
rest
,
nourishment
and
touch
. Other
central key words are:
Water
–
Shall be a natural part of the spa experience and a red thread through it.
Naturalness
–
In treatment products, food, beverages and environment.
Learning
–
the opportunity to learn something that will improve your way of
life/well-being.
Feeling
–
A
spa experience should be relaxing as well as generating new energy.
Recently,
ISPA
(International Spa Association) has developed a definition of the term spa. A
spa experience is defined as "Your time for relaxation, reflection,
rejuvenation and joy". ISPA has also drawn up a vision of the spa
experience as "Rejuvenating people" and is dedicated to enlightening
people on the value of a spa experience.
ISPA sorts
spa establishments into one of the following categories: day spa, destination
spa, spa cruise, medical spa, spa spring and spa resort/hotel. Swedish Spa
Hotels primarily constitute of the last category, spa resort/hotel.