Korean entrepreneur transforms hotel salon
The rising demand for wellness services for people who lead active lifestyles has led Cebu-based Korean entrepreneur Sophia Lee to convert her beauty salon into a spa.
Lee opened last May this year the Well Spa (Thai Massage) on the ground floor of Wellcome Hotel on Molave St. near Escario, Cebu City.
“I shifted to the spa business because it is more profitable. Beauty salons are mostly frequented by women, but in spas, we welcome men and women. We welcome family,” said Lee, who believes that a spa would serve hotel guests more than a salon would.
Well Spa operates under the K. City. Amir Corp.
The 180-square-meter spa offers body and foot massage as well as premium services such as hot stone massage, lava shell massage, and slimming massage.
The facility features nine rooms, two of which are for couples. Lee hired a Filipino licensed spa trainer who studied massage therapy in Thailand to train her 20 massage therapists.
Amid a changing business landscape and the emergence of spas in many parts of Metro Cebu, Lee remains confident she’ll get a good share of the market.
“Tourists continue to come to Cebu and after a long day of activities, they would like to be pampered and relaxed, and a better way to satisfy them is to offer quality massage. Locals, on the other hand, crave for a quality massage after a stressful workday,” said Lee, who first came to Cebu nine years ago.
She said the Koreans’ influence on Filipinos beyond popular culture was her entry point in setting up a business here. After opening Well Spa in Wellcome Hotel, Lee is opening two more spa branches.
By August, she will open Well Spa in Mezzo Hotel in Mabolo and one in Allsons Inn by September.
The worldwide wellness industry grew by 10.6 percent to $3.72 trillion from 2013-2015, making it one of the world’s fastest-growing, most resilient markets, according to the 2016 Global Wellness Economy Monitor released by the Global Wellness Institute (GWI).
“The growth trajectory of the wellness industry appears unstoppable,” said GWI’s senior researchers, Katherine Johnston and Ophelia Yeung, in a statement.