When it comes to employee incentives, perhaps nothing says its better than a trip to a spa. The Spa at Mohonk Mountain House was one of hundreds of travel destinations seeking to capture the attention of thousands who attended last month’s Motivation Show in Chicago.
Attendees at the show could sample the spa’s services with five-minute massages. And whether companies visit the grounds to enhance team-building skills or reward employees with a round of golf or a facial, the spa at Mohonk Mountain House says it has it all.
Nestled in New Paltz, NY, in the Shawangunk Mountains near Poughkeepsie, the 30,000-square-foot spa is attached to the136-year-old Mohonk Mountain House. The spa, which opened in August, comes complete with a heated indoor pool, fitness center, beauty salon, 16 treatment rooms, sauna and steam room and a heated, outdoor mineral pool.
In addition to its standard spa services (think massages, body treatments, waxing and facials), The Spa at Mohonk Mountain House offers aerobic, yoga and mediation classes, some 85 miles of hiking trails and 35 miles of cross country skiing in the winter.
“It’s a getaway experience,” said Nina Smiley, director of marketing for Mohonk Mountain House. “There is something about Mohonk that is very nurturing.”
The spa is promoting its services via e-mail and online marketing, Smiley said.
Though new to the spa industry, The Spa at Mohonk Mountain already sees a lucrative market when it comes to employee motivation and rewards, said Mary Lou Race, director of sales at Mohonk Mountain House. Companies often are looking to block time at the spa to offer their employees a special treat, or combine services with company meetings, she said.
The spa recently hosted a day experience for 60 people in one company, Race said. “No one knew what service they were getting. They picked a one-hour [spa service] out of a hat. That was a nice little surprise for them.”
One service that is becoming more popular among companies to motivate employees is the spa’s team-building program. Some companies sign up their employees for a fun experience, whereas others look for a more adventurous team-building program, Race said.
“People come to Mohonk because it’s an opportunity to get away from their work environment,” Race said. “It’s a nice opportunity for people to get to know each other…or for [employees] to come together.”
For example, employees can participate in Mohonk Masterpiece, a team-building exercise in which employees move from canvas to canvas to draw pictures depicting fellow co-workers based on questions posed about employees.
In Cardboard Regatta, teams receive cardboard, electrical tape and a box cutter to design a boat that must sail halfway across the lake. Each team must name the homemade boat and design a cheer, Smiley said. The team whose boat stays afloat the longest wins the exercise, she said.
“It’s truly unique,” Smiley added. “You won’t see another place like this.”
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