The hotel market value of the Indian Hospitality industry will increase to $13 billion by 2020. India. The land of many colors also called the spiritual capital of the world experiences a great influx of tourists every year. With the ethos of “Atithi Devo Bhava” (Guest are Gods) ingrained into hearts of every Indian, the guests are treated with the highest levels of hospitality in an effort to make the stay pleasurable and comfortable. But with increased competition among the multinational and traditional 5 star chains and the new generation of budget hotels, shared homes, guesthouses from Oyo Hotels, Make My Trip the competition has intensified to differentiate and offer guest even more. More budget, mid-luxury and high end hotels are now wowing their guest with unique treats like full body automatic massage chairs.
Most luxury hotels have common amenities including swimming pool, spa, coffee machines in every room and a gym. However massage chairs which are relatively new to India are an exceptional luxury item with a few high end hotels like Hard Rock Hotel or ITC offering it in their high end rooms mostly because they were expensive at around Rs 5 lakhs. But with new entrants like Osada bringing affordable luxury massage chairs with advanced technology and high end features to India at prices starting at INR Rupees 1 lakh, more hotels are starting to offer these chairs as an alternate.
There are several reasons that massage chairs are getting popular with hotels and their guests:
Relaxation, Comfort and convenience: 92% of guests staying at hotels consider the comfort in selecting a hotel. Most guests are traveling and at the end of the day are tired and sore. Sore muscles indicate that the body needs rest, and outside of a massage which requires setting an appointment if the spa is open and going outside the room, getting slathered by oil and showering seems like a lot of work. As an alternate massage chairs offer a quick 15 minute relaxed massage while you are fully clothed without any appointments or leaving the room.
Safety and Personal Preference: As much as young men and women may love to get a massage from a masseuse, some people may not like to lie naked on a table and let someone touch them. Especially for older citizens, women and conservative people that never visit spas. So when travelers arrive back to the hotel after a day’s trip outside, imagine the joy they experience to see a massage chair in the lobby, spa or even hotel room ready to relieve them of the day’s stress.
Customer Satisfaction leads to positive reviews: Testimonies are an important part of how clients determine which hotel to book a room at. Since massage chairs are still uncommon it is common to hear customers leave reviews like “Wow. I’m in heaven. My hotel room has a massage chair”. As they become common it will become a must have but for now the more enterprising hotels in India are using massage chairs as a hook, bonus or customer delight tool.
Return on Investment ROI- Hotels will only invest if the investment pays for itself. At an average massage chair price in the Rupees 1.5 lac range, a hotel’s cost to add a massage chair in the lobby or room is around Rs 82/day if the life of the chair is considered to be 5 years. These chairs can last up to 10 years. So the price is really insignificant and the upside is tremendous for the Indian hotel to improve its reputation and marketing. If the hotel thinks it can charge anything more than Rs 82 per hotel night, the chair would pay for itself and more.
Guests who are staying in hotels around the world look for comfort and excellent hospitality service. They look for the essential amenities and something extra to differentiate your hotel from others.