Prior to opening in 2003, Spa Montage of the Montage Resort and Spa in Laguna Beach, California, enrolled in ASTECC training. Eighteen months later, in the Spring of 2005, Spa Montage became the first US spa to be awarded Five Stars from Mobil Travel Guide - an achievement Spa Montage repeated in 2006, 2007, 2008 and again in 2009. Recently named in SpaFinders ‘Reader’s Choice’ as one of the Best Spas in the World, Spa Montage currently employs 22 ASTECC certified therapists. Portions of the following have been excerpted from a magazine interview with ASTECC founder, Anne Bramham. The article “Stars in Their Eyes” appeared in Spa Business (p.56-59) in March, 2006.

Q. When did you first set up ASTECC?
AB.  Back in 1995.  Spa was in the process of being mainstreamed and training was almost exclusively in the hands of vendors.  I recognized the need for training without the product influence and began teaching ASTECC components at my training spa in West Palm Beach.

Q. Only one other spa in the US has ever been awarded a Mobil Five Star Rating. How did you feel when Montage was awarded its' third consecutive Mobil Five Star in the spring of 2007?
AB.  Very pleased, of course.  It’s truly been a collaborative effort.  I’m very proud of everyone - management, the therapists, and everyone else who works at the Montage.   Our challenge now is to maintain the same high standards guests have come to expect.

Q. To what extent can Montage’s success be attributed to the ASTECC program?
AB. I understand the power and efficacy of spa therapies and I believe in ASTECC but none of this would have been possible had it not been for Barbara Schultz (Montage’s opening spa director) and the willingness of owners and management to look at spa in a new and different way. Agreeing to an ongoing educational program required a level of commitment you rarely see in the industry and my hope is, in some small way, Montage’s success will influence other spas to follow suit. Education is so important.

Q. How would a ‘trained and educated’ approach be realized in a spa setting?
AB An educated, result oriented approach to spa elevates a visit into something more personal. It validates the needs of the guest and, in the process, it builds confidence and establishes trust. Let’s say a physically active 45 year old female guest with tired and heavy legs visits the spa.  An ASTECC therapist would be able to communicate to the guest how certain activities, including heavy massage, could possibly be aggravating her condition and may suggest Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) which would address the leg congestion while stimulating the removal of cellular waste. That same therapist, because she is also trained in the chemistry of natural therapeutic agents, could recommend the guest return the next day for a neutral thalassotherapy followed by a marine wrap.  She would be able to explain that those treatments would ideally complement the MLD: the neutral bath would employ the forces of hydrostatic pressure, the wrap would feature algae which is rich in the elements of potassium and sodium…elements which play a significant role in the movement of body fluids.

Q. Why do you think the industry has been slow to embrace spa therapy education?
AB. Most spa owners do not come from spa backgrounds.  They’ve assumed that spa education is a by-product of a massage license and any additional training can be supplemented by product vendors.  The fact is, most licensed therapists have had minimal training in spa therapies and product training is more often about the product than education.  As a result, a thirty thousand dollar hydro tub sits empty because therapists don’t understand the physiology of hydro properties, a Salt Glo treatment is marketed as an exfoliating scrub while its ability to improve stamina, build resistance to pathogens and regulate metabolism is routinely ignored.    Luxury is a vital aspect of the spa experience but unless that luxury is supported by knowledgeable spa programs it will merely be an indulgence.  There is no shortage of luxury in our industry.  There is a shortage of well trained technicians.

"Realistically, in terms of substance, performance and guest satisfaction, ASTECC elevates therapists to the top 5% of the industry."

Q. When did ASTECC first start working with the Montage Resort?
AB. ASTECC was on board prior to Montage opening in 2004. Barbara Schultz and I had worked together on a previous enterprise and shared the same values for education.  Barbara understood that education was to be a vital component in the success of the spa and convinced The Montage management to invest in the ASTECC program.  We had the opportunity to create a strong team. I was invited to participate in the interviewing of therapists, to play an active role in developing both the treatment program and the necessary tools and products to support the program. I was involved in the training of all spa personnel - familiarizing them with the philosophy of spa, our intention, and our therapeutic approach.

Q. Has Montage’s success influenced the spa industry?
AB. My guess is, yes. Properties are beginning to realize luxury must extend beyond the realm of guest comfort to a level of personal connection with the therapist and the spa itself.

Q. How has Montage’s success impacted ASTECC?
AB. Spa properties are beginning to identify education as a key component of successful operations.  Most of my trainings are now on-property with staff and, as a result, we’ve been forced to cut back on the number of trainings ASTECC offers independent (non-property affiliated) therapists.  We recently implemented an ASTECC Internship Program with the goal of developing a core team of ASTECC instructors.

Q. How does the Internship Program work?
AB. The program is a combination of work and study and is designed for therapists interested in   pursuing a career as a lead therapist, in-house trainer, or as an ASTECC instructor. Internships include home study, case history assignments, training in the chemical elements of spa and assisting/co-teaching during ASTECC trainings. We’ve already implemented this program at Montage.  We call it the ‘Train the Trainer’ and the goal is to train therapists to become ASTECC instructors who will then serve as in-house instructors as The Montage expands and opens new properties.

Q. Comment on the services/opportunities ASTECC offers both operators and individuals wishing to enter/advance in the spa industry.
AB.  Realistically, in terms of substance, performance and guest satisfaction, ASTECC elevates therapists to the top 5% of the industry.  Therapists who are trained in the biochemical elements of spa and in the art and science of therapies possess the tools to effectively implement individualized, result oriented spa treatment programs.  In short, they know how to connect the dots. ASTECC expertise and quality of service will consistently surpass guests’ expectations.

Q. What role do you think spa therapy education will play in the future of spa?
AB.   Already, more and more properties are viewing education as an investment rather than an expense.   They realize consumers are savvier, there’s more competition, and expectations are higher. All of this is very good for our industry.  A spa’s potential cannot be realized without training.

Q. What do you mean by a 'personal connection'?
AB When therapists are trained and educated in the physiology and science of spa therapies they have the tools to address the specific needs of guests.  Training introduces a whole new dimension to service.

Q. How closely did you work together with the Montage team to design/implement the program?
AB. I worked closely with The Montage team to develop a menu that would compliment the Montage environment.  The Montage has an incredibly beautiful natural environment and one didn’t have to look far for inspiration.  The ocean, the cliffs, the hills, the healing plants and herbs grown on property –it’s all part of The Montage experience. Man is shaped by his environment and The Spa Montage menu of treatments reflects and celebrates this connection.