Lavanya is an award-winning day spa located in the heart of Williamstown, Australia. With a team of therapists and more than 15 years of professional experience Lavanya offers a wide variety of products and services ranging from customized massages and facials to pregnancy wellbeing, various spa packages, and waxing/tinting.
Lisa and Kurt Gowers, co-founders of Lavanya Spa, decided to use Relax VR to take their treatments to the next level and found an innovative way to incorporate VR with their existing treatments. As Kurt points out, one of the main reasons that inspired them to include Relax VR within their current services was that, “VR increases the outcome in relaxation and the overall mental wellbeing.” They were excited to deepen the relaxation their services provide while also enlivening their current offerings with something new and cutting edge.
Relax VR allows spas to customize the offering to their clients’ preferences. With Relax VR clients are instantly transported to their chosen destination from across the world: a beach in Portugal, the Great Ocean Road in Australia, the Red Sea in Egypt, a forest in Germany, and more! As Kurt states, “Especially for city people who cannot get the time to connect to nature and escape the city, by using VR they can open themselves to nature and take time to connect with themselves.” Virtual Reality also allows spas to be highly innovative by adding a new and technologically advanced service to their existing wellness offerings, drawing new clients and boosting retention rates.
Pure relaxation! Sitting back in a comfortable chair, having my feet massaged while virtually walking along my favourite beach, it doesn’t get much better than that! An instant holiday without all the hassles. Such a unique and fun concept, yet beneficial to my mental health and allowing me to switch off. Amazing benefits to slow the mind and focus on myself. Thank you! - Nikki
Lavanya created a seasonal package deal called the Spring Vitality which incorporates VR. All spa treatments begin with a complimentary footbath. During this 5 minute soak, Lavanya’s clients have the opportunity to practice a soothing meditation technique in a beautiful, expansive virtual environment all while receiving a relaxing foot massage.
Kurt and Lisa presented their clients with the various locations that Relax VR offers and allowed them to pick which location they would like to visit. “This began the intrigue and excitement of the treatment with many people choosing a destination that they had personally visited and this had an emotional connection to them as it invoked memories and reflection for them” says Kurt Gowers.
Following the Relax VR experience, Lavanya included 90 minutes of additional services that included dry body brushing, hot towels, a hydrating massage and an organic mangosteen facial.
Lisa and Kurt note that “offering Relax VR certainly had a lot of interest and appealed to the fun, curious type of client who wanted to try something new.” Undoubtedly, VR has the potential to enrich the spa industry, adding an extra dimension to wellness offerings and provide a competitive advantage to those spas incorporating VR.
I found using the Relax VR at Lavanya as a such a fun, relaxing and immersive experience. Originally I thought this would be some fun and something different but once I put the headset on and listened to the calming voice meditation I found myself immediately let go and slip into a relaxed state of mind. To top this off I was having my feet expertly massaged which heightened the relaxation experience. It was pure relaxation! I loved it that I went back 3 more times for the treatment so I could try more of the amazing destinations that you can choose. - Jilian
What a wonderful concept to be introduced to a day spa. The Lavanya team are always thinking of new ways to enhance their treatments and this was really next level thinking. The VR concept was well implemented into the treatment that they designed and took the relaxation levels to a new high. I really enjoyed the aspect of choosing the location and I chose a place that I had recently visited and immediately those memories and senses came straight back to me, and giving instant relaxation. Would highly recommend experiencing. - Daniel
