The perfect treatment

Luxurious Nirvana Spa chose WASHCO to refresh and renew their on-premise laundry, with sparkling results.

Anyone who’s enjoyed a luxury spa day will know the mix of personal care and professionalism which works as much magic as the oils and other products that leave us glowing. Housekeeping Today readers will also be more than aware of what goes on behind the scenes to create this perfect experience.

Spa operators will seek those same standards when they look to introduce new equipment – a sense of trust within a relationship – and with their current commercial laundry equipment lease due to expire, Nirvana Spa, one of the UK’s most luxurious pure water spas located in Wokingham, Berkshire, was keen to explore new options on the market for the like-for-like replacement of their towel washers and dryers.

During this process, they completed a full and thorough tender assessment across five primary laundry equipment providers, including WASHCO. As part of the tender, WASHCO conducted an initial site survey where it was apparent that Nirvana Spa didn’t have enough drying capacity to meet demand. This was largely due to the size of their existing equipment, which was much wider than average and taking up valuable extra space in an already compact room. Using this information, WASHCO created a tailored rental proposal to increase the drying capacity and overall laundry efficiency at the spa and were subsequently invited back for a second interview before being awarded the tender.

One of the key elements that led to WASHCO securing the contract was the level of professionalism, knowledge and thoroughness displayed by business development manager, Simon Rawle, during the tender process. Contracts and acquisitions manager at Nirvana Spa, Sean Hughes, says: “Simon represented the interests of WASHCO with a notable level of company and equipment knowledge and professionalism from the outset. For the two tender assessment interviews he was involved in, he arrived promptly, smart in appearance, approachable and friendly. He displayed excellent levels of knowledge and answered all of my very searching questions articulately and with ease.”

As part of their rental contract, WASHCO recommended the Primus range of laundry equipment, which is renowned for its excellent user experience and build quality. Two washing machines (FX600 + FX240) and one dryer (DX77) were perfect for meeting their capacity requirements and compact enough to sit alongside an existing dryer that they were keeping. Despite the third party delivery lorry breaking down just a mere few miles from the spa, the installation was completed across two days, ahead of time. The next day, machines were connected to soap dosing systems, with staff training following shortly after. Hughes describes the installation team as “prompt, friendly and hugely industrious and effective.”

Nirvana Spa housekeeping manager Emma-Jean Wells is delighted with the results the new on-premise laundry is producing and was very impressed with how the installation team coped with maximising space usage in ‘awkward areas’. With the installation of their new equipment, Nirvana Spa now have ample capacity to meet demand at their stunning facilities, which include the natural spa waters, a spectacular Celestial Pool, Hydrotherapy Surf Pool and Dead Sea Salt Therapy Pool alongside the Crystal Treatment Suite and a delicious menu packed with seasonal delights.

Most of our readers will know all about the seasonal ‘staycation’ bookings surge they’ve experienced. A day at a top-class spa may not be a full break, but for those who come away refreshed it can feel just like that. At Nirvana summer dates are in high demand and the spa has been asking those seeking to book to look four to eight weeks in advance for Day Spa experiences and eight weeks in advance for treatments.

Their guests will no doubt be delighted with the results of this ultimate pampering experience. They don’t need to know that behind the scenes the high spin of the Primus washers results has reduced drying times, whilst the large lint filter of the dryers helps to speed up the process even more – all while helping to keep energy costs down. But it means a lot to Emma-Jean Wells and the team!