Alexandra Vesin is General Manager of the superb Aman Le Mélézin, to which we dedicated an article.
You’ve been working at Aman Le Mélézin for 26 years, so you’re a privileged witness to the evolution of our clientele… Can you tell us how demand has evolved?
Yes indeed, I arrived at Le Mélézin a year after it opened, in 1993. I was first a receptionist, then assistant manager, and now general manager since 2018. You’re right, the clientele has changed significantly: we’ve gone from a demand for 100% experienced skiers to a clientele looking for both skiing and well-being. Nowadays, it’s very common to have a couple where one person doesn’t ski, for example, and who make our wellness center their priority. We also have families, for example with teenagers who don’t necessarily ski… What’s more, we’ve developed a special offer called Ski Privilège Pass, where we offer either the Three Valleys ski pass or a spa package with a yoga class and two treatments a day, starting from a few nights booked.
Demand for yoga and wellness treatments is such that we had to build two additional dedicated basement levels in 2017 and now have 800 m² of wellness space, and a large fitness room. We have responded to a clear evolution in customer demands.
How big is your wellness team?
We have 7 therapists working permanently for Aman Le Mélézin during the winter season (Editor’s note: the hotel is closed in summer). The team specializes in massages, Thai massages, beauty treatments, and we also have our yoga teacher and her stretching assistant.
Yoga classes are very popular. They are offered every morning between 9am and 9:30am to warm up before putting on your skis. Private lessons are also available.
On request, we can also bring in a sports coach. It’s a very strong wellness team for a hotel with just 31 rooms.
What are the most popular treatments?
It’s all about massages… The most popular are the “Grounding” treatments, holistic massages lasting from 50 to 80 minutes. Grounding massage is a full-body massage that honors ancient Tibetan healing traditions to stimulate the muscles, while a more subtle massage energizes the meridian system. This treatment incorporates cupping along the meridians, acupressure, kneading and deep-tissue techniques. These are truly special treatments of which we are proud.
We have 5 treatment rooms, and it’s often full. Once again, this proves the demand when you consider that we only have 31 rooms. The spa is open from 9am to 9pm daily. It should be noted that the spa is open to guests from outside the hotel, but only for treatments. The pool and other spa & fitness facilities remain for the exclusive use of hotel guests, as we want to preserve privacy and the feeling of being at home.
Can you tell us a little about how Aman sees the future of wellness?
Aman’s aim is to maintain a highly refined, personalized spirit, while incorporating the latest techniques. We want to stay ahead of the game. That’s why we launched our own cosmetics range, Aman Skincare, 2 years ago. These are organic products of excellent quality.
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Read our full article on Aman le Mélézin.
