EmotionSpa Magazine: E-Nymphea, online booking and management platform dedicated to spas

At the latest edition of the Equip'Hotel trade fair, Sequoiasoft, major software developer in the hospitality & wellness markets, and Spa Collexion, specialist agency in these markets, gave a preview of E-nymphea Collexion, the 1st comprehensive integrated online management and reservation system dedicated to spas. Entirely modelled upon and connected to Nymphéa spa software, E-nymphea Collexion allows you to market your treatments, rituals and gift vouchers on your website in real time, independently. Find out more…

Céline, you keep a close eye on digital technology, can you explain to us what online booking represents for establishments such as hotel spas, thalassotherapy centres or urban spas?
Céline Guerton-Mathias: Though it's still young, online booking is mainly driven by distributors who have been influencing establishments’ marketing and pricing strategies for 5 years now. Our sector is on the brink of a digital revolution that's already well underway in the hospitality industry. A variety of different screens, new ways to interact and the emergence of new formats has resulted in new distribution channels. That's why we recommend that our clients invest in digital technology, develop their site traffic, offer online booking and listen in closely to what's happening. Tomorrow there will be exponentially more booking channels: in 3 clicks, smartphone users will book their treatments, rituals and gift cards online via pure play sites or applications, specialist travel agencies or Facebook, or they'll use metasearch engines. Even now, the Internet is no longer just an information source; it's a huge virtual shopping centre. 83%* of French people are connected and 47% regularly buy online, compared to just 23% in 2007. Organising holidays, purchasing services and searching for health information are among the top 10 habits of internet users.

You signed a strategic partnership with Sequoiasoft over a year ago. What was behind this decision?
C.G.M.: Above all, Spa Collexion’s mission is to guide hotels and spas in their marketing actions, either individually with the help of our Marketing & Web Solutions centre, or by joining the Spa Collexion network. It was through working with our clients on the implementation of their digital strategy (reworking the website, rolling out social networks, developing a sales and marketing plan) that we decided to go beyond website development to integrate the most important part, which is online spa booking, completely in sync with the establishment’s operations management. The partnership with the market leader then became an obvious move. By combining our strengths we have developed a search engine and booking funnel designed to boost sales through effective sell-through and systematic upselling. Clients can now choose and book their treatments or classes simply, securely and, above all, whenever they want.

Hervé, with Céline’s demonstration, we've seen that the wellness client is extremely well connected when it comes to booking treatments. With E-Nymphea, you're meeting this need by offering an all-in-one online marketing and spa management solution. Can you tell us more about this?
Hervé Colly: We've recognised a growing appetite for online purchasing in the wellness sector. We know this form of digital marketing perfectly well from the hotel industry, and this naturally led us to develop a version especially for our Nymphéa software. E-Nymphea is a comprehensive “hybrid” solution that combines our well-known operations solution with a web application that offers independent online marketing management. This development required advanced digital communication and marketing skills, so we naturally chose Spa Collexion to partner us.

How does E-Nymphea work, concretely?
H.C.: E-Nymphea is made up of two independent but connected modules. From Nymphéa, the solution inherits its wealth of features, high performance and operating stability. E-Nymphea allows the sales team to model its sales, via the Internet, by highlighting specific products, creating scheduled allotments, stopping sales or promoting special offers according to their needs. The establishment is in charge and its operations are not at all impacted by the online sales policy; it benefits from the resulting increases in sales and occupancy, in an entirely automated way. The Internet user chooses services and time slots through a showcase site. The system instantly proposes availabilities and/or alternative offers. Upon checkout, the bill is automatically generated and payment securely processed. The establishment receives a notification in Nymphéa of the new bookings, which are recorded automatically. When members book their services, their membership is recognised automatically, its validity checked and then the booked services are automatically deducted. Purchases can also be made using gift cards, seamlessly processed by the establishment. A gift card bought online will be processed in exactly the same way as a gift card bought at the reception desk, whatever the conditions of purchase.

Finally, what are the advantages for spa operators?
H.C.: E-Nymphea works 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. It allows you to offer a selected range of services at prices defined in line with needs and market trends. It gives operations teams the ability to pay special attention to their clients and increase sales of complementary products and services. In short, E-Nymphea is an extraordinary tool for growth and profitability, its sophisticated design providing users with a very easy management system and highly flexible marketing solution. And, we're working on something new to the market: a version that will enable accommodation and treatment packages to be sold online.

* Source: We are social

By Isabelle Charrier