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SPA HOPPING The spa's guests are encouraged to book long appointments to provide a comprehensive "experience." white orchids and a simple boat-shaped fountain carved from stone, for example—that help maintain a sense of soothing intimacy. Here, a spa journey is a quiet delight, a private adventure that is poles apart from the competition's razzle-dazzle-'em, mega spa on steroids. "We try to wow our guests," explains Hannig. "Our hope is to make their experience here seamless. People walk in, they're greeted warmly, they have a delicious soothing tea and a hot towel, and they're brought into the back with time just to relax. This is all instead of the 'rush, rush, rush' you might experience elsewhere. We've thought about their robes, slippers, nourishing refreshments; we've considered the layout of the space and the number of guests who should be here at any one time. We put our guests' privacy and personal sense of space at the fore." In a city as crowded and frenetic as New York, the premium on time, space and privacy is high, and may well be one of the keys to the Mandarin's success. As Hannig notes, one major industry trend that exploded during the Great Recession was the proliferation of "mini spa experiences": 20- to 45-minute treatments to give clients a small, more affordable break and sense of self-pampering. For spa owners, that meant an opportunity to keep relationships with cost-conscious clients and a chance to turn some extra revenue as well. This spa's managers tried it, but ultimately found 28 DAYSPA | SEPTEMBER 2013 it contrary to its role as an urban respite. "Short treatments created much more activity in the spa," says Hannig. "There were more people coming in and out to use the facilities, and we started to see bottle necks; there was a turn-and-burn feeling to the spa. We now promote longer experiences, most from 90 minutes to three hours." The operative word here, she emphasizes, is experiences. "We have a lot of guests who come in once a week, once a month, or every three months, not just on occasion-driven moments," explains Hannig. "This is their place to unwind. This is where our clients like to 'disappear.'" The spa often hosts guests for full-day packages— treatment "journeys" of 6½ to 7½ hours (with prices starting at $1,320), during which clients can also