WTS International: Premier Spa & Wellness

For over four decades, WTS International has developed and honed their premier spa and wellness management services to help over 300 facilities worldwide. And soon, they’ll be bringing that expertise to the Urbana Country Club.

From its beginnings as a plucky startup managing tennis programs, WTS International has turned itself into the invisible backbone for over 100 premier spa and wellness properties all across the world. With the new expansion of the Urbana Country Club’s facilities to include a spa and wellness center, WTS is vital in bringing that vision to fruition. The company has grown immensely since 1973, when WTS was still Washington Tennis Services and had to pave their way with no other company to look to for guidance.

“It was a brand-new concept,” founder and president, Gary Henkin, said in an interview with Leisure & Hospitality Magazine. “There was no model to go by and we were the first of its kind anywhere in the world.”

By 1988, though, WTS had expanded to include private golf and country clubs and, in 1992, health and fitness properties as well. Today the consultation and management of their spa and wellness properties represent the largest part of the WTS managed portfolio.

WTS offers many services to its customers, including feasibility studies, concept and brand development, design consulting, pre-opening and daily management. Their focus is to prepare facilities for a successful opening with the strong foundation necessary to achieve operational and financial success.

“Everything a hotel, resort or restaurant does to open their doors, WTS does to open a spa, fitness or wellness complex,” Henkin said in an interview with Leisure & Hospitality Magazine. “We hire and train the entire staff, create a spa or fitness menu, develop protocols and standard operating procedures. We do virtually anything needed to effectively open the doors through the grand opening.”

After the opening, WTS can operate on a turnkey basis for the client, stepping in when needed. Their overall approach to management and operation rests on the shoulders of their 2,500-person strong team and their commitment to support, training and education of all involved in the operation. They work to create systems that impact revenue generation as well as maintain constant focus on the high quality experience of the member or guest.

To do this, WTS creates an environment that allows their staff to seamlessly integrate into the fabric of the property. Clients retain all identity, control and authority—WTS can offer a la carte services when needed. And employees are offered plenty of resources and support through the company, as well as opportunities to discuss new trends, ideas, initiatives and recommendations.

In the recent years, WTS has moved into the health and wellness sector, as spas are focusing more and more on the medicinal benefits of their services. It's a focus that is exceedingly important to the Urbana Country Club management as the development of the new spa and fitness center gets underway.

“Our core philosophy is to provide members with a luxury spa and wellness experience with a focus on a diverse and thoughtful array of leisure facility programs, menu offerings and services,” Henkin said. “We look forward to employing our vast resources and methodologies to create a highly successful spa and wellness experience for members of the Urbana Country Club.”