US-based spa major Red Door Spa Holdings has bypassed China and zeroed in on India for starting its global operations, a senior company official said. For its maiden foray outside the USD 13.5-billion North American spa market, Red Door is ready with a two-fold strategy. Firstly, it will partner with a leading Indian hospitality chain. Secondly, it will also tie up with another partner for free-standing spas in all the major Indian cities, which may include high-end residential projects as well. The company plans to have spas in Delhi and Mumbai.

According to a report in The Economic Times, Todd Walter, CEO, Red Door Spa Holdings said “India was our first choice over China because of many factors. The rate at which the hospitality industry, specially five-star hotels are growing, an increasing demand for tourism, thousands of years of culture of well-being (Ayurveda), right demographics, younger population (highly educated and affluent)—all contributed to our decision.”

In a bid to protect the brand name and luxury positioning, Red Door won’t go for either a licensing or a franchise model in India. “It has to be a JV or a model where we have a supervisory role for sure,” said Walter. All the 31 spas that operate under the Red Door name and the 20 salons under Mario Tricoci, its salon expertise, are directly owned by the Red Door Spa Holding group so that they can ensure the luxury positioning of the brand.

A leader in the North American day spa market with a turnover of USD 160 million, Red Door Spa started working on its global expansion strategy after the onset of recession in America. With over 100 years in the industry, Red Door Spa owns and operates 51 full-service salons and day spas across the US.