Wingate Feature on www.seacoastkidscalendar.com - scroll down to find article.
seacoastkidscalendar.com
Monday, May 3, 2010
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Award Winning Year - Featured In Exeter Newsletter!
STRATHAM — Tom McDermott, co-owner of Wingate Salon and Spa, is a man with an eye for details, be it the scalloped edging on his cloth napkins, the lemons floating in a glass pitcher of water, or his skin care line. The "Wingate Serious Skin Care" line is only available at the spa, and it's the only skin care line he sells.
"I don't want to sell five brands of product," McDermott said. "I want to pick one that's best for our clients."
The Wingate Salon and Spa is celebrating its 10th year at the Stratham Circle and the eighth year under the ownership by Tom and Claire McDermott. The McDermotts are keeping the spa going in a tough economy by giving their clients that little bit of extra luxury, and by seeking the best staff and teaching them the newest techniques, they said.
Attention to detail has garnered the spa several awards. In 2010 Salon Today Magazine named the Wingate one of the Top 200 Salons/Spas in the country. In 2009, the salon was recognized by New Hampshire Magazine's "Best of New Hampshire" as the state's best day spa; New Hampshire Magazine's "Bride," named it "Best Bridal Party Spa" and "Best Day of Wedding Hairstyling;" and the national New Beauty Magazine, named Wingate a "Five-Star Beauty Destination."
The antique Colonial home that houses the spa was built in 1786 by John Wingate. The high ceilings, molded trim and wainscoting echo an earlier gracious era, as does the reproduction wallpaper and chandeliers. George Washington actually visited the home — not necessarily sleeping there — during his tour of his infant country in 1789.
As he relaxed in the cream-colored sofas of the "party room," Tom McDermott said he wasn't looking to open a spa. He originally checked out the Wingate when the first owners were seeking investment partners. He said he and Claire fell in love with the property and the concept, and ended up buying it outright.
"As a businessperson, I could see that people came in happy, they left happy and we'd be providing a service."
When the McDermotts acquired the Wingate, the clientele was smaller and the services basic, Tom McDermott said. "It was hair, skin, nails, a little massage." They modernized the business end, including accounting, bookkeeping and registration services. They started a Web site, run by marketing Director Jenn Woodside, that gives regular updates to "premier" clients.
The McDermotts determined from the start that their salon would be cutting-edge. "We wanted to take what's out there and have our people gain more knowledge," Tom said. The hair care staff, for example, attends seven to 10 trainings per year.
The McDermotts added a "hospitality" service. Clients can relax with a glass of wine, tea or water in a crystal goblet and nibble on fresh strawberries. The tea room has mint-green tablecloths, matching cloth napkins and relaxing, piped-in music. Guests can also drink or snack while having a pedicure, he said.
The McDermotts expanded the skin care offerings. Clients can get a waxing, an eyelash extension or relaxing facial. They offer chemical peels, microdermal abrasions and laser hair removal. A new technique, PhotoFacial, is done under a doctor's supervision and involves a heat-based laser reacting with chemicals in the skin. It's not as painful as a chemical peel, Tom said.
The spa has also beefed up the massage portion of the business, looking for trained massage professionals. "There are a lot of signs by the side of the road and you're never quite sure," he said, "but we stand behind our massages." Several rooms in the new part of the building are set up for "couples' massages," with two tables, he said.
The party room may be what makes Wingate a destination spa for people outside the Seacoast, the McDermotts and Woodside agreed. The room with deep sofas and coffee tables can accommodate up to 22 people, McDermott said, for wedding parties, bachelorette parties, family reunions, birthday parties. While the guests are waiting for their services, they can "sit around, hang out, enjoy a glass of wine," Tom said. Brides often come to the party room to get dressed and have a final hair check before setting out for their big day, he said.
A current goal, Tom said, is to expand the skin care offerings. There's room in the building, and he's hoping to add another esthetician to the five currently on staff.
But no matter where their business grows, the McDermotts are determined to stay in the Wingate House. "A strip mall down the road," he said, "would not have the same ambience." For more information, call 1-888-379-7979; 772-8400; or write info@wingatespa.com.
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