By Chuck Darrow
Gaming-industry innovation is generally found in places like the hotel check-in desk, casino floor, showroom or restaurants. But Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City is breaking ground in its Rock Spa & Salon and fitness center.
The pop-music-themed pleasure dome recently introduced a pair of mechanized, AI-based massage units. Dubbed “Spa Betty” and “Fit Betty,” the robots are the first such machines in New Jersey, and two of only a handful found anywhere.
Created and marketed by Aescape, a startup with offices in New York City and San Francisco, the machines are unlike any ever seen in the massage-therapy space. Each “Betty” features a massage table noticeably larger than those usually found in massage-therapy rooms. Large, white “arms” that administer the rubdowns flank the table.
Employing AI technology, the machines scan users’ bodies to generate over a million 3D data points, which identify key anatomical targets. Clients access a touchscreen located beneath the face cradle that enables them to control such functions as the pressure applied to the body, the specific areas of treatment and even the mood music that emanates from the machines.
Incidentally, unlike traditional massages, which require clients to wear little or no clothing (depending on comfort level), those who avail themselves of the Aescape treatments are required to wear stretchy, body-clinging shirts and pants (designed to avoid being rolled up by the machines’ arms).
Like so many inventions, the Aescape massage robots were, at least in part, born of necessity—in this case, as a response to staffing issues in the massage-therapy realm.
“COVID certainly, hurt us with regards to staffing around massage because many therapists chose to go back to school or go into a different career” when the global pandemic put the kibosh on human interaction in 2020, explained Ginger McLean, Hard Rock’s director of spa operations. Others, she added, left their employers (including Hard Rock AC) to strike out on their own.
“But even prior to COVID, the International Spa Association had predicted that by 2025 we would have a staffing shortage because the spa-and-wellness industry was growing faster than the schools [were able to train new therapists]. I forget how many schools closed during COVID and didn’t reopen across the United States.
“So not only was there a decline in schools, but there was also a decline in student enrollment. So we’re at a shortage. We have high demand for therapeutic massage and low staffing levels. And that’s a global concern. It’s not just here in Atlantic City and it’s not just in North America.”
Not that the robots are a one-for-one tradeoff for human therapists.
“It’s limited just to the back,” advised McLean. “It doesn’t get into the neck, the head, it doesn’t go into arms.” That said, she noted that the machines’ abilities were recently expanded to include access to the back of the thighs down to above the knees, evidence, she suggested, that “they’re continuing to evolve and grow the product.”
According to McLean, the “Bettys” aren’t designed to ultimately replace human therapists, but to offer alternative therapies to those with reasons not to avail themselves of standard massage treatments.
“There are guests that don’t want to be touched by another human,” she offered. “They don’t want to go in a room with another human being.”
And then there are the machines’ different constituencies. “One,” said McLean, “is for the spa-goer, who wants to come in and have the slippers, steams, sauna, a massage, enjoy the quiet areas. And then we have one in our fitness center. That’s for somebody who just wants to come in for a quick 15- or 30-minute treatment.”
As for cost, there are varying price points based on location and length of treatment. The spa’s offerings start at $60 for 50 minutes (about half the cost of a standard massage by a therapist). Every session in the spa includes a $25 upcharge which is for access to such spa amenities as whirlpool tubs, steam and sauna chambers and a relaxation lounge (a stand-alone day pass costs $50 weekdays and $100 on weekends).
Appointments to use the units must be made on the Aescape app (available at Google Play and the App Store).i
For McLean, the AI-propelled robotic therapy machines are not merely a novelty or gimmick, but a sneak-peek at the future of the good-health universe.
“AI is here to stay, so we might as well learn with it, and learn alongside of it,” she reasoned. “And see how we meld the medical side of wellness, the technology side of wellness and the grounded, holistic, roots of wellness, and continue to grow and evolve to meet our guests’ needs. We’re excited to be on the forefront of that.”
Ho, ho, Ocean!
Ocean Casino Resort is going all-in on Christmas with a number of special offerings and amenities.
New to the complex (starting Nov. 28) is the “Mean Green Suite” inspired by the iconic Dr. Seuss book, “How The Grinch Stole Christmas!” Its décor boasts a variety of green hues, a Christmas tree and other holiday accoutrements. Another 19 suites and 11 rooms are also similarly themed and offer such Yuletide touches as hot chocolate and seasonal decorations.
Also on tap are:
*Ocean’s Holiday Village at The Shops at The Row (opens Nov. 30), a pop-up holiday market at featuring items from local businesses.
*Linguini By The Sea’s Winter Wonderland: The high-end Italian dining room will be offering specialty cocktails and curated seasonal menu specials.
*Santa’s Hideaway Adventure is designed to transport guests from the Boardwalk to the North Pole via an “elevator” where they will have the opportunity to meet Santa Claus. The attraction is exclusive to Ocean in the tri-state area (reservations suggested).
*Jingle Bell Bar: A Holiday Pop-up Experience is located at 1927 Lounge, adjacent to the casino floor. It offers holiday-themed cocktails and entertainment cloaked in a nostalgic vibe (opens Nov. 29).
For more info, go to theoceanac.com/holidays.
Chuck Darrow has spent more than 40 years writing about Atlantic City casinos.
