Archive for September, 2009
Miami Nice
On a recent trip to Miami, I was able to experience a side of the city that I was very unfamiliar with. I visited South Beach a few years ago, but never knew about the hidden treasures located in the Downtown area until now. From hip rooftop hotel pools to trendy restaurants and lounges, this up-and-coming area is becoming the new place to be. During my visit, I stayed at the Epic Hotel, a Kimpton Hotel, which opened in Dec. 2008. There, I enjoyed lounging near the 16th floor rooftop pool, eating delicious food at Area 31 restaurant, and taking in the gorgeous views from my room’s balcony. My favorite part of the trip was learning about the new Exhale Mind Body Spa, which is expected to open in early 2010. The spa, like the other Exhale locations nationwide, will offer a variety of body therapies, skincare programs, fitness classes, and nutrition programs. Even though the spa is not yet open, guests can enjoy select spa services, such as the Fusion Massage ($85, 30 minutes; $120, 60 minutes), in the comfort of their hotel room or in an outdoor poolside cabana. The anticipation of the new state-of-the-art spa is sure to have Epic guests waiting to exhale.
ISPA, STR Partner for Spa Benchmarking
The International Spa Association (ISPA) has teamed with Smith Travel Research (STR) to expand an online benchmarking tool for spas. The Spa STAR report first launched in 2007 as a benchmarking tool for hotel and resort spas. Now, the program is growing through partial funding from ISPA to include the rest of the spa industry. The online Spa STAR report will allow spas to enter monthly information on various metrics, such as treatment revenue, number of treatments, treatment room hours available, treatment room hours utilized, spa revenue, and more. Using this information, spas can pull Spa STAR reports showing monthly and historical performances, which enables them to benchmark themselves against other spas.
Members of ISPA will receive an exclusive one-year STR discount through this partnership beginning in January 2010. “The key is to get spas to participate in the monthly reports, so that this can be a valuable resource and a true benchmarking tool,” says Lynne McNees, ISPA president. “The hotel industry has relied on STAR reports for years to provide timely information used in their operations, and we are proud to provide all spas the same benefits.”
“In these times of unprecedented economic upheaval spa operators are looking for more sophisticated tools and for actionable information,” adds STR Vice President Jan D. Freitag. “The Spa STAR report will equip owners, operators and investors with strategic planning tools for the future”
Visit www.experienceispa.com for details.
Learn More About Leadership with SpaExec’s Advanced Management Seminars
Interested in sharpening your management skills? SpaExec is introducing Advanced Management Seminars: Management and Marketing Strategies for Spa and Hospitality Professionals. For $95, participants are entitled to a networking luncheon and a three-hour course, which will give you the tools to do the following:
• Learn the key components of a successful spa business model
• Acquire new skills to evaluate and influence your spa’s performance
• Improve your skill set to be an effective leader in the spa industry
• Discover effective manners to communicate with your GM
Taught by industry veteran Deborah Evans, the seminars are sure to inspire creativity and give you the competitive edge necessary to maneuver through this dicey economy.
The schedule for the seminars is as follows:
•October 20th at The Balboa Bay Club Resort (Newport Beach, CA)
•November 6th at The Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina (FL)
For more information, click here!
Mohonk Mountain House Celebrates 140 Years
In honor of 140 years in business, Mohonk Mountain House (New Paltz, NY) is offering guests the chance to celebrate the milestone with the Victorian Getaway. The package, which is available through December 2009 and is priced at $1,869 in honor of the year Mohonk was founded, includes a two-night stay for two, three meals daily, afternoon tea and cookies, resort activities, and a Mohonk Memorabilia gift basket. The package also includes a $140 spa credit to The Spa at Mohonk Mountain House, which can be used on any service, including The Mohonk Eco-Sampler ($140, 50 minutes), which was created in honor of the 140th Anniversary and is only available through the end of the year. The service begins with a refreshing foot treatment, featuring a witch hazel spritz and a foot scrub and rinse with fine quartz grains from nearby cliffs. After an aromatic inhalation and a relaxing back, neck, and shoulder massage, guests enjoy a cooling coneflower eye treatment and a guided power nap. It is sure to leave guests celebrating the resort’s anniversary–and a renewed mind, body, and spirit.
SpaRitual Throws a Foot Fetish Party at V Spa with Reality TV Star Tanner Pope of The Bachelorette
Fans of The Bachelorette’s Tanner Pope, the lovable bachelor with a fondness for feet, won’t want to miss The Foot Fetish Party at the V Spa at the Hilton Anatole (Dallas) on Tuesday, September 29, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Pope is hosting the complimentary event, which will feature footbaths and polish changes with the newest shades from SpaRitual, an eco-friendly and vegan line of nailcare. There, partiers can pose for photo ops with Pope and, if their feet tickle his fancy, maybe even score their own bachelor.
RSVP to (214) 761-7800
Spa-Goers Can Fall into Relaxation at The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Boston
Although no one likes to watch the lazy days of summer come to an end, The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Boston, has made the change of seasons a little easier with its “So Long Summer” package. An ideal way to heal skin that has seen too much fun in the sun, this seasonal promotion is available throughout the month of September. For $360, spa-goers are treated to the one-hour and 50-minute Commonwealth Comforter journey, which includes a body exfoliation followed by the application of moisturizing oils and butter body, a hydrating facial, and a scalp massage. Also included is a 60-minute group Yogalates class, which combines mat Pilates with Vinyasa yoga for the ultimate core-strengthening experience. And, once they have worked up an appetite, guests enjoy a Bento Box lunch in the Spa Café. After a day of pampering, exercise, and a tasty meal, spa-goers will be ready to face the fall refreshed.
Is your spa offering any unique seasonal promotions? Post your comment below or email spablog@americanspamag.com.
CA Botana Supports Angel Faces Retreat
In an effort to pamper and nurture adolescent girls with facial disfigurements, CA Botana donated spa products from its Doctor D. Schwab and Ambrosia Aromatherapy lines to the Angel Faces Retreat held at The Glen Ivy Center in Corona, CA. Angel Faces is a non-profit organization with a mission to provide healing retreats and ongoing support to inspire adolescent girls with severe facial disfigurements to achieve their optimum potential. The organization hosts the week-long Angel Faces Retreat each year to pamper these adolescent girls in a serene spa environment with massages, facials, workshops, and activities.
Eco-Dentistry Association Offers Water-Saving Tips
When it comes to going green, every little contribution helps. That’s why the Eco-Dentistry Association (EDA), an international association of dental professionals who encourage eco-friendly practices, is kicking off its National “Save 90-A-Day!” Campaign to celebrate Healthcare Environmental Awareness Week (Sept. 13-19). Starting Monday, provide your spa clients with the following regimen for conserving water when they brush their teeth (and practice them yourself), and save up to 90 glasses of water per day.
- Wet your toothbrush under the water
- Turn off the tap
- Apply toothpaste
- Brush your teeth for 2 minutes
- Fill a small glass with water
- Rinse and swish with water from the glass.
Additionally, each day during this week-long health observance, the EDA is asking consumers to tell a friend or family member to do the same. Just tell seven other people by the end of the week, and together you can save 720 glasses of water. That’s 90 gallons of water saved for each person who tells seven friends—imagine the impact your entire client list could have.
What are you doing at your spa to save water and conserve energy? Post your comment below or email spablog@americanspamag.com.
Rescue Rittenhouse Celebrates Five Years
According to tradition, fifth anniversary gifts should be made of wood. Hmmm….doesn’t a day at the spa sound like a more exciting way to celebrate?
Philadelphia’s Rescue Rittenhouse Spa is celebrating five successful years and is inviting its guests to join in on the party. Through October 31st, spa-goers can opt for any of these indulgent $50 specials:
•Jubilee Facial
•Blast Manicure and Pedicure
•Fanfare Eyes and Designer Eyebrow Shaping
•Carnival Brazilian Bikini Wax and Eyebrow Wax
•After Party Massage
These pampering treatments are easy-on-the-wallet and are sure to get clients in the spirit of celebrating.
Does your spa have any upcoming milestones? Do you have any favorite anniversary promotions that have been popular with your clientele? We would love to hear about them. Please comment below or email us at spablog@americanspamag.com.
Gain Stellar Insights From Two Upcoming Events that Look to the Stars for Health and Well-being Guidance
American Spa’s favorite astrologer, Stephanie Gailing, is hosting two upcoming astrological events with nutritionist and yoga instructor Melina Meza. Author of Planetary Apothecary: An Astrological Approach to Health and Wellness (Crossing Press, 2009) and a monthly American Spa column called “Signing Off,” Gailing will be offering the following retreat and workshop with Meza:
•September 13 (6pm to 9pm)
Autumn Equinox: Yoga & Astrological Wellness
Celebrate the upcoming equinox with Gailing and Meza. In addition to a full yoga practice, they’ll discuss the astrological events that will shape the next few months and explore wellness strategies—essential oils, flower essences, and nutrition—that can keep the body, mind, and heart fortified throughout the fall season.
8 Limbs Yoga Center: Capitol Hill Studio
500 E. Pike St., Seattle
Cost: $40/$45 day of (Please RSVP by September 10)
•November 21–28
Gratitude & Wellness Yoga Retreat
Designed to rejuvenate the mind, body, and spirit, this week-long retreat provides a host of take-away tools and insights that can help you maintain well-being throughout the year. It includes two yoga classes a day, Ayurvedic and nutrition lectures, meditation, astrological wellness teachings along with an individual astrological consultation, beach time, and more.
Haramara Retreat Center, Sayulita, Mexico
*Sign up in September and receive a $200 discount
For more details, visit http://planetary apothecary.com/gratitude-wellness-yoga-retreat-in-mexico/
For more information, email Stephanie.gailing@gmail.com.
