A Visit to the New Hyatt Andaz Wall Street
Makes for a Relaxing Getaway

Being a travel junkie, I’ve never been a fan of staycations. I’d much rather get out of Dodge. However, after receiving an invitation for a complimentary one-night stay at the new Hyatt Andaz Wall Street, I finally decided to see for myself what all the staycation fuss was about. To my surprise, it wasn’t long before I was won over. Not only did I experience a relaxing Oxygen Boost facial at the Spa at Andaz and a fabulous meal at Wall & Water, the hotel’s open-kitchen restaurant, but I also found time to explore the downtown area, a part of New York City I rarely get a chance to visit. By checkout time, I had discovered a new lease on life and was thinking another staycation might soon be in order. Look for more on the Spa at Andaz in an upcoming issue.

ESPA Debuts A Tented Spa Experience in India

I’m not much of a camping enthusiast, but I just read about a tented experience that sounds pretty glam. ESPA recently opened its first tented spa at The Leela Palace Kempinski in Udaipur, India, which is known as the City of Lakes. The first branded ESPA in India, this beautiful retreat is composed of a series of traditional Rajasthan-style tents, complete with impeccably decorated interiors that are decked out with rich textiles, custom-designed furniture, and glass chandeliers. Divided into two areas, the relaxing respite gives guests the option of kicking back in any of the five single treatment-room tents situated within the Haveli Spa or the option of cozying up in a luxe Couple’s Suite or in either of the two Royal Palace Suites, each with its own pool and walled garden, which are located in the Lake Spa. In addition to private yoga and meditation, the spa will offer the Leela Udaipur Ceremonies, which combine classical European spa methods with the ancient philosophies of the native Ayurveda for indulgent experiences that are truly out of India.

An Inside Look at the March Issue

SpaFinder’s New App: Schedule a Spa Visit From an iPhone Near You

Baby, it’s cold outside. Want to warm up at the spa, but don’t want to venture too far? Thanks to our friends at SpaFinder, now, there’s an app for finding the closest spa to your current location. Available in the iPhone App Store, the free SpaFinder application automatically searches its database of 5,000 spas and salons to locate nearby relaxing respites. There’s no need to be tech-savvy—the easy-to-use application gives you directions, offers reviews and descriptions, reveals price points, and even identifies which spas offer SpaFinder deals. For some spas, you can also easily book treatments using the SpaBooker Network making a visit to the spa hassle-free and even more relaxing from the start. The most difficult part of the process will be deciding where to go. For more on the application, click here.

Sin City Goes Glam with the Opening of CityCenter

I’m not much of a gambler, so I never particularly enjoyed visiting Las Vegas. But that changed thanks to a recent visit I took to check out the new CityCenter, where I spent five nights at ARIA, one of the new hotels in the complex. When I wasn’t enjoying my state-of-the-art room, I was indulging in decadent meals at one of the resort’s many restaurants, including Michael Mina’s American Fish and Bar Masa, where award-winning chef Masayoshi Takayama created the menu. I was also lucky enough to see a preview of Cirque du Soleil’s Viva ELVIS, which was amazing. Of course, I had to check out Crystal’s, CityCenter’s 500,000-square-foot shopping area, which boasts such stores as Louis Vuitton, Roberto Cavalli, and Bulgari, just to name a few. And I even attended a private champagne reception at Tiffany & Co, which was quite the experience. Although I had quite a hectic schedule trying to fit it all in, I still made time to enjoy treatments at The Spa at Aria, Vdara Health & Beauty, and The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas, all of which are equally impressive. If I were a gambling woman, I would bet that these three spas are going to be the talk of the town. To find out more about these Sin City havens, keep an eye out for our April issue.

Panama Proves it’s Poised to Pamper

Panama probably isn’t the first place you think of as a prime spa destination. However, that is beginning to change thanks to an influx of development in the country. Travelers who visit the lush tropical country are finding more than just the famed canal, a true engineering feat, to attract them. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to visit The Bristol Buenaventura and its Corotu Spa. There, spa director Alejandro Gomez is focused on giving guests a taste of Panama with a host of treatments that rely on indigenous herbs, locally grown palm fruit, and iron-rich volcanic sand that is carried down the Rio Hato river. After indulging in a quick chair massage, I chatted with Gomez about some of the many reasons that make Panama such an inviting spa destination. Stay tuned for more on Corotu Spa in an upcoming issue.

Institute of Management Consultants Launches
New Spa Consultant Chapter

A collection of 14 spa industry business consultants was officially inducted into The Institute of Management Consultants USA and received its charter as the International Spa Chapter at the annual conference in Reno, NV. The founding members of the Spa Consultant Chapter each possess more than 10 years of experience consulting within the spa industry, and many more years of working in the fields of beauty, hospitality, wellness and fitness. “Our group came together with the shared desired to raise the bar by creating a mandatory code of standards and ethics for consulting within our industry,” says Deborah Evans of SpaSense Group, the founding chapter president. “Even though we are all competitors, we recognized the need for this, as we’ve seen many projects delayed or incurring serious cost overruns and operational glitches due to inexperienced advisors. Our group realized that IMC could bring tremendous value to both our prospective clients and our unique niche of experienced consultants.”

The International Spa Chapter has several objectives, including:

• To set new industry standards and promote industry best practices
• To create a forum for professional collaboration
• To educate and inform potential clients through a robust website, blog, and e-newsletter
• To set and uphold a code of ethics and standards of practice
• To promote its members
• To encourage certification of its members under the IMC “CMC ®”,  Certified Management Consultants, an internationally recognized mark of consulting excellence
• To provide ongoing education to members

For information on spa consulting and the Spa Consultants chapter, visit www.imcspa.org.

Localbooking.com Helps Budget-Conscious Clients Enjoy a Luxury Lifestyle in their Neighborhood

I recently moved from Battery Park City to the Upper West Side. And, although I didn’t leave the confines of Manhattan, initially I was so unfamiliar with my new neighborhood that I might as well have moved across the country. Suddenly, I no longer knew the best place to get my nails done or where I could get a haircut on a Saturday morning without an appointment. With three pizza places on my block alone, which one was the best? It was a difficult transitional period for a few weeks, but through trial and error I figured it out. I could have saved myself a lot of hassle had I known about www.localbooking.com. This website is a one-stop source where visitors can browse for lifestyle, beauty, and wellness services and providers in their neighborhood. Not only does it make searching super easy but it also offers major discounts when visitors book appointments online directly through the site. Members also earn rewards points when they book online or review a business, which then can be redeemed as cash for their next booking.

Added bonus: one day each week the site features the Deal of the Day, which can range from a couples’ massage to a three-course dinner to dance lessons. The deal offers savings of up to 90 percent, and although members only have 24 hours to buy it, they have a year to use it. Now that is an offer nobody (even the most frugal) can refuse.

Hot Mamas Head to Plush Beauty Bar for Moms

To the delight of many L.A. moms, today marks the grand opening of Plush Beauty Bar for Moms, a unique nail and waxing salon that provides beauty treatments in a child-friendly atmosphere. The salon features a dedicated children’s lounge, a video monitor in the waxing area that allows mothers to see their children at play, a portable baby swing that can be placed near mom during her treatments, and comfy armchairs for nursing breaks, as well as affordable prices (treatments start at $25). “Plush is a place where women can bring their babies, get a little pampering, and connect with other women,” says co-founder and head esthetician Jennifer Paige. “We do whatever it takes to make mom and baby feel comfortable.”

An Inside Look at the February Issue