Articles by Susie Ellis

by Susie Ellis, SpaFinder Spa Insider If stress affects beauty, we can probably all plan on things getting a bit uglier. That is unless we intervene or the current escalating stress level that most people are experiencing begins to dissipate. (I am not counting on that happening anytime soon.) Meredith Viera interviewed Dr. Amy Wechsler, […]

Guerlain Spa at the Waldorf=Astoria Finally Opens by Susie Ellis, SpaFinder Insider At last. The much anticipated Guerlain Spa at the Waldorf=Astoria (yes, the Waldorf does use that = sign in their name) has finally opened! And while I had already toured the spa a few days ago, last night’s opening party gave me a […]

That Famous Spa in Switzerland, Clinique La Prairie and the Product Line, La Prairie – Sorting it All Outby Susie EllisSpaFinder Insider (Note, if you aren’t seeing any photos in this blog post, then please read the blog at http://www.www.spafinder.com/blog/ as the photos will be a big help in following this timeline!) By now I […]

It was 1974 when I first heard about Clinique la Prairie. I had just begun working at the famous Golden Door spa in southern California and would occasionally hear guests whisper about the sheep cell injection therapy at this expensive place in Switzerland. Our Golden Door guests, who at that time included mostly wives of […]

In the Footsteps of Spa History – Clinique La Prairie, Switzerlandby Susie Ellis, SpaFinder Insider 75 years ago, Clinique La Prairie opened in Montreux, Switzerland. Professor Niehans would give clients “revitalization treatments” which were injections of fresh animal cells that were thought to “support under-functioning organs.” Later, treatments used a liver extract. These days there […]

The Flavor of Swiss Spas by Susie Ellis, SpaFinder Insider Fast forward from my last blog entry re Zurich and skydiving. The weather turned rainy – skydiving was cancelled – change of plans – we all got into the car and headed for Lausanne. We drove the back way over the hills so Nicholas could […]

Touring Spas of Switzerland – First Stop,the Spa at Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel by Susie Ellis, SpaFinder Insider Landed in Zurich, rented a car and drove with Peter and his son, Nicholas, to Interlaken where we checked into the historic Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel. (It took us under two hours, which included a stop for my much […]

Successful Spa Sleep-Health Program Leads to Scheduling Many More by Susie Ellis SpaFinder Insider When I was at the Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat in Australia at the end of July, I was thrilled to see that they had planned a specialty “Sleep Discovery Week” for September. Gwinganna really impressed me in terms of how forward-thinking they […]

Pritikin Spa Edging to a New Generationby Susie EllisSpaFinder Insider Just returned from a very nice Labor Day Weekend which Peter and I spent down in Florida on a boat tied up right near Pritikin Longevity Center and Spa in Aventura. Paul Lehr, President of Pritikin and author of their new book Pritikin Edge, was […]

Last Wednesday evening I had dinner with Nancy Griffin, founder of Spa Trade and Spa Exec, and Joyce Jamison, Vice President/Group Publisher of Questex’s Beauty & Spa Media Group which publishes American Spa and American Salon Magazines. It was a chance for the three of us – all with varied careers in the spa world […]

Whimsical Spa Experiences Trumped by Whimsical Accommodations by Susie Ellis, SpaFinder Insider I loved the ad Virtuoso (high-end travel network) ran with us a while ago which showed two fashionable ladies in a cartoon format talking to each other with one saying to the other, “The only thing better than a traditional Balinese massage in […]

The Olympic’s Closing Ceremony Raise Thoughts on China’s Growing Spa Industry By Susie Ellis, SpaFinder Insider The blog post I wrote for today about my weekend at Winvian will have to wait and be posted tomorrow. It seems quite unimportant now as I think about the conclusion of the summer Olympics in China which came […]

Slow is the New Fast – Slow Food, Slow Schools, and How About Slow Spas? by Susie Ellis SpaFinder Insider Just returned from Las Vegas where I attended Virtuoso Travel Mart. Each year Sallie and I teach a Spa Specialist training class there where we help the very savvy Virtuoso travel agents understand the nuances […]

More Thoughts on the Spa (Skilled) Labor Shortage By Susie Ellis, SpaFinder Insider In my last blog entry day I quoted Jacqueline Le Sueur, Managing Director of Creative Health & Training as saying, “Our industry does NOT have a labor shortage. What we have is a shortage of spas willing to invest in training.” In […]

Spa Industry needing Massage Therapists, Aestheticians, Spa Managers. Is there really a Labor Shortage? By Susie Ellis, SpaFinder Insider Networking sometimes leads to “ah ha” moments. I guess that is why most conference feedback polls show networking as the number one reason people attend. At the recent Australian Spa Conference, held in Hobart, Tasmania, I […]

I was very impressed with Gwinganna Health Retreat in Australia. But there are always ways in which a spa can improve. Since I have been to many spas around the world and have garnered a certain amount of expertise, I have developed a sensitivity to what’s working and what’s not working. I always wrestle with […]

Spa’s Colon Cleansing Program, Yin/Yang Exercise Classes, Luxury Villas and Resident Nature Expert Make Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat Uniqueby Susie EllisSpaFinder Insider Before leaving the Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat here in Australia, I wanted to share a few more observations. From my previous posts you will notice that I found their program to be quite thoughtful and […]

Free Spa Treatments in Aspen next Weekend, August 9th and 10th. By Susie Ellis, SpaFinder Insider Am still in Australia at the wonderful Gwinganna Health Retreat where last night’s dinner conversation turned to Aspen – someone comparing the skiing here ‘down under’ to Aspen skiing. In her words they were “different leagues” like kindergarten and […]

Spa at Gwinganna in Australia Shows Innovation in Massage, Facials and Body work – and it worksBy Susie Ellis, SpaFinder Insider What a novel idea. Instead of creating a spa menu and then hiring therapists to perform the various massages, body scrubs and facials offered, how about hiring the practitioners first and then creating the […]

Gwinganna Spa Lifestyle Retreat has Got it Right By Susie Elils, SpaFinder Insider Am here in Australia at Gwinganna – a new spa (where Hugh Jackman and many others go). It opened less than two years ago and seems to be a smashing success. After just a few days here, I can see why. More […]