Articles by Susie Ellis

My Analysis of some of the Recent 2007 ISPA Spa Industry Study: Learning about Day Spas, Resort/Hotel Spas, Medical Spas, etc. by Susie Ellis The one good thing about coming down with a cold on Thanksgiving is that you don’t eat as much and you get to catch up on your sleep – and some […]

Thankful for Spas, Thankful for being in the Spa Industry, and most Thankful for our Friends in the Spa Worldby Susie Ellis It’s Thanksgiving Eve and I did still want to post to my blog concerning the recent ISPA conference as promised in my last post. As it turns out, that works out just fine. […]

Although I was only able to spend two full days at the ISPA conference in Orlando – rather than the four which were offered – it was still a worthwhile investment of my time for five reasons: 1. Connecting with people I know teaches me a great deal about what is happening in the spa […]

The spa industry has attracted more women than men here in the U.S. ever since I can remember. When I started in the industry in 1975, although there weren’t statistics, my guess is that the ratio of women to men was likely 95% to 5%. The industry figure is currently 70% to 30% although if […]

Spa-Enthusiasts, like Hannelore Leavy, want to know more about the Biggest Loser Spas! By Susie Ellis I saw Hannelore Leavy who heads up several spa associations (including the Day Spa Association), at our Spa Experience event at Grand Central Terminal in New York last week. The first thing she said to me was “Your Biggest […]

5th Annual SpaFinder Readers’ Choice Awards – The “Academy Awards” of Spasby Susie Ellis Thursday evening was our 5th annual Readers’ Choice Awards Ceremony and I think it was the best one yet. Vanderbilt Hall was the venue. We had over 300 people in attendance with many who had flown in from all over the […]

The Spa Experience Day 1: Media Preview, 20/20, Longevity, and Preventative BOTOX®! By Susie Ellis Just returned from Grand Central Terminal (I learned that it is incorrect to call it Grand Central Station – but not sure why) here in Manhattan where the Spa Experience Event just got underway. It’s a four day event where […]

The Whisper Lounge: a Perfect Place for Pre-and Post-massage RelaxationBy Susie Ellis One of my favorite places at Woodloch is the Whisper Lounge. John and Ginny Lopis who created Woodloch did something that very few spas do (because it is very expensive). But it was really smart. They created a special lounge for pre and […]

Peter and I just arrived at the Lodge at Woodloch, a Destination Spa this afternoon. We drove up from Manhattan and arrived exactly five minutes before my Astara facial was to begin. What a delight to see how everything has come together. Woodloch opened a year ago this summer and we were part of their […]

Steven and Dorothy Purdew: as talented at hospitality as a massage therapist is with gifted hands! By Susie Ellis I visited Champneys Tring during my UK trip. They won our 2007 Readers’ Choice Award for Favorite Spa in the UK, so I wanted to tour the new multi-million dollar make-over. Quite impressive! Here are several […]

Spas Refurbish For a More “Now” Lookby Susie Ellis As promised, a few insights from my spa-focused trip to the UK. Someone once told me that in fashion and in decorating, after about seven years, no matter how great and fresh a design was, it’s going to begin looking tired and out-of-date. At the time […]

Spas in the UK: Spa Illuminata, Champneys, Center Parcs, and Thermae Bath Spa. All in one week!By Susie Ellis Had a whirlwind trip to the UK last week and packed in was:1. A day at our SpaFinder Europe office2. A myriad of media appointments in London3. A press reception hosted for us by David Lieber, […]

A Week with the SpaFinder Europe Team By Susie Ellis Flew to London late Sunday evening to spend a week with our SpaFinder Europe team. Victoria Fuller (Founder and Director of PRCo) and IndigoPR (a subsidiary of PRCo and our PR agency in Europe) had set up 2 days of media appointments for me. I […]

The Chocolate Spa at Hotel Hershey: Chocolate Baths, Massage, and of course, Hershey Kisses! By Susie Ellis On the way back to Manhattan after spending a few nights at Bedford Springs Resort and sampling the Eternal Springs Spa, Peter and I were driving close to Hershey Pennsylvania so I asked him to stop so I […]

I have received this email from Nancy Griffin http://www.spatrade.com/ and also Julie Register http://www.discoverspas.com/ and would like to pass the message further to any who have not yet received it. It is good to know that at a time like this there is a spa family who can pull together. Since Peter had a motorcycle […]

  I had to cancel my trip to the European Spa Summit and Beyond Beauty show held in Paris this week. Bummer, I really don’t like to be a “no show” for something I had planned. But I am also trying to be less intense about work and more flexible when it comes to family […]

Powerful Spa Trio: Schweder Joins Forces with Fenard and Dusseau to Bring Spatality to the World Stageby Susie Ellis In the world of spa consulting, this is big news. Ingo Schweder joins Spatality. Spatality is part of Spa Strategy, a consulting firm specializing in creating spas around the world, whose portfolio of completed projects is […]

Need Information on the latest Day Spas, Resort Spas, and Spa Events? Spa Opportunities has it!By Susie Ellis If you are a spa lover and enjoy the global view – as I do – the very best way to keep up with what is going on I think is through Spa Opportunities (which is free) […]

Before leaving Utah, I wanted to take a quick look at Fitness Ridge which was the spa featured in the USA Today article in which we were also quoted (In particular they listed our top 10 Readers’ Choice winners for Most Affordable Spas.”) The story was titled “Fit & Frugal – Affordable spa resorts promise […]

Day Spa Owners at a Destination Spa: Massages, Facials, and Fun with Education Sprinkled In at Red Mountain Spa in UtahSusie EllisI hadn’t been to Red Mountain in over 4 years and was happy to experience it again. Milana Knowles, our VP Day Spa Sales and Marketing, held a Day Spa Retreat there with 35 […]