spa

During dinner with Ian Brewis, who runs all of the Chi spas for Shangri La, we began discussing spas in Vegas and Macau. He had just come from Las Vegas where the Hong Kong-based Shangri La brand is apparently looking at possibilities for a new hotel and spa.We talked about how Asians – and especially […]

I am 3 for 3. Three scheduled spa services and three great services! And even more amazing, my husband, Peter, was 3 for 3 as well. After taking in all of the optics – setting, views, decor, materials used, etc. – the core part of the spa experience is when the therapist puts their hands […]

Flew directly from New York to Turks and Caicos on Friday – 3 1/2 hours. Nice to have this direct flight. Since I have lived most of my adult life on the West Coast, where we vacation in Hawaii, the Caribbean is still somewhat new to me. The chance to experience Parrot Cay while training […]

I am slightly annoyed. Ok, maybe irritated is a better word. Here’s the deal. Spa Magazine recently announced that they would be giving out annual awards for readers’ favorite spas. When I looked further into their new awards program it appears to me a very close replica of the Readers’ Choice Awards program which Spa […]

On our last morning in Shanghai before heading to the airport, Nicholas was up for one more spa experience as was I, so we decided to visit one of the large foot reflexology places which Geraldine Howard (Aromatherapy Associates) had recommended, telling us that we have to have an authentic Chinese pedicure where they”wield knives”. […]

A visit to the Evian Spa at Three on the Bund was on my list of “must do’s” while I was in Shanghai. Not only did its opening several years ago cause quite a splash, but Alexa Brue reviewed it in the May/June issue of Luxury Spa Finder Magazine, giving it a mixed review which […]

The Turning Point Conference which I attended here in Shanghai is over. A two-day conference and a third day of workshops has come to an end. I always feel so inspired after spending time exchanging ideas with spa professionals from all over the world. The size of an event really makes a difference, as the […]

After visiting six spas in Canada on this trip and combining these experiences with what I learned from visiting a few other spas in Canada in the past, here are the things that surprised me the most about the Canadian spa scene: 1. I didn’t realize that therapists in Canada go through much more extensive […]

Attended the Leading Spas of Canada conference in Toronto. Since I don’t know Canada well, I enjoyed learning about not only the spa scene but also the country itself and its tourism market. Some tidbits that caught my attention: The Canadian Tourism Commission recently performed a “Brand Canada” study including a survey of the top […]

Flew to Toronto this morning with our associate publisher, Stacey McLoughlin. After visiting several spas in Canada we will be attending the Leading Spas of Canada conference in Toronto next week. I am really excited to learn more about the Canadian spa scene. The Hillcrest, A Valenova Inn & Spa, was first on our itinerary. […]

I see this mostly when I am visiting a spa outside of the U.S., but I saw it today in a spa in New York: a spa trade magazine lying in the lounge area of a spa, for consumers to read. Ugh. When I am in Bali and I see one of our North American […]

Since I was in LA for our press breakfast, I decided to take the 30-minute ride to visit the brand-new California WellBeing Institute in Westlake Village that I had been hearing so much about. I knew few specifics except that it is the vision of David Murdock; that it opened in conjunction with a new […]

Where is the world’s largest golf club? If someone had asked me that question, I would not have guessed China. But that is the correct answer. Mission Hills, located about 30 minutes outside of Hong Kong, has been accredited by the Guinness World Records as the World’s Largest Golf Club. It has twelve 18-hole golf […]

As you probably know, Spa Finder issues an annual forecast of spa trends. While we have already issued our Top Ten Spa Trends for 2007, at the beginning of January I like to review all of the trends we are tracking at Spa Finder and share with you a few more of the buzzwords that […]

Just received an email from Lee Ann Correa who is the Executive Spa Director of the chain of 19 Metamorphosis Spas in the Dominican Republic (pictured at right: the Metamorphosis Spa at the Sunscape Casa del Mar resort) . On the last day of my visit, she very graciously gave me a tour of one […]

For the past few days I have been touring spas in the Dominican Republic. The first time I heard a spa representative refer to massage and facial rooms as “cabins,” it didn’t make an impression. But by the time I toured my fifth spa with “cabins,” I found it quite unusual. Nowhere in the world […]

On Friday night, the segment on spas for babies ran on Nightline. You can watch the piece here. I thought that the cutest parts were the mention of Baby Chakra Chi and the babies playing in the noodles. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the piece, which you can share by clicking the “Comments” […]

ABC’s Nightline is doing a segment on Baby Spas. It will air either tonight or Friday night. I went to ABC Studios yesterday afternoon to be interviewed for the segment. I was asked about why we think this has become a trend, the range of services typically offered to babies and/or babies and mommies, how […]

Impressive. Clinique La Prairie Spa will be opening a 50-story residential tower in Miami next year called Ten Museum Park, which they term “a revolutionary evolution of spa living.” I may have to agree with them. If they execute their plan according to current available information, I think it will be very appealing for a […]

You may have noticed that this is becoming a regular Friday feature on my blog. I’ve decided that sharing with you spa news of interest might offer additional information that you find helpful. What you may not know is that I select the news to share with you out of a barrage of incoming items […]