Spa-nundrum: Good-bye, Unnecessary Frills. Hello, Value

By Milana Knowles

Remember when the word luxury was the only term you heard in the spa world? It wasn’t too long ago. But in the last year or so, the meaning of luxury has changed for all of us. What is luxury? In today’s economic climate, luxury no longer just means “opulence” and unnecessary frills have become silly. Smart spas are focusing on giving spa goers two operative words: quality and value.

Forget the unnecessary frills, give me the luxury of a skilled therapist. Whether it’s a $50 or $150 massage, all we want is that feeling of relief when the pressure in our body is melting under the hands of a therapist who knows what she or he is doing. Forget superfluous add-ons, long questionnaires and fancy teas; give me a relaxing environment and someone who knows how to give a great massage, facial, and pedicure. The result is a feeling that we haven’t just indulged ourselves; we needed and deserved a treatment that made us feel better, look better, and be better. How about being prepared to face yet another day of challenges? That works for me. The erstwhile luxury has become our necessity.

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