spa industry

It’s been a few weeks since I attended the ISPA (International Spa Association) conference in Las Vegas. I have had some time to reflect on the days I spent there, visiting the expo exhibits, attending sessions, and catching up with many industry colleagues (which is the best part). I always learn things at ISPA and […]

SpaFinder Lifestyle Online Magazine Debuts By Susie Ellis, SpaFinder Insider A few weeks ago, on November 6th, our new SpaFinder Lifestyle online magazine launched. Several days later I attended the ISPA conference in Las Vegas. I can’t tell you how many people remarked to me that they had seen it, read it, and liked it! […]

Spa Talk: Please Don’t Call Me a Masseuse or Masseur Susie Ellis, SpaFinder Insider The term “masseuse” and “masseur” are like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. Every time I hear someone use them, I cringe. That’s because I know that practitioners of massage much prefer the terms “massage therapist” or “licensed massage therapist.” I […]

Transformational Spas and Transformational Momentsby Susie Ellis, SpaFinder InsiderHere is a question I am asked now and then. “What is the difference between a good spa experience and a great spa experience?” I always answer the same way saying that, to me, a great spa experience is one that is transformational. Transformational spa experiences are […]

Anni Hood, group spa director and creator of Talise, the Jumeirah spa brand, flew in from Dubai to run this race – her first marathon. A friend of hers, Maria Keeley from London, joined her. Both had begun training about nine months ago for the 26.2 mile race, which begins on Staten Island and winds […]

How Timely – Example of Spa and Hospital Integration in Today’s Paper! by Susie Ellis, SpaFinder Insider This morning I came across this very interesting article while reading my New York Times on the treadmill. (After 20 hours in an airplane seat, it felt good to get moving). The title? In One Section of Beth […]

Today I joined a group of about eight people from the Philippine Medical Tourism Summit on a tour of the top four hospitals in the Philippines: The Medical City Asian Hospital and Medical Center St. Luke’s Medical Center Makati Medical Center I put them in this order because I was told that this is the […]

A Peek into the Future of Spa, Wellness, Aesthetics, and Hospitals by Susie Ellis, SpaFinder InsiderI was seeing the future…that’s how I I felt after listening to the speakers at the medical tourism conference here in Manila. There was one doctor in particular who spoke for almost two hours and I never once checked my […]

I was sitting at a formal round table with about 40 others here in Manila at the Philippine Health and Wellness Tourism Summit yesterday. Unlike medical conferences where you see mostly doctors, or spa conferences where you see mostly spa professionals, there seems to be a nice mixture of both at this venue. My guess […]

From Spa to Medical Spa to Medical Tourism by Susie Ellis, SpaFinder Insider Tomorrow I fly to Manila to speak at the Philippine Health and Wellness Tourism Conference. My topic is “From Spa to Medical Spa to Medical Tourism.” Since I have been doing quite a bit of research in preparation for my trip, I […]

Top Spa Awardsby Susie Ellis, SpaFinder InsiderLast night was a big night for us….we hosted our 2008 SpaFinder Readers’ Choice Award event at the new Guerlain Spa at the Waldorf=Astoria. It was thrilling to be able to present our awards to top spas from all over the world in this beautiful setting. It was truly […]

New Spa Products I liked at the NY Spa & Resort Expo By Susie Ellis, SpaFinder Insider It’s been a few weeks, but I thought I would jot down a few impressions from the expo I visited here in New York in September. It was the New York Spa & Resort Expo and Conference, which […]

Spa Services in the Headlines – But in an Unexpected Way.by Susie Ellis, SpaFinder, Insider Washington Post, “AIG Spa Trip Fuels Fury on Hill”MSNBC, “White House calls AIG Spa Trip “Despicable” Normally I would be applauding anyone going to a spa. But in this case, I am as outraged as everyone else! By now most […]

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 […]