treatments

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 […]

Reiki. I have always found it mysterious. What is it exactly? Every explanation I have heard seems to be different. I have tried it a few times, however when faced with a choice between a wonderfully relaxing deep-tissue massage or a Reiki session, I have always opted for the massage. In Reiki there isn’t a […]

Spa Related Highlights from a Hospitality Forum: Through my Spa Eyes by Susie Ellis A few things got my attention at yesterday’s 2008 Leadership in Hospitality & Leisure Executive Forum (an Argyle Executive Forum) which was held here in New York. Some of us “spa-types” were in attendance – Judy Singer, Patti Monteson, and Jeff […]

After a weekend in Daytona at “Bike Week,” (my contribution to our marriage) am back at my desk. As soon as Peter sends me some photos of us on his Boss Hoss motorcycle I will post them. It did actually turn out to be a lot of fun. In the meantime an article in Hospitality […]

Power Plate Fitness Equipment in Spas and Clubs. Hype or Hot? By Susie Ellis During my vacation I got to spend a bit more time at the gym and decided to try out a new piece of equipment they just added – the Power Plate! I have seen the Power Plate at many trade shows […]

As promised here are my thoughts regarding the presentations by the various vendors at the ISPA media event. Tomorrow I will talk about the research that was presented. 25 spas had booths each showcasing something special. I think that 25 might be a tad too many as I wasn’t able to get around to see […]

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 […]

During my short visit to the Cliffs Communities in South Carolina last weekend, six of us had the chance to go via helicopter to see all of their communities from the air. It was a beautiful sunny day so we were able to see all of their golf courses, the lakes, miles of the nature […]

I had the privilege of flying down to Greenville, South Carolina on a private plane Friday with the guys from Cliffs Communities. They have been wanting Peter and me to see their wellness communities ever since we all first met. I think it was about two years ago when I was in my office working […]

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 […]

Am back from China and preparing for the May 20th Global Spa Summit which is shaping up to be quite an event. Just spoke with Susan Harmsworth (ESPA) on the phone as we are now adding her to the speaker line up in addition to Steve Case (Revolution LLC and Miraval) and Kevin Kelly (Canyon […]

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”. […]

I’m learning something interesting from my own experience of “freshening up” and experimenting, through Botox® and fillers, at cosmetic med spas over the past few years: Not only is it science, but a lot of it is art. Traditionally I think we are brought up with the idea that you have “your” doctor for various […]

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 […]

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. […]

Am currently in St. Petersburg visiting spas. The Russian spa industry is in its infancy, but already I can see the seeds of great spas. I thought I would share with you one particular observation that you might find interesting. Have you ever had a Russian massage therapist? Or an esthetician trained in Russia? If […]

Arrived in St. Petersburg from London along with several participants in the Virtuoso Winter Symposium. On a bus to the Grand Hotel Europe – a member of Leading Hotels of the World – I was able to get a glimpse of the new St. Petersburg. It was really moving. I haven’t been to St. Petersburg […]

Another interesting tidbit came out of our L.A. press breakfast on the topic of the latest spa trends. In addition to sharing Spa Finder’s predicted top ten spa trends of the year for the U.S. in general, I presented some specific information from the current area. We talked about the hot trend in L.A. of […]

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 […]