The fourth annual Leaders Circle meeting convened during the 2009 International SPA Association Conference & Expo being held in Austin, Tx. The gathering brought together all those who served on the ISPA and ISPA Foundation Board of Directors as well as recipients of ISPA awards. Each year, the Leaders Circle unites for thought provoking discussion providing an amazing opportunity to help guide the future of the spa industry.
Sofitel has gone for the option of open spaces to create areas of conviviality and exchange. Therapy at So Spa by Sofitel is presented in a way similar to the menu of a French gourmet restaurant, another area of Sofitel-style excellence. Les Entrées (Starters), lasting 30 minutes, are designed for busy urbanites looking for rest and relaxation after a busy day. Les Plats Principaux (Main Courses) and Les Desserts take an hour and feature body massages, facials, hot-stone massages and other delights intended to nourish the body and soul.
AMResorts, award-winning provider of resort sales, marketing and brand management services, today announced plans to launch two new exclusive Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resorts later this year. Zoëtry Agua Punta Cana will open during Fall 2009 to become the brand’s first offering in the Dominican Republic, followed by Zoëtry Casa del Mar Los Cabos, which is slated to open in Mexico’s Pacific region in early December 2009.
Award-winning Asian hospitality brand, Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts is slated to soft launch Banyan Tree Hangzhou this October, located in the historic Xixi National Wetland Park in southeast China. This is the Group’s fourth resort in China since 2005, following the success of Banyan Tree Ringha, Banyan Tree Lijiang and Banyan Tree Sanya.
After sloughing, scrubbing and smoothing skin in the U.S. and U.K., Bliss spa is going global, stretching its beauty footprint in new W Hotels from Hong Kong to Doha, Barcelona to Dubai, and beyond. In addition to recent domestic openings in Atlanta, Scottsdale, and Hoboken, New Jersey, Bliss debuted in Asia last year with the opening of Bliss spa at W Hong Kong, and quickly massaged its way to the top by winning Time Out Hong Kong’s “Best Spa” award. The fun, attitude-free spa brand also entered the Middle East with a new Bliss spa in the recently opened W Doha in Qatar. Launching an ambitious global growth plan, Bliss spa, which currently has 13 locations worldwide, will have 25 spa properties by 2011. Bliss will open new spa locations within upcoming W Hotels debuting around the globe, including W Barcelona, W South Beach, and W Fort Lauderdale this year and W Dubai in 2011.
Dusit International, one of Asia’s leading hotel brands, makes its first debut in Europe with the launch of its Devarana Spa at the new ultra-luxury hotel IL SALVIATINO–Florence in June 2009. The brand’s European expansion is through a joint venture with international development and management company MPg, which specializes in small luxury hotels.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and Spatality Holdings, Ltd. announced today that they have entered into a multi-year agreement under which Nectar Spa LLC and its affiliates will make the upscale Nectar Spa brand available at Sheraton properties worldwide beginning in 2009. The new spa experience is part of a brand-wide effort to enhance the iconic Sheraton brand, which includes an investment of over $4 billion in new hotels, upgrading 100 hotels in the U.S. – nearly half its North American portfolio – renovating 50,000 guestrooms and re-designing more than 100 new lobbies.
Six Senses' Hub, Bangkok: Renowned for developing and operating resorts in inspirational settings, Six Senses is once more preparing to launch just such a property. Evason Ma'In Hot Springs & Six Senses Spa brings the eco-sensitivity of the group to an extraordinary and rugged location in Jordan, just minutes from the Dead Sea and a one-hour drive west of the capital of Amman. Sitting in a rocky ravine 264 metres below sea level, the resort features hot mineral spring waterfalls, which legend has that Herod the Great bathed in the waters. The therapudic benefits of the hot springs has continued to lure visitors over the centuries.
New York City | The Peninsula New York raises the bar for New York luxury spas with the opening of the new urban resort destination, The Peninsula Spa by ESPA . Designed by Alexandra Champalimaud, the three-story luxury spa is a contemporary fusion of nature-inspired forms, textures and organic materials. The exclusive treatments are designed by the leading global spa consultancy, ESPA, and feature a blend of Asian, Ayurvedic and European therapies delivered by highly-trained therapists.
From customizing your style, to customizing your car - we all want services tailor made to our busy lifestyles. This is why, as the voice of the spa industry, the International SPA Association is forecasting customization as one of the hottest trends of 2009.
Six Senses has chosen the dramatic Pan Peninsula residential development in the heart of London’s Canary Wharf as the site for the first Six Senses Spa in the UK. Opening on 2nd February 2009, the Six Senses Spa at Pan Peninsula introduces a fresh interpretation of the urban spa, abounding with natural light and with a vast airy terrace. Architectural finishes include the warmth of natural stone and wood, and exotic eco-friendly materials. The spa occupies a spacious area of more than 7,000 square feet, or 650 square metres, and offers a comprehensive range of Six Senses Spa signature treatments and rejuvenating Asian-influenced therapies combined with holistic lifestyle guidance. The spa menu ranges from single treatments to half and full day sensory journeys.
As the leading venue for a Toronto wedding as well as a popular day spa, The Old Mill Inn and Spa has opened its newest third phase expansion of the day spa to include the entire first floor of the Inn. Its spacious design welcomes small groups of up to five for wedding bridal parties, encourages romantic getaways with the new couples massage room and offers an enhanced retail area for purchase of personal care products at this unique wedding location and spa destination.
Jeremy McCarthy, Director, Spa Operations, Development and Marketing at Starwood Hotels & Resorts, has been named Vice Chairman of the International SPA Association’s Board of Directors. McCarthy will begin his term in November during the 18th annual ISPA Conference & Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada. McCarthy was elected to the ISPA Board of Directors following an extensive interview and selection process. Founded in 1991, ISPA is comprised of more than 3,200 health and wellness facilities and providers from 80 countries, and is recognized worldwide as the leading professional organization and voice of the spa industry.
Members of the International SPA Association are withstanding the current economic climate, according to a recent survey of ISPA members conducted by the association. Contrary to the current economic struggles many industries are facing, members of ISPA have proven that their businesses are stable as people are seeking out a place to de-stress and relax in these uncertain times.
The International SPA Association is pleased to announce its board of directors for 2009, including three new officers and three new members. ISPA Board members volunteer their time to strategically lead the association and develop plans for enhancing membership and the spa industry through research, events and education. The new ISPA Board of Directors will begin their roles at the upcoming ISPA Conference & Expo, Nov. 10-13, in Las Vegas.
In an ongoing effort to advance educational pathways available to students in the spa and hospitality management field, the University of California, Irvine Extension has signed an articulation agreement with the University of Houston Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management. The partnership will allow students who complete the UC Irvine Extension Certificate Program in Spa and Hospitality Management to become eligible for transfer into the University of Houston’s Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management degree program with 10 undergraduate semester credit hours.
“We’re all attracted to water environments, and we associate pools with luxury,” theorizes Elon Kenchington, COO of the Gansevoort Hotel Group. “The swimming pool also captures a desire from our childhoods.”
Solís Cambrian Hotel & Spa in Adelboden, Switzerland is marking its first summer with a fantastic introductory rate. Prices start from just CHF75 (approx £37) per person for bed and breakfast, based on double occupancy of a Deluxe Mountain View room. Those wishing to enjoy the stunning panoramic Alpine views for which the property is known will pay just CHF100 (approx £49) per person B&B in a Deluxe Panoramic room. This special offer is valid until the end of August 2008.
The global spa economy is estimated to be over $255 billion, according to a major report unveiled at the 2008 Global Spa Summit in New York attended by more than 220 industry leaders last May. Prepared by SRI International on behalf of The Global Spa Summit, the first-ever Global Spa Economy Report represents the most comprehensive effort yet to quantify the rapidly expanding global spa industry. According to study sponsor Pete Ellis, CEO of SpaFinder, the data shows investors, policymakers, and spa industry leaders the economic and business benefits of the spa industry.
To create truly unique and memorable experiences for today’s highly diverse and discerning guests, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, the global contemporary luxury brand, has enhanced, upgraded and emboldened spa amenities at select hotels and resorts around the world. The result is a more creative, personalised and destination-inspired portfolio of pampering treatments that meets the needs of business and leisure guests alike.