TripAdvisor®, the world's largest travel community, today announced the top 10 spas in the world, based on the TripAdvisor Popularity Index and traveler ratings. All 4- or 5-star properties, these spas offer relaxing and opulent spa settings and present travelers with a wonderful way to unwind, detoxify, and invigorate their minds, bodies and spirits for 2008.
Langham Hotels International has officially opened its first property under a management contract, Langham Place, Eco Resort + Spa marking the first of six scheduled openings in the next eighteen months. The Thai property which was signed in the autumn of 2007 with the Rawi Warin Resort & Spa Company, is also the first Langham Hotels International resort.
In 2008, the International SPA Association will build upon its reputation as the voice of the spa industry by debuting LiveSpa. To be published in June, this inaugural publication will focus on educating the spa consumer.
NEW YORK | The Waldorf=Astoria Collection introduced the new Guerlain Spa Boutique on December 3, 2007, at the legendary Waldorf=Astoria hotel in New York City. The Spa Boutique opening precedes the much-anticipated opening of the brand’s first Guerlain Spa on the 19th floor of The Waldorf=Astoria in early 2008.
The International SPA Association Foundation has taken a significant step forward in educating future spa industry leaders. For the first time, students may now submit an application for consideration for the Mary Tabacchi Scholarship.
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announced plans today to open 30 Tea Tree Spas in the next two years, tripling the group’s current network of Tea Tree Spas in Australia, Greater China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.
Lake Placid, New York | The Whiteface Lodge, a luxury resort and spa with a private residence club, invites families to relax and reconnect this winter with the Gourmet and Spa Experience. Through March 31st 2008, couples can enjoy a three-night stay in a lavish one-bedroom suite for just $495 per night*. This special package features a five-course tasting menu for two with wine pairings from the award-winning wine cellar. Guests taking advantage of this special offer may also receive a 15% discount at The Spa at The Whiteface Lodge.
KIRKLAND, Wash. | Corbett Holt Properties, Inc. in a partnership with investment group Taylor Clark, Inc., opened downtown Kirkland’s first independent, full-service luxury hotel in a ceremony on October 2. The Heathman Hotel Kirkland is located at 220 Kirkland Ave. two blocks from Moss Bay, on the eastern shore of Lake Washington. Like its award-winning sister location, the historic Heathman Hotel in Portland, Ore., The Heathman Hotel Kirkland now provides guests with the ultimate in service and a unique Northwest luxury experience. Reservations can be made by calling (425) 284-5800 (phone) or (800) 551-0011 (toll free), or online at
Manila | It was an evening of triumph, victory and glittering success for the nominees and winners at the 2007 SpaAsia Crystal Awards given last October 5, 2007 at a gala dinner held at the Grand Plaza Ballroom of the Sofitel Philippine Plaza in Manila, the Philippines.
Singapore | Wellness Media presents a gathering of business leaders, innovative entrepreneurs and experienced hoteliers at the SpaAsia Wellness Summit 2007 to be held on October 3- 5, 2007 in Manila, Philippines which will gather over 300 delegates and participants ranging from CEOs, directors, spa proprietors, journalists, healers, doctors, therapists and trainers to owners, financiers, investors, developers and development teams who have made invaluable contribution to the Asia Pacific spa industry.
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. | Westin Hotels & Resorts today announced a new in-room spa program that will bring the personalized luxury and comfort of a full-service spa to the privacy of the hotel room. The hotel industry's first global in-room spa program, the experience was developed by the Westin spa team and includes a luxurious yet portable spa bed and a spa basket filled with sensory items to be enjoyed before, during and after the massage.
NEW YORK | Today's business traveler does not have a moment of downtime; multi-tasking cell phones, wireless Internet-enabled laptops, and the ever-present hand-held email device, allow business to be conducted more efficiently than ever, but at a cost. It's virtually impossible to escape and unplug from work demands. The mental and physical strains created by business travel and constant technology use fatigue our bodies and minds and prevent us from reaching optimal performance levels. Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has created The Wireless-Relief Massage which allows busy travelers to recover from the exhausting demands of work in order to achieve a healthy balance, even while on the road.
Juergen E. Seidel – Group Director of Property Maintenance, Engineer & Innovation, Six Senses Resorts & Spas. Juergen Seidel has been promoted from group director of property maintenance for Six Senses, to oversee all properties' engineering departments and supporting projects, energy and environment, Green Globe® 21 benchmarking and certification, plus new project development, construction and openings. His responsibilities also include his role as project leader of zero carbon emissions for the group and the Green Globe® 21 Spa benchmarking and certification process development.
Twelve new Quan Spas are planned to open by Marriott International (NYSE: MAR) over the next 24 months throughout Asia and the Pacific. They will be located at the following JW Marriott, Marriott and Renaissance hotels:
The Beach Rotana Hotel & Towers, a member of the Leading Hotels of the World, has announced the opening of ‘Zen the spa at Rotana’ at the end of September 2007. The new spa will be the first of its kind in Abu Dhabi and will comprise ten treatment suites and two VIP suites equipped with Jacuzzi and relaxation areas.
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. | Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT), today announced that W Hotels - the world's fastest growing luxury hotel brand - will open its first property in Indonesia in 2009. W Retreat & Spa-Bali will be the brand's fourth retreat in the world, following the award-winning W Retreat & Spa-Maldives, which opened in September 2006, and the impending openings of W Retreat & Spa-Vieques, scheduled to open in late 2008, and W Retreat & Residences-Koh Samui, scheduled to open in 2009.
LEXINGTON, Ky. | Journalists from global television networks, the world’s largest newspapers and most popular magazines were introduced to 25 of the world’s top spas during the 2007 International SPA Association Media Event. Held Aug. 9 in New York, N.Y., the more than 140 leading journalists in attendance were the first media to learn the findings of inaugural research on the global spa consumer as well as new statistics on the U.S. spa industry.
LANSING, Mich. and LEXINGTON, Ky. - The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute is adding spa-related textbooks and educational resources to its line of hospitality management textbooks thanks to a collaboration with the International SPA Association and the ISPA Foundation. The curriculum will help students prepare for area of hospitality that has exploded in recent years.
A Hotel with a Spa or a Spa with a Hotel? | Spa: cost centre or profit center? | What are the consumers’ new demands and expectations for spa experience? | Where is innovation the most significant? – Treatments or architecture? | Does innovation ensure long-term success within the wellness and spa industry?
NEW YORK — Most spas take pride in keeping up with the latest trends, from organic ingredients to Asian massage. But a half-dozen new spas have opened this year in landmark hotels and historic places. While offering contemporary treatments and luxurious new facilities, spas in settings like Williamsburg, Va., and Plymouth, Mass., are also looking to the past for inspiration in everything from decor to botanical remedies.