SpaCast

Steiner Operating New Spa in Maldives

Spa-services provider Steiner Leisure Ltd. said Tuesday its luxury spa division, Mandara Spa, will run a spa at Alila Villas Hadahaa Resort on Hadahaa Island in the Maldives.

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Saratoga Springs Mineral Water / Tap Water Controversy

Do you want your mineral spa bath at the Saratoga Spa State Park mixed with hot tap water?   That's the question patrons of the Roosevelt I Bathhouse will get to answer in 2008 under a $450,000 renovation plan announced Thursday by Carol Ash, commissioner of the state Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation.

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Pure mineral water baths are returning to the Spa, state officials said today.  Starting next year, patrons to the Roosevelt I Bathhouse in Saratoga Spa State Park will be able to choose between warmed all-mineral baths, or ones blended with heated tap water.

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Spa Experience at Grand Central Station

Grand Central isn't exactly known as a temple of tranquility and relaxation. But from Oct. 31-Nov. 3, when the Spa Experience comes to the landmark train station, busy commuters and visitors to the city will be able to chill out a little and sample a massage before running for the 5:17 train home to the 'burbs.

Fifty destination spas and spa beauty companies will have booths at the Spa Experience, from Miraval, Life in Balance, the Tuscon, Ariz., spa, to the CuisinArt Resort & Spa in Anguilla.

The event is free and open to the public.

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Plans for an Upscale "Green Spa" in New York Concerns Residents

Rosendale, New York.    

Developers are poised to open a celebrity spa and sprawling gated vacation-home community at the Williams Lake Resort, a former family-run hotel and beach club with more than 730 acres that has been on the market since 2004.  The Developers, which may involve Steve Case and his Mirval Spa brand, have met with neighbors, business owners and elected officials of the area to discuss plans for a 100-room hotel and spa, custom vacation homes from $1 million and up, which is being described as "deep green health and wellness-focused resort community.”

Locals are concerned, both for the environmental impact and the likely high-profile residents and guests, including Steve Case and Oprah Winfrey.  Opposition is forming and the town is dotted with signs for their group, www.friendsofwilliamslake.org.

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Aromatherapy For Pros

Kenny Yu, a Chinese businessman, asked Chiva-Som International Academy's director three questions before deciding whether to take the school's aromatherapy course. 

"Can I start taking the aromatherapy class now?"

"Is it easy to pass the exam?"

"And, is it possible to miss the first three or four days of the course?"

All the answers were "No."

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Spa Statistics

As of July, there were 14,600 spas in the United States representing a 6 percent growth from August 2006 when there were 13,800.  Day spas remain the most prevalent spa type.  The U.S. spa industry generated an estimated $9.4 billion in 2006.

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A side line for medi-spa owners? Handbags are Getting Botox-ed

Poor handbags. The pressure to be beautiful has dribbled down leather shoulder-straps, from women's brains into the empty souls of their designer bags. Yep, it's happened. Handbags are getting Botox. Dermatologist-turned-designer Mauro Orietti-Carella was inspired to inject the skin of his python and alligator bags after brainstorming with a plastic surgeon.

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Acupuncturists: Experience vs. Credentials

The phone directory has a page full of acupuncture specialists. Many are experts. Many tout their years of experience and credentials.  But because of a Delaware law that runs contrary to the regulations in most other states, acupuncturists who hold the most commonly accepted professional qualification -- a national certificate -- are operating in violation of the Delaware code.

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Five Minutes and their Hooked: Barefoot Massage

Don’t expect Christyn Rittenhouse to show up for work in ultra-trendy, high-heeled shoes. In fact, don’t expect her to wear shoes at all.   As a massage therapist, Rittenhouse takes a unique approach to her work: She massages with her feet.

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Aromatherapy Massages With Music Dramatically Reduced Stress Levels In Nurses

Nurses working in an accident and emergency department reported that their anxiety levels fell dramatically when they were given aromatherapy massages while listening to music, according to recent research in the Journal of Clinical Nursing.

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Researchers Using Massage Services as a Test to Determine "Tightwads vs Spendthrifts"

In an experiment designed to identify the habits of "tightwads and spendthrifts" -- researchers crafted question about spending, and used massage services as part of the test.   

"...Researchers varied whether a hypothetical massage priced at $100 was framed as necessary to relieve back pain (utilitarian) or desired because it would be pleasurable (hedonic). Among the researchers' observations: Participants in the utilitarian condition found paying for the massage significantly less painful than did participants in the hedonic condition; tightwads found paying for either massage significantly more painful than spendthrifts; and overall, tightwads were significantly less willing than spendthrifts to buy a massage. This final difference, however, depended on how the massage was framed: Spendthrifts were 26% more likely than tightwads to buy the hedonic massage, but only 9% more likely to buy the utilitarian massage."

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Spa Services for Cancer Patients gifted to Glenn Falls, New York Hospital

Glens Falls Hospital (New York) is ushering in a new age of cancer care. The hospital's cancer center got a makeover thanks to a generous donor with vision of what it should be.  "We call this Cindy's Healing Place," explained Pat Spencer-Cisek of Glens Falls Hospital.

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After losing its 5 star rating, The Greenbrier Refocuses

On Jan. 11, 2000, the editors of Mobil Travel Guide stripped away The Greenbrier's coveted five-star rating, proclaiming the historic hotel no longer stood among the few dozen considered the world's finest.  The Greenbrier     (nyse: GBX) had failed to keep up with the times, lacking radios, telephones in the bathrooms and suitable TV stands. Though still a fine hotel, Mobil decided, it was no longer perfect.  .Work to regain the fifth star began immediately.

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Marriott’s Award-Winning Quan Spas to Expand to 12 New Locations in Asia-Pacific Over Next 24 Months

Twelve new Quan Spas are planned to open by Marriott International (NYSE: MAR) over the next 24 months throughout Asia and the Pacific. Renowned for its locally authentic treatments and “tranquility zones”, the Quan Spa concept was developed by Rhett Pickering, director of spa operations and development for Marriott’s Asia-Pacific Region.

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Westin Debuts New In Room Spa Program

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.

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New Zealand Massage Therapists Win a Yellow Page Victory

Massage therapists fed up with being linked to the sex industry in the Yellow Pages have scored a victory with the directory company agreeing to look at separating the two industries. Massage therapists called for the separation earlier this month. Massage New Zealand president Barry Vautier said the heading in the directory should be changed to something like adult services, as every state in Australia had already done.

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Manly Men Getting Waxed

Metrosexuals, move over. The burly, macho men of Colorado Springs are barging in on your territory. Manscaping — the art of transforming men’s hairy bodies into something manageable — is not just for frou-frou, fastidious guys anymore. Neither are soft cuticles, flawless skin or pedicures.   The guys who are visiting spas these days range from preteens to great-grandpas and come from all walks of life: the military, business — even trucking.

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Green Certification for Wisconsin's Heidel House and Spa

The Heidel House Resort and Evensong Spa has received the Wisconsin Department of Tourism's Travel Green Wisconsin Certification.   The designation recognizes tourism related businesses that are reducing their environmental impact through operational and other improvements, according to a news release from the resort.

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Michigan Spa Grows to Pamper More People

Margot Kohler felt her spa needed more room.  After three years at her new location on Townsend Street, adjacent space became available, and Kohler invested $180,000 to add 2,700 square feet to handle more corporate events, retreats and wellness services.   "Everything felt a little bit tight, and our clientele is more stressed right now," she said. "I just knew we had to grow."   Margot's Euro Spa now features two hydrotherapy tubs, a state-of-the-art pedicure and manicure area and a conference room that can hold 20 people in a 6,400-square-foot facility, she said.

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Once serene spas invaded by high-tech noise

Spas used to be the places where vacationers could completely disconnect from the world.  Now, a guest resting in a relaxation room, looking for no more stimulation than soft music and aromatherapy, may turn to see someone on the next plush chaise typing furiously away on a PowerPoint presentation.

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Fitness Ridge Resort & Spa Joins Destination Spa Group

Destination Spa Group (DSG) is pleased to announce that Fitness Ridge Resort & Spa (St. George, Utah) has recently been accepted as a new member. The spa joins the prestigious group of Destination Spas from around the world, expanding the organization. With the addition of Fitness Ridge, Destination Spa Group now offers 25 spa vacations to potential spa-goers.

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The Kids are Alright

Jackson Academy student Lindsay Guild, 16, has no shame in treating herself to a manicure, pedicure and facial every now and then.

With hectic schedules that include schoolwork, extracurricular activities, jobs, friends and the day-to-day challenges of 21st-century life, Guild says some teens view going to a spa a necessity rather than a luxury.

"It's just kind of relaxing, and it gives you a break from stress and everything," Guild says.

Many of her teenage friends also frequent spas. The activity once reserved for wealthy, elite women is now a growing trend among the younger generation. And while most spa-goers are in their 30s and 40s, the International Spa Association reports that 53 percent of female teens in spa-goer households have visited a spa.

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