Spa and Hotel news from SpaCast.com. Part of Spa Index Media Network.

Time Out #NYC talks Boyzilians, Breacials, Lower Hair Color and more

Adrienne Rayski tests wacky regimens that leaves her wondering what "R&R" stands for.

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How health farms became spas, and we got a bit soft #UK #Grayshott

Elaine Williams, director of natural therapeutics at Grayshott Spa in Hampshire, says: “Things were much more spartan in the old days. When you went to a health farm, it was serious. You’d have nothing but hot lemon water for three days, then some carrot juice and broth on the fourth day and if you stayed a week, some salad.”

Instead of state-of-the-art gyms, there were wooden planks for press ups, and treatments were water-based and painful, involving something called a Scottish douche, where sharp jets of hot and cold water battered your back, and a “sitz bath”, where you sat with your feet in cold water and your hips in hot water, then reversed them after three minutes. Enemas, saunas and cold plunges were also popular, and the massages were “agony”, according to Williams.

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More on the closing of Iatria Day Spa NC; Gift Certificate Issues

Raleigh, North Carolina

Marilyn Hernandez loves to enjoy a day at the spa. She said she goes to de-stress and get pampered.

"Who doesn't like to get pampered?" she asked. So when it comes to getting gifts, her husband treats her well."My husband always gets me gift certificates for Iatria every year," Hernandez explained.

The Iatria Day Spa  was her favorite spa until its owner recently shut down all locations without notice."I was upset because no one was notified of closing, website down, phone disconnected," she said. "I called all three locations." Hernandez has unused gift certificates she didn't know what to do with.

"They're not cheap, and we all have balances on them or we have new ones that have not been used," she explained. The good news is R.O.i Salon in Raleigh has stepped up to help."I've been in the industry 20 years, and I couldn't imagine holding a gift certificate and the place closing down especially in the increments we've seen coming through our doors anywhere from $100 to $1,300" R.O.i Salon owner Roi Parker said.

R.O.i is honoring Iatria gift certificates dollar for dollar. While the salon doesn't offer messages, it does offer nail, hair and skin services.  Customers with Iatria gift certificates should be patient. Since the salon closed, R.O.i has had 750 calls and will continue to honor certificates dollar for dollar as long as they are not expired.

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Borrego Springs Resort and Spa #California could shut down by Nov 30

Borrego Springs, the Southern California desert darling that has lured and bedeviled many a developer over the decades, is giving another one trouble. Officials at the Borrego Springs Resort and Spa and Montesoro Golf & Social Club have warned employees that they could shut down as soon as Nov. 30. Then again, one official is quick to say, they might sign on new investors and be fine.

Sasha Itzikman, senior vice president for Borrego Ranch, said the company is “looking for alternative funding sources or new investors, or we’re open to a full sale.”

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Stein Eriksen Lodge Utah to open expanded spa in December 09

With the start of ski season approaching, Stein Eriksen Lodge, located mid-mountain at Deer Valley Resort and Utah's only Mobil Five-Star, AAA Five Diamond property, makes the final touches to The Spa's expansion. The ambitious remodel has taken the award-winning facility from 4,300 square-feet to more than 20,000 square-feet dedicated to wellness and relaxation.

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New company Luxury Guest Services aims to improve guest experiences

Luxury Guest Services improves upon the guest experience and creates new revenue stream with custom in-room services tailored to match your hotel’s brand

Asheville, NC – Industry veterans announced the creation of Luxury Guest Services (LGS), a new spa and hospitality company dedicated to developing specialized experiences for hotel guests. This Asheville, NC -based company designs customized in-room programming for hotels so their guests can order a luxurious sensory treatment, have it presented in exquisite fashion at their door and then enjoy the benefits in the privacy of their beautiful accommodation. General categories of experiences include guided meditation, motion, pre-sleep rituals, bathing journeys, jet lag recovery, romance and more.
 
LGS is the brainchild of innovative hospitality leaders with decades of experience in the hospitality industry and branding. The company seeks to fully understand the guest experience ambitions of luxury hoteliers, convert those ambitions into custom turn-key programs, and then execute them in a way that improves the guest experience and strengthens each property’s brand identity. LGS currently has projects in Chicago, Atlanta, Asheville, West Virginia and Bali.
 
“Our company creates authentic sensory experiences for hoteliers to provide to their guests. These spa-like experiences engage all of the senses and are customized to deeply connect the guest with your brand,” said John Atwood, founding partner of LGS. “In addition to building guest loyalty, these experiences provide an entirely new revenue stream that hoteliers have not previously enjoyed without additional staff or overhead.”
 
Atwood has been deeply involved in the hospitality and spa market for seven years, holding key roles with industry leading companies such as Universal Companies (the largest broad-spectrum supplier to the spa industry) and WTS International (the largest spa and fitness operator in the western hemisphere). He has also partnered with Ilana Craig and Christina Stratton – owners of Innovative Spa Management and Privai Academy – to execute creation of custom spa treatments for each client. Craig and Stratton are also sought-after spa industry speakers and published authors.
 
With this tough economy, Atwood noted, many hoteliers have understandably fallen into defensive strategies. However, with the aid of Luxury Guest Services, innovative hoteliers can set themselves apart from their competitors by offering a distinct experience that exceeds guest expectations and strengthens their market position. To ensure long-term accountability, the company offers its services in exchange for a percentage of the new revenues generated from the customized services.
 
Luxury Guest Services works to develop a deep understanding of each client’s property, including key demographics, brand initiatives and goals, and local and regional influences that drive guest activities. With this knowledge, LGS then designs a menu of in-room guest activities that tie into the hotelier’s brand and ambitions. Once the menu is complete, LGS sources products and presentation supplies, writes SOP’s and training materials, selects music, recommends accompanying food items and creates guest guidance protocols. In addition, ongoing training is provided to key staff to ensure outstanding execution and guest experiences are updated to reflect seasonality and maximize the guest value.
 
For more information about Luxury Guest Services, visit our website at http://www.luxurygs.com/ or call John Atwood in his Virginia office at 276-739-7772.
 

Spas for Sale: Satori Day Spa, Atlanta Georgia

Full service day spa for sale in the southwest area outside of Atlanta, Georgia.  Satori Spa is located in the Camp Creek Market Place on Camp Creek Parkway just outside the 285 perimeter. Owner previously operated the Zen Spa in Buckhead before relocating to Southwest Fulton to move into a 3200 sq ft building to expand her already thriving business.

Contact agent directly for additional information.

Glenn H Roher
CCIM Straightway Realty
1553 Virginia Ave. #104B
College Park, GA 30337
678.927.9180 off
404.593.1742 dir
866.800.0311 fax

glennroher@straightwayrealty.com

Phillipine Spa Association asks for a halt to "prostate massage"

Cebu, Phillipines

Spa and massage-parlor operators in Cebu are asking the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the city government’s anti-indecency council to inspect and, if possible, put a stop to the operations of several establishments offering “prostate massage.”

The private-public Cebu Health and Wellness Council (CHWC), composed of government and private stakeholders in the spa, wellness, travel and medical groups, also planned to make a statement against prostate massage and, specifically, against the chain of massage parlors under the “Lingam” name.

The disputed shops offer a supposed Malaysian type Lingam massage, which when translated in Sanksrit means “wand of light.” Lingam massage claims to relieve stress among its male clients

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Operators of a spa who claim to be the first one to offer authentic lingam massage in Cebu said the massage is not indecent.   Honey Yoo and Bella Bilocura, owners of Authentic Lingam Massage, said the exotic massage has the same purpose as other kinds of massage: to soothe and relax the client.    This massage technique involves stroking the male sexual organ. “Lingam ” is a Sanskrit word for the male organ.

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Renaissance Hollywood Hotel & Spa names new Twitter Team

The Renaissance Hollywood Hotel & Spa has elected six associates to act as team members to actively tweet and interact with the hotel’s fans and followers on the property’s Twitter page (@Renhollywood) and Facebook page.“We decided it would be best to have several voices speak and listen to our fans on behalf of the property,” says Dan Shaughnessy, director of sales and marketing at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel & Spa.

“And these aren’t marketing folks; they’re people who our guests interact with and see every day. While everyone will use our @Renhollywood name, each member of The Twitter Team will speak from their own personal point of view, based on their position at the property.”

The Twitter Team consists of Shaughnessy, who will discuss the property’s special events and promotional offerings, including the successful weekly music event, Indie Thursdays (hashtag #indiethursdays), and all press inquiries; Steve Ferraro, Director of Food & Beverage, who will keep fans up to date on anything and everything food-related including special recipes, cocktails at Twist Restaurant, and foodie events; Debbie Ayala, Director of Sales, who will share news about unique groups and conventions at the property; twins Debra and Diana Mategrano, who will offer their tips on things to do and places to see in Hollywood from the concierge perspective; and Peggy Sun, Executive Secretary, who will be answering general questions about the property. The team will also be actively engaging with fans on the hotel’s Facebook page by posting photos, videos, events and other links.

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Salamander Resort and Spa in Virginia Delays Grand Opening

A down economy and weak revenue projections for the luxury hotel industry have again delayed the opening of the long-awaited Salamander Resort and Spa in Virginia.

The 168-room luxury hotel, being built by Black Entertainment Television co-founder Sheila C. Johnson, was first slated to open next March. Johnson's company said in February that it would delay the hotel's opening to spring 2011 because of poor sales in the hotel industry this year.

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