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

Spa Chakra NYC files for Chapter 7

After months of financial turmoil, Spa Chakra (NYC) has gone down the drain. The Palo Alto, Calif.-based company, which has a location at 663 Fifth Ave. and is also responsible for operations at the Guerlian Spa at the tony Waldorf Astoria, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection. The company also filed a WARN notice with the New York state Department of Labor on Tuesday, reporting the layoff of 66 employees in the city.

The company's New York Fifth Avenue store was formerly known as the Cornelia Day Spa. It opened in 2005 but bled financially for years. Cornelia was acquired by Spa Chakra in May 2009.

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New Plan To Save LA's Century Plaza Hotel & Spa

In June 2009, when the threat of demolition still loomed large, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named the Century Plaza Hotel & Spa (Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel and the Spa at Equinox) in Los Angeles one of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.

Last week, the developer who owns the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles revealed plans to renovate the hotel and build condominium and offices behind the 1966 structure. Michael Rosenfeld of Next Century Associates had initially planned to tear down the 800,000-square-foot hotel, designed by Minoru Yamasaki, who later designed the World Trade Center in New York City.

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About Century Plaza's Spa at Equinox: 
Located adjacent to the pool at Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, the spa offers both fitness and relaxation services. Based on traditional and modern therapies and a holistic approach to wellness, the Spa at Equinox Century Plaza is designed to make you look and feel your best.  18 treatment rooms, two Thai rooms, three facial rooms, three body treatment rooms and a manicure/pedicure suite.

Revenues for hotel spas in #Dubai rise by 45.5%

Revenues for hotel spas in Dubai are rapidly increasing and have risen by 45.5 % in Q1 2010. This was revealed in Ernst & Young's Spa Benchmark Survey Report that tracks and compiles performance of Dubai's 5-star hotel spas on a monthly and year-to-date basis.

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India Spas grow as city slickers look for rejuvenation

As corporates and other professionals look for a day away from hectic schedules to rejuvenate themselves, spas are stepping in as the perfect answer. At least 700 new spas are expected to come up in India in the next four years. Spas are making a mark with their invigorating messages, exotic facials,luxurious body wraps and scrubs in cities and industrial towns. 

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Spa at Chateau Elan #Georgia Completes Makeover

An $11 million makeover of the Chateau Elan Winery & Resort in Braselton is now complete.  A $1.5 million renovation of the Spa at Chateau Elan was the final phase of the project and included upgrades to the Spa’s 35 treatment rooms, relaxation areas and customized couples’ rooms. The resort-wide transformation involved "extensive" makeovers of all guest rooms and bathrooms, the 25,000 sq. ft. conference center and the L’Auberge and Versailles restaurants.

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Cavallo Point Lodge launches Integrative Medicine Program in California

Cavallo Point Lodge in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park at the former Fort Baker has announced the introduction of integrative medicine at its Healing Arts Center & Spa. The program was designed and is directed by Bradly Jacobs, MD, MPH, founding medical director at the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of California San Francisco.

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L'Occitane enters the Indian spa market

L’Occitane, the French luxury skincare and beauty products retailer, has signed a partnership deal with Devi Resorts to enter the growing Indian spa market, senior company officials said. The partners plan to set up at least three spas co-branded as Devi Spa by L’Occitane in several luxury hotels in the country including the Devi Garh Palace in Udaipur, voted as the best boutique hotel in India by Conde Nast magazine.

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Sailing the Arctic in a fishing boat turned luxury spa

To the outside world she looks like an ordinary fishing boat. But you won't find nets and winches on this vessel.   Instead you'll be greeted by scented candles, silk robes and a shrine to the Hindu elephant God.

Welcome to "Vulkana," an old fishing trawler refashioned into a floating spa moored in Tromso, northern Norway. "Vulcana" offers arctic safaris along northern Norway's majestic coastline taking in the northern lights and other wonders of the Arctic Circle.

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Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group Launches New Spa Therapy

The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group will introduce a new bespoke Oriental Essence spa therapy, together with additional homecare products at many of its luxury hotel spas worldwide, from May 2010. The one-hour signature Oriental Essence massage has been devised to introduce guests to a simple, effective and authentic spa experience in a short period of time.

Oriental Essence consists of a powerful, hands-on body massage ritual that combines the potent effects of oriental meridian massage with the therapeutic benefits of Mandarin Oriental’s signature “Quintessence” custom-blended essential oil. Each treatment begins with a short back diagnostic consultation in order to determine each individual’s personal and current state of wellbeing. A firm full body massage is then tailored to each guest.

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Middle East Spas stripped down to enable profitability.

Spas have become an indispensable component of top hotels in recent years. This is true not only in terms of the perceived glamour and sophistication of spas, but more importantly, of compliance with classification authorities across our region, for whom this box must be ticked to merit a five-star badge.

Despite this trend, less than half the spas in the Middle East are in fact profitable. That is the assertion of Jo Clare, director of Spa Solutions, a consulting firm founded in Dubai in 2001, whose project portfolio includes spa hotels from Armani to The Address and Marriott to Le Méridien

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