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

#Vinotherapy - a Vintage Way To Chill #WineWednesday

Wine is not just a beverage of pleasure. Both reds and whites have long been known for their therapeutic properties. In the Italian medieval town of Torgiano, the ancient culture of wine is being put to new uses for health and beauty in a local wellness spa.

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Vinotherapy Spas on SpaIndex.com

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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Resort Spas Focus on Spirituality

Resorts have long had programs and spa offers to attract mothers and daughters and girlfriend groups to stay and play. But now the resorts are infusing these getaways with spirituality or self-development.

"We are finding more women want get-togethers to be educational, and they want to learn from one another and get some inspiration for dealing with the current times," said Kathy Massarand, sales and marketing director at Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort and Spa in Paradise Valley.  "They want to let go or heal or find inspiration for ways to maintain their heath and spirituality."

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How Ritz Carlton's CEO Simon Cooper Marries Luxury and Social Savvy

SpaCast Staff Post

This week's staff meeting at Spa Index Media turned lively when the topic turned to the social networking platform of Twitter, and the trend called #LuxuryChat, which takes place the third Wednesday of every month.

Our principal, Kevin McClain, has long been a proponent of Twitter (in fact, he was the first user among our staff), reads each and every one of our Twitter posts, and  frequently tweets a little something to remind us that while we're busy spotlighting spa specials, grand openings, recommendations, healthy spa recipes and such, trending is going on in the social media arena that we need to examine more closely.

McClain leaned forward and pricked up his ears when our Twitter Staff announced that Simon F. Cooper (@SimonFCooper) President of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company (@RitzCarltonCSR  @RitzCarltonPR), was the special guest for July's #luxurychat.

"You're witnessing a tipping point for luxury brands in social media" he said.  "If Simon Cooper of The Ritz-Carlton can spend an hour to answer a salvo of questions from consumers and industry professionals,  CEOs of other luxury brands are going to be hard-pressed to excuse not doing so."

"Won't they just say 'we've never chatted up our luxury goods and we don't need to start now' or something like that?" we asked.

"Sure, and reveal themselves to not be forward thinking, or to reveal they see no value in socially engaging  entrepreneurs, brands, clients, friends and followers in a consumer enterprise." he replied. "The Ritz has always engaged its guests. It's just using smart, new tools to do so."

He also added "Luxury travel has been hit hard in our industry.  Incredibly, SPA -- health through water -- has become a dirty word, we all know that.  Event planners are saying 'take the word spa off your resort's name on my invoicing or I won't book my convention with you this year'."

"Luxury brands have to be careful to balance hospitality viewed through a social lens and the concept of delivering luxury -- without apologizing for it. Cooper's example shows an iconoclastic global luxury brand taking a new tack, using a new tool, to expand on what they've always done -- demonstrate unwavering luxury hospitality and showing that it's approachable.  'Welcome to my luxury brand.  At the Ritz, as my guest, you have more than luxury. You have my ear'."

So what does "luxury" even mean and why do we need to chat and tweet about it? 

It means many things to many people,  so we'll borrow a line from Supreme Court Justice William Brennan and say "We know it when we see it."   

In #luxurychat, you had in a one-hour time frame, nearly 200 hundred people, from writers to consumers to marketing representatives, engaging one another on a virtual tree branch, projecting not simply luxury trends they observe in the industry, but discussing those trends directly with a CEO of a luxury brand.  A luxury mash-up in a fast-paced classroom. Take what you need from it, and leave the rest.  

Take a look at some of Cooper's responses to many questions posed during the #luxurychat (as limited by the 140 character format, of course):

• What value do I see in social media? ENGAGEMENT! 

• It's exactly what we have always focused on as an organization. Engaging with our guests.

• Social media provides us with so many new channels with which to communicate with people who want to know more about our brand.

• If someone takes the time to send us any kind of [negative] comment, we view that as an opportunity to review and improve.

• We use all channels available and hope that we are seen to be not only an aspirational brand, but approachable too.

• We are always looking to introduce our brand to new audiences. Multi-generational, Multi-cultural, Multi-lingual, you name it!

McClain has long been involved with socially responsible causes, sponsors socially responsible entrepreneurs, and admires The Ritz-Carlton brand for their dedication to Corporate Social Responsibility through their Community Footprints and Giveback Getaways .  "Cooper and the Ritz just 'get it.'  They use social media not solely for financial motives, but to assure that guests and contacts alike get the best experience possible when interacting with their brand.  I don't define that as simply 'being social.' I define that as luxury." 

Special acknowledgments and thanks to the equally forward-thinking moderators of the Twitter #LuxuryChat:

@EliteTravelGal
@LuxuryPRGal
@TierraFilhiol
@MissSmartFlyer
@luxmextrvlchica
@leyla_a
@LuxeTiffany

For more information about the July Luxury Chat click here

 

Recession hasn't decreased demand for #massage therapists

It’s one of the ironies of the Great Recession. Even as Michigan’s long and deep economic downturn generates plenty of stress, many laid-off workers are finding new careers as massage therapists.  Despite the poor economy, demand for massage therapists is still holding strong, thanks to hiring by hospitals, chiropractic offices, nursing homes and others.

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India Spas limber up for expansion in 2010

The country is likely to have more than 2,000 spas by the end of 2010, up from just 200. The wellness industry is alive and kicking in India and nothing demonstrates this better than the hyper-activity in the spa business.

Consider this: Hyderabad-based O2 Spas, which has set up shop at the Delhi and Mumbai airports, is now delivering spa therapies to offices. Weight loss and beauty specialists Vandana Luthra Curls and Curves (VLCC) is developing a residential medical spa in Gurgaon at an investment of Rs 100 crore. Delhi-based Spas India Private Limited, a subsidiary of Canadian Spas Worldwide, wants to expand from its single spa in Delhi to 10 more cities, Bangalore and Mumbai among them.

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2009 called 'the worst downtown in our lifetimes' for Greater Phoenix spa resorts and hotels

When the owner of the luxury Phoenician resort reported year-end financial results, no negatives were spared in summing up the state of the hotel industry last year.

"For the lodging business, 2009 was the worst downturn in our lifetimes," Frits van Paasschen, chief executive officer of lodging giant Starwood Hotels and Resorts, said last week. "Even a tepid recovery will feel good."

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Spa STAR report: Average spa treatment rate is US$146

Luxury spa participants in the Spa STAR performance report continued to show declining performance metrics through the third quarter of 2009, according to data released by STR. Through September year-to-date, the Average Treatment Rate (ATR) for the participating spas was US$146, a decline of 10 percent from the first nine months of 2008. For the same time frame the Average Daily Rate (ADR) for luxury hotels tracked by STR decreased 17 percent to US$240.

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The bankrupt Spa Chakra receives court approval to honor GCs

At hearings held Friday, December 11th and Monday, December 14th in the United States bankruptcy court, Spa Chakra, Inc., the now bankrupt global spa network received court approval to honor and fulfill all gift card and other customer loyalty programs and continue to pay its employees.

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#SpaCast: Design Trends of Spa Websites

Hotels and spas tend to go together. As shown by some of the examples featured in this article, spas are often one of several amenities offered besides standard hotel rooms. As a result, the spa is often a micro-site within the hotel or resort page. While some of the trends to hotel design carry over (e.g. highly visual photography), the target audience is more specific than that of the average hotel.

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