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.

Read More

Vinotherapy Spas on SpaIndex.com

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.

Read More

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. 

Read More

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.

Read More

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."

Read More

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

 

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.

Read More

Canada spas still want that fish pedicure!

The Pillar and Post's 100 Fountain Spa wants to bring the fish pedicures to Niagara-on-the- Lake and has gone so far as to buy a tank and a stock of more than 50 Garra rufa fish.  "It's something that Niagara needs, Canada needs. Anything that is new is good for tourism."

Read the Story:

http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2657591

5 Spa Directors who Tweet

Twitter is far and away our favorite social networking tool. We have been fortunate in the true spirit of social networking to meet, learn from, develop friendships and help many fellow Twitter users since our implementation of the service. The only drawback from time to time is deciding who to follow. To help in that process, may we suggest 5 spa directors who actively tweet?

SpaCast picks:

@spaguru
Valory Reed
Spa Director at St. Regis Monarch Beach's Spa Gaucin, California
http://www.spagaucin.com

@Complexions
Denise Dubois 
Spa Director at Complexions Spa & Salon, New York
http://www.complexions.com

@EsspaKozmetika
Eva Kerschbaumer
Spa Director at ESSpa, Pennsylvania
http://www.esspa.net/welcome.html

@MKMSpaGirl
Melinda K. Milner
Spa Director at Terranea Resort, California
http://www.terranea.com

@MoniqueCasanova
Monique Casanova
Spa Director at Spa at the Del, Hotel Del Coronado, California
http://www.hoteldel.com/spa.aspx

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.

Read the Story