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

#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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Twitter Reference Guide to ISPA Conference Expo 2009 (#ISPA09)

SpaIndex.com: Guide to Day Spas and Stay Spas (@SpaIndex) has compiled a Twitter Users Quick Reference Guide to the International Spa Association 2009  Conference & Expo underway in Austin Texas  (October 5 through October 8 2009).

All things #ISPA09:
@ISpaDoYou @LynneMcNees @livespa @spagal2009 @melissajriley @PulseMagazine

#ISPA09 Hotels:
@lakeaustinspa @TheCrossingsATX @FSAustin @bartoncreekstay @HiltonAustin

#ISPA09: Speakers:
@GuyKawasaki @Bertice_Berry @Lancearmstrong @zappos @jeremygutsche

#ISPA09: Austin Spas:
@VisitLostPines @milkandhoneyspa @BartonCreekSpa @lakeaustinspa @SpaReveil

#ISPA09: Guides:
@CenterdinAustin @VisitAustinTX @Austin_Monthly @austin360music and lastly: @dfiske

Leading Spas of Canada New Online Directory

With close to 3,000 spas, the Canadian spa experience is as interesting and appealing as the beautiful and varied landscape that stretches coast to coast from British Columbia to Newfoundland. 

As Canada’s national spa organization, Leading Spas of Canada has produced a beautiful, full-color printed directory boasting colorful photographs, detailed descriptions of spa treatments and experiences, alongside listings of their proud spa members.

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Spa STAR mid-2009 performance figures for Hotel Spas

Continuing economic headwinds have not spared the luxury hotel spa industry. According to the latest figures of Spa STAR, the spa benchmarking program published by STR, performance metrics were either on par or declined for the first six months of 2009. 

“The luxury hotel industry is facing a very tough operating environment,” commented Jan D. Freitag, vice president at STR. “The luxury spas in those hotels have not been immune to the effects. It stands to reason that operators are now giving renewed attention to locals business, which seems to have the desired effect on utilization rates.”

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Starwood Teams with Europe's First Social Concierge Service

Hotel chain The Luxury Collection by Starwood has launched an interactive travel community within up-market social network Asmallworld.net, which it is calling Europe's first social media-based hotel concierge service.

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PhoCusWright Analysts Identify the Top 10 Travel Technology Trends for 2009

With 2009 in full swing, PhoCusWright takes a fresh look at the technologies and innovations that have the potential to drive change in the travel, tourism and hospitality in its annual publication. ... These ten technology trends will reshape the way consumers search shop and buy travel." Carefully selected by PhoCusWright experts from a plethora of global business and technology initiatives, each trend is weighed for its business value and potential to change the face of travel.

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Milestone Internet Marketing Wins Best Hotel and Lodging Website Award

Milestone Internet Marketing, Inc. announced today that www.nylohotels.com website  won the Best Hotel and Lodging Website Award  in the recently concluded Internet Advertising Competition Awards.

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