Within the last ten years, day spas have become like cell phones. What was once thought of as a luxury, exclusively for the well-off, is now something even the common folk are enjoying.

The day spa industry more than doubled its revenues between 1999 ($5 billion) and 2001 ($10.7 billion) and is well on its way to doing the same in the next few years. Paying close attention to this fact was another industry that soon created an industry all its own: The hotel day spa industry.

At one time, La Costa Resort and Spa defined the destination spa. Over the years, however, the resort lost ground to a new generation of upstarts around the country and in its own back yard. ... I was curious to see what $140 million could do, having been underwhelmed by the resort during a visit three years ago. So I took my husband, Thomas, with me for a couple of days recently to sample the new and improved La Costa. ... The bottom line? Come to the spa for the day. Think about staying someplace else for the night.

(Arizona Republic / Los Angeles Times, July 11, 2004)

As a Hospitality Professional you have one foot in the "Spa Business" and the other foot squarely in the "Hotel/Resort Business". You have special needs and this seminar is designed to address them. Resources & Development® presents four intensive days of education, lectures, workshops, and roundtable discussions. This Seminar offers attendees cutting edge industry strategies and practical techniques for producing real results. Be prepared for action and ready to learn about how to effectively analyze and control the complex mechanisms of your Spa Operation in an interesting and fun setting. Enjoy networking with other Spa Directors, Hotel Executives and General Managers in this exciting study of best practices for Resort and Hotel Spas.

A variety of speakers will be presented, and the seminar includes Spa Lab, where participants will spend an afternoon in the 30,000 sq ft Spa Vita di Lago at the Ritz-Carlton to experience being a guest before discussing certain operational issues.

Four Intense Days of Training with Four Exceptional Industry Experts at The Fabulous Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas, September 13-16, 2004. Seminar Includes: All Course Materials, Daily Continental Breakfast, Coffee Breaks, 50 Minute Spa Treatment (Spa Lab), Cocktail Reception, and Certificate of Completion.

Over the past five years, day spas, destination spas, dermatologists, and other medical care providers have also become a highly visible force to meet and influence consumer skin care needs. These facilities provide a variety of treatments, from facials to Botox injections. A hybrid facility, the medi-spa, emerged two years ago as a venue that is physician-based but also focuses on cosmetic invasive and noninvasive skin care treatments.

Read the entire press release, linked below, for information on how to subscribe to either the 2003 or 2004 edition of THE U.S. PROFESSIONAL SKIN CARE MARKET.

A great divide separates European and North American health spas. Ours tend to be dreamy cocoons of cozy luxury, while many of theirs possess an inherent hospital aesthetic. This dawned on me at the Ad Fontes spa in Switzerland, as I was being attacked by icy algae, then forced into a straitjacket and thrown onto a bed of hay.

(Globe and Mail, July 10, 2004)

An upscale Bethesda retail project is about to get some inner peace. The Penrose Group is close to a lease deal for Canyon Ranch, a luxurious spa resort and residential community, to anchor its 850,000-square-foot Rock Spring Centre project.

Canyon Ranch could be under construction as early as late fall, with completion expected in the first half of 2007. The spa will comprise 70,000 to 80,000 square feet.

(Washington Journal, June 25, 2004)

"When are we having our massage?" is not a question you would expect to hear in an elementary school classroom. But if the pupils at England's Garden Primary School have not had their daily massage by lunchtime, they want to know why.

(Chicago Sun-Times, July 8, 2004)

After a four-month, $3 million renovation, the Roosevelt Bathhouse in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., reopened on July 7 as a full-service day spa. The sprawling Georgian Revival-style building, which has been closed since 1997, is situated in the 2,300-acre Saratoga Spa State Park and is owned by the Gideon Putnam Resort and Spa - itself a historic structure that became a member of the Trust's Historic Hotels of America program in 2001.

(Preservation Online, June 28, 2004)

The Aromatherapy Alliance is a not-for-profit organization serving the New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and New Jersey Areas. We strive to provide our members with information regarding clinical aromatherapy and its applications. The Aromatherapy Alliance hosts FREE informational seminars and workshops. Membership is also free.

The newly created Philadelphia, PA chapter meets on July 18. The Brooklyn, NY chapter meets on September 18 for a Summer Mint Symposium. Visit the Aromatherapy Alliance online for more details.

Julie Van Ameyde has a Bachelors Degree in Management and Economics and a minor in Marketing from Oakland University. Prior to co-founding Spa Julianna in 2002, she was involved in high tech enterprise software sales and marketing partnering with Fortune 500 companies.

What was the inspiration for starting your spa? "For more than a decade, I worked in a high stress, corporate, male-dominated high-tech environment, which required in some cases 3 weeks of travel in a month. I was finding that this type of lifestyle was taking on a toll on my personal life, and that of my colleagues. I visited many spas during my travels, and knew that we needed a place in the Detroit area to get away for the day. Many of the spas in the area were considered salons with limited spa treatments. In the back of my mind, I always wanted to open a spa which catered to the busy professional, as a means to relieve stress. Then, on 9/11, I lost of a couple of my friends and colleagues. After that event, I knew I needed to make that change in my career. It was just after 9/11 that I was able to find the right partner and open Spa Julianna."
 

A discussion is in progress. Should owners of spas and salons be tipped in the same manner as their employees? Share your thoughts and opinions in the "Tipping Policies" board at the SpaWire Forum.