Category Archives: Spa Review

Getting Rid of the Word Spa? The Last Word

Just a reminder that I will be doing a webinar this Wednesday January 16, 2013 at 12:00 noon EST revealing the 2013 Global Spa and Wellness Trend predictions. Please join me if you can – you can register here.

The beginning of a New Year seems like a good time to share my response to a remark that was made at the 2012 Global Spa and Wellness Summit in Aspen that has caused quite a flurry of discussion ever since. Peter Rummell, former head of Disney Imagineering who was one of the keynote speakers, suggested that we, as an industry, get rid of the word “spa.” He said “it conjures up affluent, white, women and is hurting our reputation.” Ouch. Continue reading →

Spa Trends 2012 Revisited: Vibration, Sound, Music, Light & Color Therapies: Grade “A” for us, Grade “F” for …”

It would have been pretty difficult for us to miss on this prediction since we threw a lot into the soup: Vibration, Sound, Music, Light and Color. And clearly we are seeing more attention paid to sensory experiences. So while I think we have earned an “A” I do feel compelled to assign a failing grade to a brand that, I think, will surprise you. Continue reading →

Impressed with..Surprised by..Suggestions for Schloss Elmau and Spa, Germany

I was impressed with….surprised by….and have some suggestions for….Schloss Elmau Luxury Spa and Cultural Hideaway, Germany

Next stop on my Germany/Austria spa trip was the recently rebuilt Schloss Elmau where the German Spa Conference was going to take place. The full title of this property is Schloss Elmau Luxury Spa and Cultural Hideaway and you simply must click through their slide show. Now normally I wouldn’t be crazy about having so many words in a name – however I have to say, it really does describe the property perfectly. (By the way, Schloss means Castle)

I had first been introduced to Schloss Elmau at a Leading Hotels of the World dinner in New York. Leading had gathered the owners of 12 of their very special European properties (all Leading properties are special and all Leading Spas are exceptional) to discuss their unique art of hospitality. I thought this was a novel idea for a dinner and apparently so did many others as they had a grand turnout.

During the Q & A after the 12 owners spoke, I asked a question about what new trends they might be seeing in their spas. Immediately they all looked to one guy – the youngest member of the group – to take the question. That was Dietmar Muller-Elmau. He looked hip, cool, fun. His enthusiastic answer and some surprising side-bars definitely got my attention. Immediately Schloss Elmau was on my list of “must visit” spas.

Fast forward one year…am in a car driving up to the front door of the castle.

I WAS IMPRESSED WITH…the creativity of the concept and how much I really enjoyed being there.

Dietmar had inherited this Castle with all of its problems and responsibilities and started out as somewhat of a reluctant proprietor. He eventually came to peace with the fact that this would be a project to which he would need to dedicate immense energy, time and resources. When the property had a fire that destroyed half of it, he had no other choice but to jump in full time. The timing was pretty good in one sense it seems as he had just sold his very successful software company, Fidelio. (No wonder their website and photography is so fantastic!)

He set out to create something new – exactly to his personal liking. I was impressed with how he put together some unusual pairings and really made them work: Spa and concert hall. Spa and library. Families and couples. Spa seekers and non-spa seekers. Indoor and outdoor. Public and private. Michelin Star and Spa Cuisine. Old world and contemporary. Fun and romance (oops….I guess those really aren’t opposites but you get what I mean.)

Some highlights: The stunning view of the Alps from almost every window in the castle

The 2.5 million euro hamam – yes, you read that right…a combo of the authentic with a modern twist…think 3 hamams connected to each other, adding several small nooks enclosed as steam rooms for those who don’t want to lounge on the belly stone for an hour to break a sweat, special materials, and elaborate relaxation den, etc.
Huge carefully curated bookstore, ½ dedicated to children
Libraries with beautiful books in numerous locations – including in one of the spa’s relaxation rooms
The use of bright robes, some in turquoise, some in pink, maroon, etc. So instead of people walking around in white robes giving the place a sanitarium look, it looks like everyone is pitter pattering around their living room at home.

Most of all I was impressed with Dietmar’s vision and understanding of a fundamental aspect of health that few people I have met in the spa world (or outside of it for that matter) understand, let alone are able to facilitate. It is the balance between time alone and time spent in social interaction. Learning that this was an intentional part of the design from the beginning…makes it that much rarer of an accomplishment.

I WAS SURPRISED BY…the fact that this place had been a cultural hideaway with music concerts and literature readings from its very beginnings in 1916. Their beautiful concert hall in the castle hosts 200 music events each year. (Top performers in this area…remember it is the land of Mozart, Beethoven, Bach after all) so you can spa by day and be mesmerized musically at night. I was surprised that there were six restaurants – when there are only 130 guest rooms – and that one has a Michelin star. That works because some of the restaurants are on the smaller side so you have lots of choice…for example a traditional Swiss Chalet experience with fondue. There is even a spa restaurant with healthy fare. I was surprised to find there was not just one spa – but four! One for adults only, an outdoor nature spa, a Family spa and their Ladies/Private Spa. I was surprised by how this place worked as a perfect romantic getaway and at the same time a wonderful family vacation place where the kids have soccer fields, playgrounds, and organized activities galore. It certainly appears as if everyone is living happily ever after together in this castle.

I HAVE SOME SUGGESTIONS…sorry, I just can’t help myself – it is in my DNA to tweak things to perfection which I know is not always a very attractive (or welcome) trait. However since I sense some kinship with Dietmar in this regard, I will point out just a couple of things that could use a bit of tweaking:

My Thai massage was something different than what I expected. To me (and I think most other people who have experienced a Thai massage either in Thailand or outside of it) a Thai massage is done on a mat on the floor in pajama-like outfits issued by the spa. While this massage was called a Thai oil massage, I wasn’t expecting to be on a traditional massage table. It ended up feeling pretty much like a normal massage I would get anywhere although it had a slightly different ending. I don’t feel that this type of Thai massage is unique enough to warrant special billing (and you can interpret the word billing with both meanings here) on a spa menu. It is likely to be a disappointment to anyone who is looking forward to what is generally thought of as a Thai massage. My suggestion would be to consider removing it from the spa menu.

My final suggestion is a result of a somewhat amusing moment for me – again during that Thai spa treatment. When I looked down through the headrest of the massage table toward the beautiful bowl filled with water and flowers that was provided as a focal point so you don’t have to look at the floor or the therapist’s feet, I realized it was strewn with fresh frangipani petals and a beautiful lily pad. But as I looked closer I had to chuckle, the lily pad was artificial! I would say given the extraordinary setting and point of view of Schloss Elmau Luxury Spa and Cultural Hideaway – add a few more fresh frangipani petals and lose the artificial flowers.

Latest Spa News from Germany and Austria

Impressed with…Surprised by…Suggestions for…

I thought it might be fun to review my whirlwind trip to Austria & Germany in the next few blogs with the above headlines in mind. Here are the stops I made:

The famous Lanserhof Health and Medical Centre in Austria

The New Schloss Elmau Luxury Resort and Cultural Hideaway in the German Alps

Klafs in Austria, the proud manufacturer of sauna, wellness and spa products

Toskanaworld, Bad Orb in Germany, a new spa with warm thermal salt water

The AHGZ German Wellness Conference I attended and at which I spoke

First stop Lanserhof located in a little community called Lans near Innsbruck.

I WAS IMPRESSED WITH… the famous Lanserhof program and especially its founder and visionary, Andreas Wieser. This successful property (that I would label a destination spa with medical components) has been around for 27 years. They require a minimum two week stay, and have had an impressive occupancy rate of over 95% for decades. The food I experienced at lunch was magnificent – and their new cookbook, Energy Cuisine, just came out.

Their mantra is “medicine of the future” and they describe themselves as Europe’s leading health center for regeneration and preventative medicine. I noticed some predictable offerings such as detox, movement therapies, executive health, sleep medicine, aesthetics, nutrition and such and then some novel terms such as Body Memory, Burn Out Program, Vital Aging, and Alzheimer Prevention.

I was impressed with how much time Andreas spent with me as he had just returned from a three week vacation hiking through the Alps by himself. While I would have probably been a crazy person getting back into work mode, here was someone clearly in a state of mindfulness. Andreas had remarkable vision when he started the Lanserhof program almost three decades ago, but he seems to have maintained his ability to think ahead – maybe even way ahead. His discussions regarding Body Memory, Fluid Dancing and Energy in general reminded me that he may be one of the most important visionaries in our industry – yet he is “understated” in his approach and manner so it isn’t as obvious. It was very helpful for me to spend some time getting to know him on this visit and at the subsequent Wellness Conference we both attended the next day. It gave me a better sense of his pulse on the future.

I WAS SURPRISED BY… Lanserhof’s stunning setting with picture-postcard-views of the Alps from almost every room! Did I miss this when I went to their website? I don’t remember seeing this in any of their brochures – in fact checking their main brochure I realized that most of their photos were taken on a cloudy day. A pity.

There are some spas where I get a clear picture in my mind of their setting because they have successfully used one fantastic image (sometimes with what looks like a bit of “color enhancement”) over and over again – in some cases for decades! Examples include: Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa with that turquoise pool in front of some very red rock (we even used it for the cover of one of our SpaFinder Directories), Six Senses Soneva Gili with a waiter appearing to walk on water between a pool and the brilliant color of the ocean water in the Maldives, or the natural rock cave of Grotta Giusti in Italy.

I really had no idea what to expect at Lanserhof so when I found a drop dead gorgeous view of the Alps as a major centerpiece, it was definitely a surprise.

I was also surprised (and thrilled actually) to learn that Andreas is going to be opening two more Lanserhof properties with a similar program in the next couple of years – one near Tegelsee that will be another destination spa and another near Hamburg that will be their first day spa. Interesting that this brand extension comes now…after 27 years. It reminds me that our 2011 SpaFinder Spa Trend forecast that included “The Spa Brandwagon” was really right on.

I was also surprised at how similar much of their program seemed to be to the many destination spas I am familiar with in the U.S. And then came an even greater surprise (although it explained the former one) – before Andreas opened Lanserhof all those years ago, he visited North America and stayed at the Golden Door, Canyon Ranch, Rancho La Puerta, The Oaks, the Cooper Clinic and the Greenhouse! It was heartening to know that he speaks of this fondly and with great gratitude for the hospitality and openness shown him while he was doing his research.

I HAVE SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR… the future based on my experience seeing the lifecycle of destination spas in the U.S. I remember the years when the destination spas Andreas visited also had very high occupancy rates. At that time they did almost no advertising. They lived off of PR which was plentiful back then. However the landscape began to change in the 80’s and 90’s as competition heated up with many new spas coming to market and people’s busy schedules shortening the time they would spend away at a spa. As a result, all the destination properties that had such high occupancy rates in the early years began to invest in advertising. The Greenhouse in Dallas even had to close.

With two new Lanserhof spas on the drawing board, it is likely that there will be some cannibalism of current guests from the established location at the same time the competitive landscape could increase. It is also more challenging to run three operations than it is to run one – and the day spa is an animal of a different kind from the destination spa. Planning to invest in a strategy for marketing and advertising now might be a good idea for the long term.

Another suggestion I have is a result of a funny moment that happened during my visit. I was getting ready to present Andreas with the award I had brought along that announced Lanserhof as this year’s SpaFinder Readers’ Choice Award for Favorite Spa in Austria. I asked him where would be the most picturesque spot for our photograph of me handing him the award’s plague. To my surprise, he didn’t know! It dawned on me that when you don’t do a lot of promotion or advertising, and have lived in these surroundings for so long, perhaps you aren’t even aware of the best photo opportunities at your property. So I looked out at the magnificent view and suggested, well how about we do a photo with the Alps in the background. Duh!

Cal-a-Vie Spa Guests’ Refrain, “Lucky Me”

It’s a rare phenomenon. If you have experienced it, you don’t soon forget it. It’s like putting a dollar into the candy machine and getting two dollars worth of candy out – every time. The point is you get much more than you pay for and you can’t help but be a bit giddy. It’s a real ‘lucky me’ feeling.

Well, after Peter and I visited the exquisite destination spa, Cal-a-Vie, in southern California last week, we think there is now a spa where one can experience this phenomenon. It is truly to the benefit of guests who come to Cal-a-Vie that Terri and John Havens, who purchased the property about 10 years ago, have poured their heart, soul and a fortune into creating a very magical place with unparalleled facilities and programming.

Peter and I had a chance to visit Cal-a-Vie on Thanksgiving Day because we were on our way to Peter’s mom’s (she lives nearby) to celebrate the holiday. I hadn’t been to Cal-a-Vie in so many years that I was really excited to see all of the changes I had been hearing about. It was also fortunate for us that Terri and John were in-residence which enabled us to see the property through their eyes. We had a chance to learn about the background of so many of the improvements as well as get a glimpse of their plans for its future.

What began as a refurbishment and upgrading of their 26 guest rooms with Terri adding some special antique furniture and furnishings grew to become a huge creative work of art that both Terry and John seem to really enjoy doing together. While raising their three young children, they have also been growing and improving what was already a pretty wonderful destination spa. Along the way they added red clay tennis courts, a labyrinth, and turned the former fitness center into a gorgeous avant garde boutique; they spent millions building what must be the most beautiful gym in the world with chandeliers, beautiful woods, exquisite views; they added small conference capabilities with an amazing great room and a meeting room that would impress the most discerning industry magnates (and can be used at any time by guests as an office away from home).

They decided the lovely pool which was the centerpiece of the property was not big enough for swimming laps so they built an Olympic sized pool nearby. On one of their trips abroad, they came across a lovely chapel that was over 400 years old and decided to give it a new home – at Cal-a-Vie. They had it painstakingly dismantled and shipped over and it was placed on a pinnacle point that has a stunning view. It is perfect for meditation classes, yoga and evening musical performances. John also mentioned that they have been amazed at how many people use it during their stay as simply a place for private reflection.

After placing the Chapel, they realized it was ideal for weddings and recommitment ceremonies but felt it would need an adjacent ballroom and kitchen. So they built a magnificent building they call L’Orangerie with antique walls from a French castle, and a new kitchen which was designed to also serve as a place to film and create TV shows with their star celebrity spa chef, Jason Graham. An antique wishing well and lovely windmill later, everything was perfect for a variety of gatherings – a recent one that even included a former President.

When the golf course next to their property went on the market, they decided to buy it so that their spa’s peace and quiet would forever be preserved. And just recently they decided to plant a vineyard which will not only eventually produce some Cal-a-Vie wine, but in the mean time provides an attractive hillside view .

While we toured the property, we couldn’t help but notice some construction so we inquired, “What’s next?” Well, they are adding a hydrotherapy aquatic center and a two story building to create a larger Morning Room. There will eventually be a new kitchen and in the works near the front of the property – a large retail store – for antiques. Wow! They have truly created a haven (pun intended) to accommodate their growing list of regular clientele which often includes celebrities and others who want a safe place to get away, recharge and reenergize.

How to sum it up? I do believe that Cal-a-Vie has set a new standard. The Havens seem to be motivated by their passion for this place and the transformation it provides more than any kind of financial return – at least in the short term. Those who are fortunate (and smart) enough to join them on this adventure must surely experience that “lucky me” feeling you get when you put one dollar in the candy machine and get two dollars worth of candy back. Sign me up.

PS: Interesting article on John Havens in Forbes called “From Wells to Wellness.”

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