Successful Spa Sleep-Health Program Leads to Scheduling Many More

by Susie Ellis

SpaFinder Insider

When I was at the Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat in Australia at the end of July, I was thrilled to see that they had planned a specialty "Sleep Discovery Week" for September. Gwinganna really impressed me in terms of how forward-thinking they are, and seeing this "sleep intensive" was another example. I asked Sharon Kolkka, the General Manager, to please let me know how the sleep week goes. Since sleep health was a spa trend SpaFinder predicted two years ago (before almost any spa had it as part of their curriculum) it has been especially gratifying for me to see sleep programs pop up at different spas across the country. This one in Australia, however, was one of the first full immersion sleep programs I have come across outside of the U.S.

Yesterday, I received this email from Sharon with her post Sleep Discovery Week report and wanted to share it with you. I think you will enjoy hearing it in her own words. My kudos to Sharon for blazing trails once again.

Dear Susie,

Just wanted to touch base with you regarding our sleep retreat, we loved it and so did our guests.

In a nut shell it was a huge success, we had 43 guests and one person from the media. It seems that about 1/3 came specifically for the sleep information and have never been to a retreat or spa previously, many of them brought a support person. About 10 guests came because that was the date that suited and the rest were return guests interested to see what they could learn about improving sleep.

The workshops covered the science of sleep, the body clock and the significance of the hormonal cycle as a result of this clock. The impact of the liver and detox on sleep, nutrient absorption and its relevance to sleep, what amino acids promoted sleep and in what foods they are found. The impact of light and dark on the hypothalamus, the effect of electromagnetic fields in the bedroom, the art of rituals and of course stress and the biochemistry of cortisol. We also covered the support systems such as herbs and aromatherapy and a lot more!

We encouraged guests to stop their sleeping tablets whilst staying with us and replaced this with a natural product and offered herbs for support, of course encouraged early rise and meditation. In short we had a ball and the feedback was sensational. We also asked them to continue to look for improvements over the next 3 months rather than expecting a quick fix.

This week, Tracy has received flowers from the media contact [for the first time] thanking her and a note suggesting she is sleeping better than she had in years. We have received many thank you notes, one of them from a husband who is demanding to know what we have done as his wife, is sound asleep by 10pm and stays that way and he has not seen her do that since the death of her father 2 years ago.

I know I don’t need to tell you how rewarding this is, this is what we in retreats truly live for to make a difference. So we have put two more Sleep Discovery programs on our dates from January to April and hope to offer this program at least 4-5 times a year.

Thank you for all the support that you offered with the information you supplied, wish you could have been here I think you would have enjoyed the vibe.

Warmest always

Sharon

Sharon Kolkka
General Manager
Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat

192 Syndicate Rd

Tallebudgera Valley Q 4228

Australia

Tel: +61 7 5589 5000

Fax: +61 7 55338378
www.gwinganna.com

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Spa Industry needing Massage Therapists, Aestheticians, Spa Managers. Is there really a Labor Shortage?

By Susie Ellis, SpaFinder Insider

Networking sometimes leads to “ah ha” moments. I guess that is why most conference feedback polls show networking as the number one reason people attend.

At the recent Australian Spa Conference, held in Hobart, Tasmania, I had breakfast with Jacqueline Le Sueur who lives in Singapore. She is the Managing Director of Creative Health & Training. We had never met before although both of us have been in the spa industry for quite a long time. It was fascinating to compare experiences and points-of-view.

One thing she mentioned during our discussion really made me stop and think. It was concerning our industry’s current “hot topic” – the labor shortage. The spa world has seen exponential growth in the past decade, and many spas are scrambling to fill vacant spots for therapists, aetheticians, and spa management. I know some spa managers who have moved around almost every year because they are continually being offered more money to go elsewhere. Recently I heard about a spa manager who didn’t want any publicity for the therapist on her staff who had won an award for fear that it would lead to the therapist being “poached” by a competitor. These days it is in fact a rare therapist or manager who does not get recruited regularly for a new spa opening or an older spa expanding. This staff merry-go-round costs everyone (and ultimately the consumer) a lot of money.

Jacqueline however was very adamant at looking at this challenge in a totally different way. As she said, “Our industry does NOT have a labor shortage. What we have is a shortage of spas willing to invest in training.” Gulp.

Good point.

With more than 6.5 billion people in the world (current coverage of the Olympics in China is a good reminder of dense populations), it is certainly worth considering that there should not be a shortage of available people to work in the spa industry.

More on this topic tomorrow…

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Spa Suggestions - To Share Them or Not?
by Susie Ellis
SpaFinder Insider

As you can see from my previous posts, I was very impressed with Gwinganna Health Retreat in Australia. But there are always ways in which a spa can improve. Since I have been to many spas around the world and have garnered a certain amount of expertise, I have developed a sensitivity to what's working and what's not working.

I always wrestle with whether or not I should say something. Many years ago I would readily make suggestions to spa managers, therapists, owners, etc. However, I soon realized that those suggestions weren't always welcome or appreciated. In retrospect, I realize it was presumptuous of me. I also found that it definitely interfered with my spa experience. Jotting down notes, typing things up, and scheduling meetings turned every spa experience into work. So years ago I decided that I would stop giving any feedback unless I was specifically asked. I figured that if someone did ask for my input, I knew they were open and would likely welcome a suggestion. The only problem was that almost no one asked. I think there have been only two instances when someone asked me for feedback.

These days...I am working on finding a happy medium. I don't generally volunteer suggestions, however if something seems very obvious to me and I know think it might improve a program tremendously, I take the chance and give the feedback to the owner or manager. That's what I did in this case. Also, I sometimes share it in my blog if the issue isn't spa-specific because it might be able to help someone else. This seems to be working pretty well as the feedback is generally well-received. I remember when I had some suggestions (which I shared on my blog) for Miraval Living after having attended one of their first showcase events here in New York. I received an email from Steve Case the day after my blog post thanking me for my suggestions and actually asking me for more! So I am feeling that I am making a positive contribution this way and hopefully not annoying people and also not ruining every spa experience for myself.

Anyway...back to Gwinganna. What bothered me was the cars. To my mind the guest parking and some of the staff parking was too close to the action.

Spas make a great deal of effort to create a perfect environment for guests and Gwinganna is no exception. The setting is stunning with expansive views - ocean in the distance and beautiful green hills in between. Doing Qi Gong on the outlook early in the morning as the sun came up is a picture emblazoned in my mind even today as I am back in New York. Their property has a variety of buildings all sprinkled around the "campus". There are various accommodations, a building housing the dining room, a lovely old chapel, the large spa, in another area is their beautiful gym and fitness studio, an infinity pool with that drop-dead view, etc.

What bothered me however, was that whenever I walked from one building to another, more often than not there would be a car passing by. That resulted in dust, noise and the need for me to walk to the side to move out of the way. It just altered the serenity for me each time.

There was a staff parking lot in the distance behind the tennis court, however guest cars were parked within the campus area and it seemed there were always some staff driving in and out to various buildings. My suggestion (which I did share with Tony de Leede who was very gracious and seemed appreciative) was to remove all cars from the campus - move the guest's cars to a non-visible space and expand the staff parking lot so there was plenty of room for all staff to park away from the campus.

Now I realize this won't be a welcome suggestion all around. It would inconvenience some people. I know. I was once on the other side of this issue when I worked at the Golden Door in California. The parking lot was quite a distance from the buildings and every time I came to work or left work, I had a very long walk to my car. Sometimes I was carrying heavy things and other times I was running a bit late (OK, maybe more than a few times)...and it was tempting to at times grab one of those few parking spaces reserved for emergencies right at the entrance to the Golden Door (and yes, it was gold...although not real gold).

But then I remember seeing Deborah Szekely, the founder of the Golden Door who is now in her 80's, make that long walk herself. Alas, the guest experience is what is most important.

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Spa's Colon Cleansing Program, Yin/Yang Exercise Classes, Luxury Villas and Resident Nature Expert Make Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat Unique
by Susie Ellis
SpaFinder Insider

Before leaving the Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat here in Australia, I wanted to share a few more observations. From my previous posts you will notice that I found their program to be quite thoughtful and progressive. Here are some other unique aspects:

1. The detox week I attended included colon cleansing. I immediately thought this would include colonics. To my surprise (and delight), that wasn’t exactly the case. Instead they provided a colon cleansing drink (kind of a chalky taste with a lemon juice chaser) which worked perfectly. I found this to be a smart and simple solution to a colon cleansing program.

2. Exercise classes were divided into yin and yang. The yin classes were the more right brain, creative ones like yoga, Pilates, and dance. The yang classes were more left brain incorporating more vigorous movements such as body pump with weights, or boxing. We were asked to select between yin and yang exercise options each day. People who have more yang (that would be me), probably need to engage in more yin type of exercise. Those who are more yin, could benefit from more yang oriented exercises. A novel way of looking at movement.

3. Gwinganna is building several super luxury villas at the top end of their property, to be completed in September, and I was able to get a sneak peek tour. Trust me, they are fabulous! The views of the ocean and Gold Coast are drop dead gorgeous. The villa design and furnishings are tops.

4. I was told not to miss a morning hike with John, their resident botanist who is known to be a real “man of the land.” He lived up to his reputation. Leading our hike, he pointed out and named all the various plants and animals we encountered. He demonstrated which plants were edible by munching on most everything we walked by, and even drank what looked to me like very muddy water! He reminded me of the guy in the movie Into the Wild except I don’t think John would have died in the end. Later I learned that he had lived outdoors in a tree for 12 years!

Well, onward to Sydney for one final day of spa visits before heading home to New York.

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Free Spa Treatments in Aspen next Weekend, August 9th and 10th.
By Susie Ellis, SpaFinder Insider

Am still in Australia at the wonderful Gwinganna Health Retreat where last night's dinner conversation turned to Aspen - someone comparing the skiing here 'down under' to Aspen skiing. In her words they were "different leagues" like kindergarten and graduate school.

Which reminded me that next weekend I will be in Aspen for SpaFinder's Spa Experience Weekend where anyone who comes to our white outdoor tent, set up on the ice rink, will be able to indulge in spa treatments, sample spa cuisine, and get a glimpse of some of the best spas in the world.

Hope some of you might join us...there will be quite a few SpaFinder staff including, of course, Sallie Fraenkel our COO who heads up this event and does an amazing job. It keeps getting bigger each year. Also hubby, Peter, will be riding his motorcycle into town with two of SpaFinder's board members, having ridden cross country to stop at the big bike rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, before heading to Aspen.

As you can see, the Spa Experience is for everyone...and I do mean everyone. Last year we even had dogs being pushed in baby carriages - and no, I don't think they were from a parade.

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Spa at Gwinganna in Australia Shows Innovation in Massage, Facials and Body work - and it works
By Susie Ellis, SpaFinder Insider

What a novel idea. Instead of creating a spa menu and then hiring therapists to perform the various massages, body scrubs and facials offered, how about hiring the practitioners first and then creating the spa menu to include unique treatments that they have created and perfected?

That's what Sharon Kolkka, the general manager here at Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat in Queensland, Australia decided to do, and it works beautifully. I think it might be a glimpse into the future actually.

I have never seen this done so extensively before. It isn't just a matter of offering a few unique treatments. This is a core part of their philosophy.

You would wonder then, what if a therapist leaves? Well let me tell you, they don't have many leaving because these therapists are so happy doing what they feel called to do and doing it largely the way their healing hands and hearts work best.

The spa menu is printed in a "Kinko's" kind of way, bound with a white spiral so that it can be reprinted quite easily when necessary. And yes there are some generic/standard offerings such as Thai massage, shiatsu, hot stones and a Hydrating Facial, however the "Specialty" section of the spa menu is extensive.

Here are some of the amazing treatments offered:

• Music to My Muscles
• Heavenessence
• Soul Search
• Sound and Stone
• Annoint Chakratherapy

So far I had one therapist who included some chanting in her starting ritual for a Ka Huna Hawaiian massage, with beautiful oils, indigenous dance music, and a dark room with multiple candle clusters. Last evening I joined the group on the floor in the quaint old church, which they had saved from destruction and moved from somewhere in the area to the Gwinganna property. With cushions and blankets, we relaxed on the floor while the practitioner took us through a "Garden of Sound" which included a combination of vibrational music and gongs and singing bowls and drums.

I won't easily forget these magnificent and unique experiences.

Kudos to Sharon who oversees this approach and assures that all of these specialties are done by seasoned practitioners at a "wow" level and the owner Tony de Leede, who has encouraged this novel direction.

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Gwinganna Spa Lifestyle Retreat has Got it Right

By Susie Elils, SpaFinder Insider

Am here in Australia at Gwinganna - a new spa (where Hugh Jackman and many others go). It opened less than two years ago and seems to be a smashing success. After just a few days here, I can see why.

More about that later however, I thought one aspect of their program is totally unique and brilliant:

To help guests be "mindful" and stay in the moment, they do not give schedules. I have no idea what I will be doing today except that in 30 minutes I will be showing up for wake-up tai chi. Then the rest of the day unfolds. It sure is a good feeling to simply flow along and not try to control everything. They have a list of whatever a guest requests for spa treatments, etc. And you just can trust that they will get it done right. Lots of repeat clientele are already proving that the program is extremely popular.

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At the conference here in the Philippines I kept coming across Tony de Leede and his infectious enthusiasm for the new Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat, which he opened a mere six months ago. I met him in New York shortly before the opening of the retreat when he stopped in to meet our team at the Spa Finder office.

Tony is a salesman, and he made sure in a scant 20 minutes that I was aware of the Gwinganna concept. Other than having trouble pronouncing the name, I did "get" the concept and was anxious to see how it would develop. It sounded a bit like the California Golden Door or Cal-a-Vie destination spas (right down to the small number of rooms - 40) in the Australian bush with an organic and eco-friendly focus. Since I have some experience with this, I volunteered that he would probably have to be patient in terms of building occupancy.

Well, catching up with him here at this spa conference I find out that they are going gangbusters. Not only have they already had some sold-out weeks - but Hugh Jackman has apparently become a raving fan. He has already been there several times and wants to buy property in the area so he can visit more regularly.

Hmmm...I am a Hugh Jackman fan. My new suspicion? As soon as Hugh starts talking Gwinganna (hopefully he can pronounce it), that organic lifestyle retreat might be really hard to get into.