Spa Lifestyle Real Estate Experiences a Hiccup: Spa Lifestyle Living Still Resonates
by Susie Ellis

Sad news. Canyon Ranch Living Chicago, which was in the design and pre-sale phase, has been cancelled. This article, "End of the Trail", gives some of the details. From the few mentions I could find on the web, it appears that there were insufficient sales of condos and that it fell victim to the current market crunch. Too bad. The design seemed really inspired and I love the idea of "wellness condos."

But timing is a big factor in these kinds of things. What would have worked several years ago - and may very well work several years from now - is struggling today amidst the bad economic news. Who knows, it may have been the size of the project, the price point, the location, or maybe the marketing plan that didn't work. And I can't help but wonder if the condo project was kept alive longer than it might have been because of its unique spa aspect.

One thing I am convinced about, however, is that the idea of spa lifestyle real estate is here to stay and it will find its ideal expression as time goes on. Canyon Ranch Living in Miami looks to be a successful project - as does Miraval Living in New York. Red Mountain keeps building more residences because of the demand and our spa real estate section on Spafinder.com keeps growing.

This situation reminds me a bit of the time when the internet bubble burst. Remember? The bubble grew from approximately 1995 - 2001 and then it "burst" and share prices fell dramatically. The pendulum swung from being gung-ho regarding the Internet to doom and gloom. I remember noticing only one person during the "down" time who kept saying, "don't worry about it. The future of the Internet is still so amazing that even with this "correction" there will be huge upsides and the Internet world will continue to grow exponentially." That person was my husband. In time, he was proven correct.

Alas...I feel the same way about setbacks in the evolution of spa lifestyle real estate. To me it is a two steps forward and one step back kind of thing. The fundamentals are just too compelling: aging baby boomers who are reaching retirement age, who value their health and well-being above almost anything else and who have money (much of it inherited) to spend. We also have a younger generation embracing the LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) lifestyle and wanting to raise their families in a healthy environment.

Real estate with spa components is here to stay.

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Turning Point Gathering - Always a Winner
by Susie Ellis

Just reviewed some literature about the upcoming Turning Point Spa Seminar in Thailand which looks like it is shaping up nicely. Turning Point is a conference that is held in Asia (last year it was in Shanghai) every year which either Peter or I have attended for the past four years. Unfortunately, neither of us will be able to make it this time since I am heading to Thailand just four weeks later and Peter will be in India just prior. We have always been impressed with how Don Siegel organizes his Turning Point events and he gets extra kudos from me for his great looking marketing materials.

Because his events are generally fairly small and intimate, it is easy to get to know people and his topics are always timely. This year it appears as if much of the focus will be on the environment and sustainability with LOHAS research and green initiatives on the agenda.

The location this year is particularly attractive. Chiang Mai is a very special region of Thailand and the host hotel - the new Shangri La in Chiang Mai (photo to the right) - will no doubt be a memorable experience. Ian Brewis, group spa director of all of their Chi Spas, is an extraordinary host. There are two other magnificent spa properties in the area – the Four Seasons and the Mandarin Oriental - which alone would make the trip worthwhile. If you are in the region and have the opportunity to attend, I would definitely recommend it. And please tell Don hello from me.

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If you wish to be put on a list that automatically sends my blog posts to your email, just let dulcy.gregory@spafinder.com know and she will add you to that list. Thanks so much!