This is going to be a big week for Miraval. They are hosting a kick-off celebration for Miraval Living here in Manhattan with Steve Case and Dr. Andrew Weil in attendance. I am so sorry I won't be able to attend (I am leaving this evening for a trip to China) because their kick-off should be a powerful event - especially for the people who have already purchased an apartment on the property. I would think that anyone looking to invest in these properties would find Steve Case and Dr. Andrew Weil's confidence in the project very encouraging. I look forward to hearing about the event from my colleagues.

Thursday, April 26th, will be another huge day for Miraval since Oprah's show will be all about her recent stay there. Apparently, she and 50 women chosen by the show stayed at Miraval, Life in Balance (located in Tucson, Arizona) for almost a week. Fortunately my TiVo is permanently set to record Oprah – and yes, Dr. Phil – so I'll be able to tune in when I return.

I remember the last time Oprah mentioned going to Miraval on her show - Miraval's phone rang like crazy. I can't wait to hear what an entire Oprah show will do, not only for Miraval, but for all the destination spas! I think that when people see a group of women going through a typical destination spa day, viewers will finally get what exactly a destination spa experience is. I am not sure there has ever been an entire hour of spa footage shown to a large audience where various aspects of a destination spa are highlighted. My guess is they will show Oprah and the ladies hiking, exercising, receiving spa treatments, enjoying meals, and engaging in some of the mindfulness experiences like the Equine Experience or one of the challenge program. Places which are somewhat similar like Canyon Ranch, Rancho La Puerta, Red Mountain, Green Valley Ranch Resort, Hills Health Ranch, etc. will probably see a bump in inquiries as well.

And the frosting on this cake is that Oprah shows rerun in the summers, so this will be on-going visibility for Miraval and the destination spa experience itself. This could be huge!

Today is our day to visit the Middle East Beauty, Spa and Wellness Expo. We wander through aisles upon aisles of beauty products and spa wares. I was told by umpteen people not to expect too much from this trade show, but I am pleasantly surprised that it is much grander and more interesting than I expected.

Saw some new spa room designs including individual hammam cabins – one with a built-in TV for almost $50,000 – hydrotherapy tubs, dry floats, and lots of those advanced vibration-technology exercise units that seem to be all the rage. These units also dominated the fitness area at the London spa expo this spring. You stand on a platform in various positions hanging on to handles, which help stabilize you and get your muscles working, when the strong vibration begins. My doubts about the effectiveness and popularity of these are addressed by the managing director of Power Plate, who informs me that the company sells 800 units a month. Power Plate is soon to be be a featured product on Oprah, where they will be gifting a machine to every audience member. I’m thinking I may need to take a closer look.

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