Tag Archives: Canyon Ranch

LA Spa Conference: A Medical Spa Insight, Touching Remarks from “the Godmother of the Spa Industry” and Excitement about Spa Booker

LA Spa Conference: A Medical Spa Insight, Touching Remarks from “The Godmother of the Spa Industry” and Excitement about Spa Booker
by Susie Ellis

Just returned from the Los Angeles Spa & Resort (and Medical Aesthetics) Expo & Conference. Highlights included hearing John Buckingham, the Founder and President of Solana MedSpas speak on “The Evolution & Revolution of the Medical Aesthetics Industry,” hearing Deborah Szekely share some of her life’s journey including the founding of Rancho La Puerta (60+ years ago) and the Golden Door (exactly 50 years ago this year), and seeing the energy surrounding the Spa Booker booth on the trade show floor.

solana logo jpg 743992 LA Spa Conference: A Medical Spa Insight, Touching Remarks from the Godmother of the Spa Industry and Excitement about Spa BookerThe surprising thing I learned from John Buckingham, who has a network of more than 40 locally branded medical spa facilities, is that the real market for these services is NOT the aging baby boomer, but rather Gen X and Gen Y. They have an entirely different attitude toward these procedures – partaking with abandon, reasoning that it is worth the money they spend, and not caring who knows they are having “work” done.

Come to think of it, my husband’s niece (in her 30′s) is a perfect example. She pops in regularly for procedures like Botox®, laser hair removal, endermologie, and IPL, etc. I have to say she looks fantastic, has a lot of confidence and, as a mother of two with her MBA, enjoys “having it all.” Even her husband does a bit of spray tanning now and then.

John said that many baby boomers have become “comfortable couples” meaning that they are happily married and no longer feel the need to iron out every wrinkle, or cover up every bulge. Although there are still plenty of single baby boomers, and people who want to keep a youthful appearance to stay competitive in the labor market, he predicts that the Gen X and Gen Y will be the bread and butter of medical spas in the future.

Deborah Szekely at age 85 looks marvelous, her memory is as sharp as ever and, she is as informed (and opinionated) about today’s political scene as she was during the 17 years she worked in Washington D.C. Clearly…the Rancho La Puerta and Golden Door lifestyle she leads is working.

LA Spa Conference: A Medical Spa Insight, Touching Remarks from the Godmother of the Spa Industry and Excitement about Spa BookerSpa Booker – the new software (that comes with leads) by SpaFinder – had a fun booth on the showroom floor. I loved watching the buzz from afar….so many of our young staff talking to new clients and demonstrating the product. It was an idea in Peter’s mind a few years ago, and now it is a reality. I marvel at how Peter’s mind works….he really is a visionary. With a single purpose – to bring more customers to our partner spas – he leaves no stone unturned. It makes me proud.

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Global Spa Dialogue, Courtesy of Skype

skypelogo 728434 Global Spa Dialogue, Courtesy of SkypePeter just got off a Skype phone call he had this morning with our partners in Japan and Hong Kong. When it is 7 a.m. in New York, it is about 7 p.m. in that part of the world – a good time to schedule business calls. After his one-hour three-way phone call, he walked into the room where I was on the internet and was just giddy about how Skype has made these calls possible.

In the past, that hourlong phone call would have cost him more than $500…Instead, with everyone this morning on Skype, it was free! And he noted that there were ten million people on Skype at the same time today. It always boggles my mind how technology can affect us – but this has got to be one of the biggest leaps.

More Mentions of Medical Tourism

USA Today shared Gerald Celente’s (Trends Journal) predictions of the top trends for 2007 in yesterday’s issue. Interesting that one of those trends is the same as what Spa Finder predicted for 2007 – a rise in medical tourism.

Here is how the Trends Journal describes medical tourism:

“American consumers will be “globetrotting to find the best prices for the best medical care,” seeking out overseas doctors to perform procedures not readily available or not covered by insurance. Celente calls this “medical outsourcing.”

Here is how Spa Finder described the same trend in last month’s press release:

“In 2007, more and more people will travel to another city, state or country for medical spa experiences, creating a new trend: medical tourism. A range of new technologies will attract these medical tourists – DNA analysis, for example, and new generations of anti-aging medicines, injectables and lasers. But another big draw will be cost. Squeezed by domestic health care costs, many Americans are going online and discovering global destinations that offer cutting-edge medical procedures for a fraction of the cost … often in beautiful, culturally rich locales like Bangkok, South Africa and India, to name a few.”


I think that when a trend gets noticed both inside and outside the spa industry, we can be quite sure that this trend is gathering steam.

Townhouse Spa Opens with Great Fanfare

Well, sounds like I missed a great party! I hate when that happens, but you just can’t avoid it sometimes. The Townhouse Spa Opens with Great Fanfarenew Townhouse Spa had a splashy opening party last night, and since I wasn’t able to attend, I asked Nikita (our director of research) and Jasmine (our day and medical spa account manager) to attend and give me a rundown today. In the photo on the left, you’ll see Jasmine (left) and Nikita (right) with spa owner Jamie Ahn. Here’s what Jasmine and Nikita had to say:

Jasmine:
THSWTreatment 744146 Townhouse Spa Opens with Great Fanfare
“Getting in past the crowded velvet rope last night immediately by waving the SpaFinder card was the highlight of my year. It was jam-packed all over the place and a ton of press there! Tons of mini-treatments were happening (massages, facials, nails, chair massage, etc.), and there were long lines for them.

I was impressed with the wide array of services and huge amount of space. It was a slightly smaller version of what Avon Spa was. I love how the men’s and women’s are on different floors. I loved the couples’ room with a fireplace and its own shower – very private and cozy. Also, they have an Oceana Machine, which is pretty cool!”

Nikita:

“Townhouse is the second spa opened by Jamie Ahn who also owns the Acqua Beauty Bar at Union Square. The spa occupies three levels, and the décor is dark, rich, and luxurious. The corridors and public places were pretty impressive with dark wood paneling, subdued lighting, and beautiful flower accents. The best space was definitely the men’s section, which was darker and somehow more mysterious.
THSBar 771963 Townhouse Spa Opens with Great Fanfare
I was very impressed by the fact that there were bathrooms on every floor. Many times spas have bathrooms only at a single level, which means guests have to walk up or down midway through their spa experience.

One facet that could have been improved upon was the interiors of the treatment rooms — somehow they appeared stark and bare.

Townhouse is definitely targeting the affluent segment and positioning itself as a luxury lifestyle provider.”

I’m anxious to hear feedback from you on my blog! Please add a comment by clicking on the link below that reads “Comments.”

A Spa Worthy of Cleopatra

Cleopatra2 730556 A Spa Worthy of CleopatraCleopatra’s Spa in Dubai was our final stop that evening. I had been looking forward to this visit because Daniella Russell, the owner, has such an impressive breadth of spa industry knowledge in this part of the world, and because she has built a very successful business. She opened her Cleopatra’s Spa eight years ago, and my guidebook still lists it as the most popular spa in Dubai. That’s an amazing accomplishment, given all the competition. Daniella has quite an operation since Cleopatra’s is really two full spas – one for men and one for women. The women’s had a Rasul chamber with brightly colored tile (which my sister said looked like a ride!).

A Cleopatra’s policy is for staff members to escort guests by putting their hand on the small of the guest’s back. I noticed that Danielle did exactly that as she greeted me. It feels good to be touched, and I have a feeling that the warmth and nurturing of the Cleopatra’s experience is due at least in part to that one small gesture. The newer hotels and resorts have snazzier facilities, but I bet Cleopatra’s trumps them all in hospitality.

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