Tag Archives: Labor Day

Off to the Monaco Spa Event

index1 738718 Off to the Monaco Spa EventHeading to the Monaco Spa Event. After a mad dash to the airport for my 7:15 p.m. flight and trying to catch up on emails on my Treo (right up until the time the door of the plane closed – OK, and a few minutes beyond), it’s finally time to wind down. I love long flights for just that reason – and in a way the longer the better. I’m guessing we had tail winds because the flight was only 5.5 hours. Bummer… They woke us around one a.m. for the transfer from London to Nice.

I have added one more reason (to my growing list) of why spas should offer sleep health programs, one of my Top 10 Spa Trends for 2007. The guy in front of me on the airplane put his seat all the way back, strapped on a pair of sleeping blinders, and fell asleep. Just a few minutes later he began to snore – loudly. It was absolutely dreadful. The man sitting next to him got up and moved as the rest of us tried to muffle the sound with headsets/music/tv – anything. I couldn’t help noticing that the snorer was overweight and appeared to be breathing irregularly. Clearly a potential sleep apnea case.

This situation reminded me of my friend Rick Aidekman (he and his wife Ellen own the beautiful Cornelia Day Resort in Manhattan). Rick was diagnosed with sleep apnea at Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires about eight months ago. He is now using a small breathing apparatus and reports that his life has changed dramatically for the better. He has lost a lot of weight, the color in his face is restored, and he is no longer exhausted during the day. If more people would take the time to be tested and treated for sleep disorders, not only would they experience personal health benefits, but neighbors on airplanes would also not have to endure being terribly inconvenienced during a lengthy international flight.

Top Five Pedicure Tips

pedicure 739073 Top Five Pedicure TipsI received a call yesterday from New York 1 requesting an interview about pedicure equipment at spas and what consumers should know to make sure they are safe when receiving a pedicure. Since manicures and pedicures are the most popular beauty services at spas, this is clearly an important topic.

With the hundreds of thousands of pedicures performed yearly most are excellent experiences with great results. Some people, however, are concerned especially if they read a story in the news that questions the safety of a pedicure. So here are some tips to help you be safe:

  • Skip having a pedicure (or manicure) if you have any open wounds. This is best for your health and is considerate of other spa-goers and the person performing your pedicure.
  • When you make an appointment, be sure to let the spa know that you are concerned about safety and ask them what steps they take to assure you will receive a safe manicure or pedicure. Be familiar with sanitation regulations. For example, in many states, nail care tools that can not be sterilized, including nail files, porous buffing stones and toe separators need to be thrown away (or given to you) after being used in your pedicure. Tools that can be sterilized must be sterilized after each use.
  • Licenses of technicians must be displayed at their stations.
  • Don’t assume that just because a pedicure is expensive, you will be safer. Sometimes the fanciest pedicure stations are among the most troubling. One of the most challenging sanitary issues regarding pedicures is the unseen piping and jets in pedicure tubs that can not be cleaned 100 percent.
  • If the spa has a whirlpool unit, ask if the technology is ³pipe-free². If they say no, ask to forgo the hydrotherapy portion of the treatment.

    I would love to hear feedback about your pedicure experiences from those who read my blog! Please post a comment by clicking on the link below that reads “Comments.”

New Concept: The Spa/Nightclub

glg 702299 New Concept: The Spa/NightclubHad a fun outing with three friends last evening to the new G Spa & Lounge in the meatpacking district of Manhattan. G Spa is the new underground space at the Gansevoort Hotel that is a spa by day and a “hot” nightclub at night. Hmmmm, that means Gansevoort is generating income from a basement 22 out of 24 hours a day. Clever.

Mary Elizabeth Gifford (of Jurlique and formerly RLP and Golden Door), Bob Henry, spa architect (G Spa was his baby) and author, and Stacey McLoughlin (corporate travel director for Spa Finder) were with me – all new to each other.

We had a tour of the sexy gray-and-red space with Rachel Lang, the new spa director, who is extremely impressive. She “gets it” about the edgy G philosophy and is creatively putting together some very unique concepts that she will add to this already groundbreaking concept.

At 7:00 in the evening G Spa was a spa – contemporary look; red glass walls and signage; reception desk with spa products; fully stocked bar and lounge with waters, juices, and teas (to which they add liquor upon request); locker rooms; steam room; hair salon; three treatment rooms for massages and facials; and cool lounge chairs overlooking three hydro-pools where several women were receiving manicures and pedicures.

We headed for dinner at Ono, the multi-level indoor/outdoor hip Japanese restaurant and bar lined with Himalayan rock salt, where we sampled amazing cuisine and swapped spa stories. At 11 p.m. Bob suggested we check out the night scene at the G Spa. After a bit of rigamuntitled 752749 New Concept: The Spa/Nightclubarole, we were finally pronounced “worthy” of a visit to this celebrity haunt and descended once again to the basement to find that what was a spa just four hours earlier was now a full-on nightclub. No more spa products at reception;rather Plexiglas over two of the hydro pools with seating on top; DJ; mood lighting; music pumping; attractive waitresses in teddies; champagne flowing; and massage suites opened and outfitted with furniture for a private cabana feel. Young, beautiful people were everywhere.

As Mary Elizabeth mentioned in her email to me this morning, it was “a looking glass world of innovation and modernity.” And a lot of fun!

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