Tag Archives: literature

The Famous Clinique La Prairie Medical Spa – Memory Lane

The Famous Clinique La Prairie Medical Spa – Memory Lane
by Susie Ellis, SpaFinder Insider

It was 1974 when I first heard about Clinique la Prairie. I had just begun working at the famous Golden Door spa in southern California and would occasionally hear guests whisper about the sheep cell injection therapy at this expensive place in Switzerland. Our Golden Door guests, who at that time included mostly wives of corporate executives, celebrities, and an occasional royal, were fond of comparing notes on other spas they had heard about. In those days, however, most did not spa-hop, they stayed true to the one they had chosen. Names I remember included the Greenhouse in Dallas, Elizabeth Arden’s Maine Chance in Phoenix (no longer in existence), the Lancaster Beauty Farm at Brenner’s Park in Germany, Champney’s in England and Clinique La Prairie in Switzerland. None of them used the term spa at the time. prairie 796391 The Famous Clinique La Prairie Medical Spa Memory Lane

In later years I ran across photos from the famous Clinique La Prairie – medical setting, doctors in white lab coats, guests dining or lounging in chaises, and a lake and the Alps in the background. I would learn that well known “patients” included Marlene Dietrich, Charlie Chaplin, and Winston Churchill.

There are those who are ardent proponents of Clinique La Prairie’s “revitalization therapy” as it came to be called. There are those who call it quackery.

I am not qualified to pass judgement since I don’t have the scientific or medical background. However from a purely common sense point of view, I find it hard to imagine a place that has been open for more than 75 years, where people from all over the world return time after time and pay $18,000 a week to stay there, not to have something pretty compelling.

The La Prairie skin care products seem to have taken a slightly different path. They had (and still do, I believe) a very good reputation. Clearly they carry the prestige, cachet, and high price of the Clinique La Prairie establishment where the products were created. I remember wondering if there were sheep cells in the products. Apparently not. 02602283303 la prairie skin caviar luxe body cream 798063 The Famous Clinique La Prairie Medical Spa Memory Lane

In the past few years, however, I have come across many people who told me that La Prairie skin care products have nothing to do with Clinique La Prairie in Switzerland. I have often wondered, how did that happened?

Spas also began appearing with the name La Prairie in them. Are they associated with Clinique La Prairie? My list of questions keeps getting longer and I looked forward to visiting this famous place in Switzerland to finally unscramble the mystery.

  • Why do the department stores sell La Prairie products but say they don’t have anything to do with the Swiss Clinique?

  • Why does the La Prairie logo say Switzerland when it doesn’t have anything to do with the facility in Switzerland?

  • Why is there a La Prairie Spa at the Ritz in New York that insists they also don’t have any affiliation with Clinique La Prairie in Switzerland, however they sell La Prairie products.

  • There is a La Prairie Spa at the Ritz in Berlin and a new one opening at the Ritz in Rancho Mirage. I assume they will be selling La Prairie skin care products but also deny involvement with the Swiss Clinic.

  • Why is there a La Prairie Spa at the Beverly Hilton, when all the other ones are at Ritz Carlton’s?

  • Why a spa with yet another name….the stunning new spa in Grand Cayman with the name, The Rain La Prairie Spa, at the Ritz Carlton.

  • There is a project on the drawing board in Miami called Ten Museum Park. It is a beautiful high rise residential building that will have according to their website, “the first Clinique La Prairie Spa.” This spa will not carry La Prairie products – they will be using a line called Swiss Perfection.

  • Later I read that Clinique La Prairie is suing Ritz Carlton over the use of the name La Prairie for their spa in New York.

Is all of this clear as mud?

Well…finally I can say it is pretty clear in my mind although it took a visit to Switzerland, and countless hours of Internet research to solve most of the puzzle. I have put together the answers and a timeline which I will share with you in the next post.

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Highlights from the Shanghai Spa Conference

The Turning Point Conference which I attended here in Shanghai is over. A two-day conference and a third day of workshops has come to an end. I always feel so inspired after spending time exchanging ideas with spa professionals from all over the world. The size of an event really makes a difference, as the Turning Point’s intimate size allows for strong connections. This year, Don Siegel, who runs the conference, also provided a real treat with a Kungfu performance by monks from the Shanghai Shaolin Temple at one evening’s dinner gala.

Here is my “reader’s digest summary” of what I got out of the various presentations.

Bob Henry, Architect, International Spa Design Trends – Seems that designing spas is more than just the physical space assigned to a spa these days. There are a lot of nuances and subtleties that contribute to people’s health which are now included in design. His Canyon Ranch Living project in Chicago has taken some bold steps.

Richard Dusseau, Spa Strategy Inc., Defining the Brand Experience – His new Nector spa brand, carefully thought out to be a product for 4 star properties, is advertising (not PR) driven, and makes money. Bingo.

Bija Bennett, Yoga Away, The Yoga Experience. Right here. Right now. – She made a great point that when people are stressed because of sitting all day at computers, what they may need more – than a massage – is movement.

Carroll Dunham, Wild Earth Nepal, Spas and Social Responsibility – The spa industry misses out on a real treasure if they do not involve local people in their concepts and development. Some real global good can be done by connecting with the characteristics of local cultures.

Jamie Waring, Six Senses Resorts & Spas, A Holistic Approach to Enhancing the Bottom Line – The story of Sonu and Eva, founders of the rapidly expanding brands behind Six Senses, is an inspiring story of what can happen when you act on your deepest passions.

Clodagh, Clodagh Design International, Living the Spa Experience in a Changing World – Nature is probably the greatest source of inspiration contributing to people’s relaxation and health. Sometimes an exceptional photo of some spa related objects say more about a place than a photo showing all of its facilities.

Professor Marc Cohen, RMIT University, Applying the Principles of TCM to Business Wellness – With a medical degree, and two PhD’s, it is no wonder Marc mesmerizes everyone with his ideas and vision. Particularly fascinating is how he sees the spa industry making a major contribution to raising consciousness and challenging the global spa industry to take up a global cause – such as water. How fitting.

Heather Stuart, Spa Consultants International, Creating Day Spa Success – With experience in opening spas for the Saudi royal family, managing the Four Seasons in Tokyo, as well as consulting in Russia, she emphasizes exceeding expectations. And wisely suggests that if you can’t be #1 in your category, redefine the category.

Mark Wuttke, the Wuttke Group, What Spas Can do to Capture Maximum Retail Income – His message is important in that successful retailing in our spas might very well be the most important factor in determining whether a spa will be profitable or not. And shouldn’t we carry over our successful relationship with the client in our treatment rooms to the retail sales process?

And finally, my topic, Strategies for Internet Promotion – I think the major points that resonated with the audience were
1. The importance of professional photography
2. The need for all spa professionals to no longer delegate their Internet strategies but jump in with both feet
3. Online treatment booking is the next big thing.
4. It is smart to learn from the “big boys”. Look at what companies like Starwood, St. Regis, Hyatt, Ritz Carlton, and Four Seasons (all who spend millions on web research) are doing and learn from them. Thus their investment dollars are benefiting you.

Got “BlackBerry Thumb”? Spas to the Rescue!

blackberry 7100x 776107 Got BlackBerry Thumb? Spas to the Rescue!Well, I just finished a quick video interview for NBC as part of a story they are doing on spa services such as the BlackBerry Hand Massage. They are trying to ascertain whether or not this is a trend. Since we had the BlackBerry Hand Massage as part of our “Hot and Getting Hotter List,” it was easy for me to confirm that we do see this as a trend.

Preparing for the interview gave me a chance to read up on RSI (repetitive stress injuries) and to take a look at what spas are doing to address some of these technology-related maladies. I found names such as “tech neck,” “BlackBerry thumb,” and “iPod finger.” Some of the more progressive spas out there are indeed offering treatments to help clients suffering from these problems.

It’s fascinating how widespread (and expensive!) these injuries have gotten. Here is a quote I found astonishing: “Repetitive musculoskeletal injuries like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome have become the nation’s leading workplace health cost. RSI represents 62% of all North American WC claims and result in nearly $15-20 billion in lost work time and Workers Compensation claims each year.” That’s from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

And I think this is just the beginning…..

Spa Travel Tips

120287 390 250 700275 Spa Travel TipsWow, was the La Guardia airport busy the day before the Christmas weekend! I have never seen such long lines for checking in bags. Oddly, the check-in line was long and the security line was short. Two flights (and no food) later, we arrived in Palm Springs. My husband had a surprise arranged: A massage just hours after arriving. What a great way to begin a vacation.

It reminds me of what Birgit Brin (the brains behind the Ligne St. Barth line of spa products) mentioned to me when I met her recently at a spa conference in the Caribbean. She said that she always recommends that people indulge in a treatment immediately after they initially arrive at the spa. Not only is this the quickest way to relax (something I have always said) but she added that the difference between your pre- and post-treatment mindsets is even greater than normal (something I have never really considered). But it is a good point. The “wow effect” of a spa treatment is clearly demonstrated when a client is taken from exhausted to refreshed over the course of a single service.

The New York Times Weighs in on Spa Trends

Sunday’s New York Times (December 12) ran a short, somewhat humorous piece, entitled “Spa Trends: Goodbye Pampering, Hello Rehab.” Jennifer Colin poked some fun at Spa Finder’s top spa trends for 2007, in which we predicted a new emphasis on healthy sleep at spas, detox programs, retreats, medical tourism, spa lifestyle communities with kids, bottom-line considerations, social spa-ing, and words such as “green,” “beauty inside out and outside in,” and “spa fusion.” Apparently, it all seemed a bit too strenuous for her.

I will give her credit for her point, however. For people who are not very familiar with the spa world, it might be a bit overwhelming to think that all these things are now available at spas. After all, we know that the number-one reason people go to spas is to relax and de-stress. That list of trends might not sound very relaxing!

So let me correct the perception. Spas are still about relaxing and de-stressing – even pampering and taking baths – but they are also about a whole lot more. The trends we see are making it that much more worthwhile to go to a spa.