Tag Archives: Mandarin Oriental

Tokyo Spa: Wowed at Mandarin Oriental

Tokyo Madarin Oriental1 150x150 Tokyo Spa: Wowed at Mandarin Oriental

Just returned from a spa trip to Asia.  First stop – Tokyo for a SpaFinder Japan press conference.  Yoriko Soma, our partner in Japan, hosted a lovely event honoring recipients of the Crystal Awards for top spas in Japan.

Consumers voted these the top 10:

1. The Peninsula Spa by ESPA Tokyo
2. The Ritz Carlton, Tokyo
3. Le Spa Parisien at the Westin Tokyo
4. Nagomi Spa and Fitness, Grand Hyatt Tokyo
5. The Spa at Mandarin Oriental Tokyo
6. Chi, The Spa at Shangri-La, Shangri-La Hotel Tokyo
7. Wakka Spa at Hilton Niseko Village, Hokkaido
8. Mizuki Spa at Conrad Tokyo
9. Joule Spa & Wellness, Hyatt Regency Tokyo
10. Niki Club Japan

I only had time to experience one spa so Yoriko arranged for me to have a treatment at the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo.  If she was trying to ‘wow’ me, she succeeded!

This ‘spa in the sky’ (37th floor) pretty much blew me away.  A combination of their extremely impactful view of Tokyo from almost every room in the spa – fitness, treatment, vitality pool (even the sauna!) – and having Karen Aleksich give me a customized treatment in one of their spa suites – well, it doesn’t get much better than that.  The price tag – almost $500 – was a ‘wow’ also.

Here’s what I learned:

1. Mandarin Oriental seems to have achieved a consistent 5-star level in their spas.  I feel like I have been to enough Mandarin Oriental’s around the world now (sometimes unannounced) to have felt this consistency.  Their décor is always exceptional and their therapists extremely well trained.  I would say however say that Karen was a step above all the rest.  (They tell me that even though she is in management now, they won’t let her out of the treatment room because she has such a following!)

Tokyo Madarin Oriental2 300x190 Tokyo Spa: Wowed at Mandarin Oriental

2. Wow factors do ‘wow.’  When I think back to my experience – it truly created a memory:  floor to ceiling windows (no drapes needed) with amazing 270 degree views all around you.   The Tokyo skyline seem to go on forever.  Even though I live in Manhattan, where we have some pretty impressive views, it looked to me like 20 Manhattans could fit into one Tokyo.  It was so exhilarating that I almost had a hard time relaxing!

3. Yoriko explained to me that in Japan there is a premium on prestige.  Experiencing a spa so high up in the sky definitely makes a first-class impression, thus the extremely high prices.  With over 12 million people in greater Tokyo and a density (similar to India) of about 343 people per square mile (U.S. is 31), I guess management and staff can take comfort in looking out the window and being assured that there seems to be enough people who can afford their ‘wow’ pricing – even during recessionary times in Japan.

My twitter address: @susieellis

Spa Solutions to End Overeating

Spa Solutions to End Overeating

Susie Ellis, SpaFinder Insider

In my last post I raved about Dr. Kessler’s New York Times Best Seller’s book, The End of Overeating. A variety of people posted comments including Jeff Butterworth, Wellness Director for the Jumeriah brand and Deborah Szekely, founder of Rancho La Puerta and the Golden Door spas. Both also enthusiastically recommended the book. They too felt that Dr. Kessler’s book brings important new ideas and solutions to the conversation about overweight and overeating. I think it is a good fit to incorporate in any spa (even if only recommending the book) and know of one spa that is considering adding an entire curriculum based on this program.

Ok..I promised some solutions from the book in this blog. Here are a few that resonated with me:

  • Planned eating – have structure, set meals. It’s better for your body and for your brain as it signals satisfaction which grazing all day does not. One of the reasons so many are overweight is because food, for most of us, is available all day everyday everywhere. (except on airlines as I have found out flying from NY to California frequently)

  • Don’t ‘overserve’ yourself. You can’t count on getting a full signal from your brain anymore…it’s broken.

  • Eat foods that satisfy you – the ones you like – or you’ll set yourself up for temptation. Will power doesn’t work when tempted by hyperpalatable foods.

  • Stop yourself at the earliest thought regarding overeating or eating unhealthfully. If you entertain the thought even for a little while, you won’t have the will power to resist.

  • Engage in competing behavior – substitute something you enjoy at the point of temptation.

  • Detox from the hyperpalatable foods (this is where I think going away to a destination spa is best). There you will start training your body and brain to become healthy again and your brain once again shuts off the desire to eat more when you have had enough.

  • Support from others always helps.

I know these tid-bits might sound familiar…however if you read the book, you will see that the brain chemistry issue (which Dr. Kessler explains far better than I did) underlies it all. If you have ever struggled with weight issues, this book is worth reading.

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Spa Industry Lemonade

lemons.lemonade 780181 Spa Industry LemonadeSpa Industry Lemonade
by Susie Ellis, SpaFinder Insider

I remember when my twin sister, Katrine, first got engaged. The guy proposed, promising that a ring would follow. Well, when weeks turned into months and there was one excuse after another and no ring, she sensed he was waffling and decided to call it off. What followed were many tears and a lot of anger. We tried to comfort her, saying such things as “It’s for the best,” “Something good will come out of this,” etc.

Well, at the time she didn’t want to hear it, and wasn’t believing it anyway; however, here we are 30 years later laughing about what turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to her! Luckily she didn’t marry that guy and instead, some years later, she met Bill who swept her off her feet, proposed (with a lovely ring by the way), and they have been happily married for close to 25 years.

We all know stories like this from our own lives or others. In these days of economic turmoil, it’s probably a great time to dig some of them out and dust them off. It’s the old “lemons to lemonade” adage.

So I am proposing that those of us in the spa industry give ourselves a good pep talk and spend some time looking for opportunities in this challenging economic climate. How can the spa industry emerge stronger? What changes can we embrace during these times that will make our business better?

Well, I have a few ideas to get the lemons to lemonade conversation going. I look forward to hearing yours!

  1. Change Messaging: Move from words like pampering to wellness, prevention and stress reduction. Line up with the Obama Stimulus Package with terms such as integrative health, behavioral changes, and health coaches.
  2. Change Pay Structures: Move your practitioners to fixed pay per service and add benefits.
  3. Downsize: Cut at the top, and move people down one rung on the ladder. You save money and have people performing in places where they excel. (It’s a way of undoing “The Peter Principle.”)
  4. Practice What You Preach: Put all you know about stress reduction into action. Later you will be an even greater expert.
  5. Create Community: Come up with ways to get your clients to bond with each other – that bonds them with your brand. Introduce group walks, group lectures, group parties, etc.

If you are seeing opportunities during these difficult times, please share them with us through the comment link. We all love hearing lemon-to-lemonade stories!
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Massage Treatments for Bikers at 2007 Sturgis Biker Rally in South Dakota

Bikers Really Like Their Massages as Witnessed at the 2007 Sturgis Biker Rally
by Susie Ellis

susiecycle 722388 Massage Treatments for Bikers at 2007 Sturgis Biker Rally in South DakotaMy last day in Sturgis for the big motorcycle rally I thought I would check in with hubby and our travel companions Cassandra and Kevin (who are also our partners in SpaFinder Europe) regarding observations about our experiences and in particular what has changed in the past 8 years:

        • More women riding their own bikes (mostly Harley’s )
        • Still plenty of leather but aging bodies wearing them
        • Camouflage pants and shirts are in style
        • More gray-haired bikers
        • Trikes – the three wheeled bikes are getting hot (one advantage is they have trunks!)
        • Boss Hoss bikes are trumping Harley’s as far as the “photo op” is concerned and the Boss Hoss trikes are trumping those
        • Major paintwork on the bikes – a lot more artistry now telling stories – the Native American theme, toy story theme, etc.
        • More massage stands
        • iPods ©, cell phones, and BlackBerries ©
        • Custom molded earphones
        • Bandannas with Velcro (what a great idea!)
        • Talking with “Big Mike” a burly guy who has worked on bikes for decades and comes to Sturgis every year. I asked him if he’s ever been to a spa. His answer? “Oh yeah, I like them massages.”

        And things that haven’t changed:

        • Bikini bike washes
        • Hot women “flashing”
        • I’m really ready to get home….

        A Long-Distance Anniversary

        Anniversary 791908 A Long Distance Anniversary
        It’s my 21st wedding anniversary today – September 14th. Peter and I are not able to celebrate together, since he is in New York, and I am in the Philippines at the Turning Point Spa Conference, where I will give a speech tomorrow morning. Hugs to my hubby. I am reminded how everything in life pales in comparison to my relationship with my husband and my family and friends. Loving people and being loved: That’s what it is all about. I like to think that spas are good places to rediscover those feelings.