Tag Archives: medical spa treatments

Dr. Andrew Weil and Spas: SpaFinder Visionary Award Winner

Dr. Andrew Weil and Spas: SpaFinder Visionary Award Winner
by Susie Ellis
SpaFinder Insider
A couple of nights ago it was our privilege to hand Dr. Andrew Weil SpaFinder’s 2009 Visionary Award. Our Visionary Award goes to one person each year who has made a huge contribution to the field of spa and wellness. (Previous recipients include Dr. Deepak Chopra, Dr. Howard Murad, Mel and Enid Zuckerman, Dr. Bruce Katz, Dr. Stephen, and Lyn Krant and last year’s recipient, Deborah Szekely.)

Simmone, Dulcy, and I gave Dr. Weil his award (see the great photo of the two of them with Dr. Weil and the not-so-great photo of Dr. Weil and me) for his tireless efforts to bridge th Dr. Andrew Weil and Spas: SpaFinder Visionary Award Winnere worlds of medicine and spa, and his prediction decades ago, that the hospital of the future would look more like a spa. Dr. Weil’s background includes being a Harvard Medical School-trained doctor, becoming a pioneer in integrative medicine, writing 12 books (mostly best sellers) and working with spas – notably Canyon Ranch and now Miraval.

Dr. Andrew Weil and Spas: SpaFinder Visionary Award Winner

And …talk about timing.

Dr. Weil (who has a way of simplifying things into understandable nuggets) spoke to the 92nd Street Y audience here in New York City and introduced his new book, “Why Our Health Matters….a Vision of Medicine that can Transform Our Future.” Given that the U.S. is on the eve of health care reform and other countries are also struggling with how to contain their health care costs, I think it was fascinating to hear what Dr. Weil had to say in that regard – and what all this means for the spa and wellness industry. Last night Dr. Weil was on Larry King Live. Check out the link to hear the actual 18-minute segment.
**
Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/susieellis
** If you wish to be put on a list that automatically sends my blog posts to your email, just let dulcy.gregory@spafinder.com know and she will add you to that list. Thanks so much!

SpaFinder’s Ice Cream Social Networking Social Really Connected with Our Spa Friends

IceCreamSocialPoster.Welcome.Small 796581 SpaFinders Ice Cream Social Networking Social Really Connected with Our Spa FriendsSpaFinder’s Ice Cream Social Networking Social Really Connected with Our Spa Friendsby Susie Ellis, SpaFinder Insider

I love it when events really work. And last night’s Ice Cream Social Networking Social here at the SpaFinder offices was one of those that I think hit the right tone. We always host a get-together the night before ISPA’s New York media event, since so many from the spa industry are in town.

Each year we do something different to keep things fresh and focused on what’s cutting edge. This year we felt that social media was a big part of the buzz and also that everyone was ready for a bit of lighthearted fun. So we put the two together and did an Ice Cream Social with social networking component. Our guests had the opportunity to have a quick personal intro to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and SpaBooker. Some people signed up and sent their first tweet, others had fun viewing themselves on YouTube since we took a quick video of them with a FlipVideo when they entered the party, etc.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGkF53omrqk]

There were chocolate martinis, ice cream cones, M&M;’s… well, you get the picture. And yes, there were a few healthy choices if you wanted to stick with carob covered pretzels and fresh strawberry popsicles. (I did not.)

IceCreamSocialPoster.Twitter 720940 SpaFinders Ice Cream Social Networking Social Really Connected with Our Spa Friends

What I learned from the evening (other than it was fun to mix the socials) is that everyone is either talking about social media, experimenting with certain sites, or trying to get a balance between being overwhelmed and sitting on the sidelines. Seems like finding time to learn and keep up a social media site is a shared challenge for all of us, and no one out there (and I do mean no one anywhere) is really an expert all the way around. Learning from each other is probably the way to go – and with a chocolate martini in hand, well, it’s a little less frustrating and a bit more fun.

More on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube!

**

Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/susieellis

**
If you wish to be put on a list that automatically sends my blog posts to your email, just let dulcy.gregory@spafinder.com know and she will add you to that list. Thanks so much!

Expert’s Favorite Spa in SpaFinder’s List of “Top 10 Sexiest Spas for 2009″

Expert’s Favorite Spa in SpaFinder’s List of “Top 10 Sexiest Spas for 2009″
by Susie Ellis
SpaFinder Insider

In my last post I shared with you our list of the Top 10 Sexiest Spas for 2009 (voted on by spa editors and experts around the world). Although I gave you the list of ten in no particular order, there was one spa which garnered the most votes from the editors and experts. And I promised to let you know which spa that was – so hear once again is the list of ten:

dolder grand pool2 788622 Experts Favorite Spa in SpaFinders List of Top 10 Sexiest Spas for 2009 Drumroll please…….the spa that seems to be the “sexiest of all” … Dolder Grand in Switzerland!

**
Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/susieellis
**
If you wish to be put on a list that automatically sends my blog posts to your email, just let dulcy.gregory@spafinder.com know and she will add you to that list. Thanks so much!

A New Spa Brand is Born: Nectar at Sheraton

A New Spa Brand is Born: Nectar at Sheraton
Susie Ellis, SpaFinder Insider
One of our spa trend predictions for 2009 was “Brands, brands, brands.” The recent announcement that Sheraton is adding a spa brand called Nectar (created by Spatality) is a perfect example of this trend. And I must say it seems timely – a mid-priced hotel brand adding a cool spa. How do I know that Nectar will be cool? Because Richard Dusseau and his team at Spatality designed it! spatality 784684 A New Spa Brand is Born: Nectar at Sheraton
Richard (pictured on the left with his partners Elaine Fenard and Ingo Schweder) showed me some of the early drawings of the Nectar brand a few years ago. It was immediately obvious to me that this was going to be a winner. It had great design and yet was created to be efficient for the consumer and the operator which would keep costs down. He cleverly designed the sauna and steam together in a unique way and the colors he used to bring the brand to life – well, I thought I was seeing the spa of the future. Guess I was.
One of the recent press announcements about the new Nectar spa brand at Sheraton described it as “high design/low ego.” Who would have known all those years ago that this would be exactly what would resonate in today’s world?
**
If you wish to be put on a list that automatically sends my blog posts to your email, just let dulcy.gregory@spafinder.com know and she will add you to that list. Thanks so much!

Touring Spas of Switzerland – First Stop, the Spa at the Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel

victoriajungfrau hotel 764206 Touring Spas of Switzerland First Stop, the Spa at the Victoria Jungfrau Grand HotelTouring Spas of Switzerland – First Stop,the Spa at Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel
by Susie Ellis, SpaFinder Insider

Landed in Zurich, rented a car and drove with Peter and his son, Nicholas, to Interlaken where we checked into the historic Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel. (It took us under two hours, which included a stop for my much anticipated first Swiss café latte.) I soon learned that the Victoria-Jungfrau was built in 1865 and used to be two hotels – one the Victoria, the other the Jungfrau. They were later connected. It appears to me that the contemporary arched space which now connects them (effective although unexpected) was also carried into the architecture of the new spa, which was added five years ago.

We are traveling through Switzerland this week as part of preparations for next May’s Global Spa Summit 2009 which will take place at this beautiful hotel. I had been to Interlaken before – with my twin sister post-high-school-graduation – and, no, we did not stay at the Victoria-Jungfrau. In fact, I don’t remember where we stayed, as our budget back then surely must have put us someplace quite forgettable. I do remember thinking that Interlaken was the most beautiful place I had ever seen! (I was 18.) I also remember that we did the full day trip up the Jungfrau and also the trip which takes you to the Shilthorn where you have drop dead gorgeous 360 degree views and where the James Bond movie “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” was filmed.

victoria jungfrau spa 220x342 745706 Touring Spas of Switzerland First Stop, the Spa at the Victoria Jungfrau Grand HotelThis time around I learned that Interlaken is known for more than just these Alp excursions. It is an ideal place for adventure-seekers (something I wasn’t then, nor am now). Indeed, Nicholas (who had done his internet research before our trip) was already signed up for sky diving! It all sounded so outrageous when he first told us about it back in New York, but when we got here and stood on our balcony overlooking the park where we saw a bunch of paragliders land in front of our hotel room, it kind of went with the territory.

**
If you wish to be put on a list that automatically sends my blog posts to your email, just let dulcy.gregory@spafinder.com know and she will add you to that list. Thanks so much!