Tag Archives: Sallie Fraenkel

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.

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Successful Spa Sleep-Health Program Leads to Scheduling Many More

Successful Spa Sleep-Health Program Leads to Scheduling Many More

by Susie Ellis
SpaFinder Insider

When I was at the Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat in Australia at the end of July, I was thrilled to see that they had planned a specialty “Sleep Discovery Week” for September. Gwinganna really impressed me in terms of how forward-thinking thehypno sleep 793432 Successful Spa Sleep Health Program Leads to Scheduling Many Morey are, and seeing this “sleep intensive” was another example. I asked Sharon Kolkka, the General Manager, to please let me know how the sleep week goes. Since sleep health was a spa trend SpaFinder predicted two years ago (before almost any spa had it as part of their curriculum) it has been especially gratifying for me to see sleep programs pop up at different spas across the country. This one in Australia, however, was one of the first full immersion sleep programs I have come across outside of the U.S.
Yesterday, I received this email from Sharon with her post Sleep Discovery Week report and wanted to share it with you. I think you will enjoy hearing it in her own words. My kudos to Sharon for blazing trails once again.
Dear Susie,
Just wanted to touch base with you regarding our sleep retreat, we loved it and so did our guests.

In a nut shell it was a huge success, we had 43 guests and one person from the media. It seems that about 1/3 came specifically for the sleep information and have never been to a retreat or spa previously, many of them brought a support person. About 10 guests came because that was the date that suited and the rest were return guests interested to see what they could learn about improving sleep.

The workshops covered the science of sleep, the body clock and the significance of the hormonal cycle as a result of this clock. The impact of the liver and detox on sleep, nutrient absorption and its relevance to sleep, what amino acids promoted sleep and in what foods they are found. The impact of light and dark on the hypothalamus, the effect of electromagnetic fields in the bedroom, the art of rituals and of course stress and the biochemistry of cortisol. We also covered the support systems such as herbs and aromatherapy and a lot more!

We encouraged guests to stop their sleeping tablets whilst staying with us and replaced this with a natural product and offered herbs for support, of course encouraged early rise and meditation. In short we had a ball and the feedback was sensational. We also asked them to continue to look for improvements over the next 3 months rather than expecting a quick fix.

This week, Tracy has received flowers from the media contact [for the first time] thanking her and a note suggesting she is sleeping better than she had in years. We have received many thank you notes, one of them from a husband who is demanding to know what we have done as his wife, is sound asleep by 10pm and stays that way and he has not seen her do that since the death of her father 2 years ago.

I know I don’t need to tell you how rewarding this is, this is what we in retreats truly live for to make a difference. So we have put two more Sleep Discovery programs on our dates from January to April and hope to offer this program at least 4-5 times a year.

Thank you for all the support that you offered with the information you supplied, wish you could have been here I think you would have enjoyed the vibe.

Warmest always

Sharon

Sharon Kolkka
General Manager
Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat

192 Syndicate Rd
Tallebudgera Valley Q 4228
Australia
Tel: +61 7 5589 5000
Fax: +61 7 55338378
www.gwinganna.com
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A spa that looks like the Garden of Eden (mine anyway)

landamphilake 715652 A spa that looks like the Garden of Eden (mine anyway)450 people working every day for three years: That is what it took to create the extraordinary place called The Farm at San Benito, along with the resolve of a man, Eckard Rempke, who was stubbornly committed to his vision of creating a place of healing unlike any other in the world.

When I envision the Garden of Eden, this is the picture in my mind. Lush vegetation, beautifully manicured landscape, meandering walkways with surprises at numerous turns – you get the idea. There was an Ayurveda center here, a Bali lounge there, an orchid atrium, fountains, flower gardens, vegetable gardens, birds chirping, peacocks strutting, small lakes, pools, water features – and at night, walkways and gathering areas lit by candles. This kind of masterpiece could only be created in an area where labor costs allow such an undertaking. Here in the Philippines, that is the case. The only other place I have seen a similar setting is at Begawan Giri in Bali.

And that’s just for starters. More about the program tomorrow.

Hugh Jackman at Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat & Spa – Australia

Gwinganna 762562 Hugh Jackman at Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat & Spa AustraliaAt the conference here in the Philippines I kept coming across Tony de Leede and his infectious enthusiasm for the new Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat, which he opened a mere six months ago. I met him in New York shortly before the opening of the retreat when he stopped in to meet our team at the Spa Finder office.

Tony is a salesman, and he made sure in a scant 20 minutes that I was aware of the Gwinganna concept. Other than having trouble pronouncing the name, I did “get” the concept and was anxious to see how it would develop. It sounded a bit like the California Golden Door or Cal-a-Vie destination spas (right down to the small number of rooms – 40) in the Australian bush with an organic and eco-friendly focus. Since I have some experience with this, I volunteered that he would probably have to be patient in terms of building occupancy.

Well, catching up with him here at this spa conference I find out that they are going gangbusters. Not only have they already had some sold-out weeks – but Hugh Jackman has apparently become a raving fan. He has already been there several times and wants to buy property in the area so he can visit more regularly.

Hmmm…I am a Hugh Jackman fan. My new suspicion? As soon as Hugh starts talking Gwinganna (hopefully he can pronounce it), that organic lifestyle retreat might be really hard to get into.

Fireworks at Canyon Ranch Spa

lenox 001 full 702269 Fireworks at Canyon Ranch SpaPeter and I are at Canyon Ranch in Lenox, MA for a long Fourth of July holiday weekend. We drove up early on Friday because we had a meeting scheduled with CEO Jerry Cohen to discuss our partnership and some new initiatives. I’ve known Jerry for more than 15 years and marvel at what Canyon Ranch has accomplished under his leadership.

A simple statistic describes the early years of Canyon Ranch: At ten-year intervals, a new branch appeared. Canyon Ranch Tucson opened in 1979, Canyon Ranch Lenox opened in 1989 and Canyon Ranch SpaClub at the Venetian opened in 1999. Thereafter, the ten-year pace went out the window. With the announcement of Canyon Ranch Living Bethesda and Canyon Ranch Living Chicago – both this year – it is clear that the company is on an accelerated expansion program.

My first Canyon Ranch overnight experience was at Tucson in 1980. I remember they were doing some very new things back then – like launching a “Spiritual Fitness” program. And today they are still pioneering programs and leading the spa world in so many ways. I’ll share highs and lows in my next few entries, but suffice it to say that so far I am most impressed that the guests seem very, very happy to be here. The staff seems very, very happy to be here as well. And having run into Mel Zuckerman, Canyon Ranch’s founder, briefly yesterday, I can say that he too looks happy, fit, and vibrant.

Clearly, the Canyon Ranch philosophy is working.

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