Tag Archives: Spa Design

Pritikin Spa Edging to a New Generation

Pritikin Spa Edging to a New Generation
by Susie Ellis
SpaFinder Insider

Just returned from a very nice Labor Day Weekend which Peter and I spent down in Florida on a boat tied up right near Pritikin Longevity Center and Spa in Aventura. Paul Lehr, President of Pritikin and author of their new book Pritikin Edge, was kind enough to invite us to be day guests while we were down there. That made our Labor Day Weekend a healthy kick-start for the fall season. It also gave me a chance to see what was new:

1. Younger clients. I was really surprised to see so many young people there. I met a mother with her two adult daughters, one in medical school and the other an actress – none of them more than a few pounds overweight. There were also some “high powered” New York women who also looked quite healthy as well as quite a few girlfriend pairs. In general, it was a nice mix of men, women and a variety of generations. On previous visits, I remember the guests being older. This mix of ages was cool.

2. Crowded. Well…not in a bad way, however the last time I was there, I remember there were some empty tables at dinner. This week – all the tables were full. And this was August in Florida!

3. More spa services. Their spa menu has expanded. The spa is still not as much of a focus as the fitness, medical and diet aspects, but there was a greater variety of offerings and my treatments were good.

4. Botox and fillers. I had heard that Pritikin was now offering these aesthetic medical services which was a surprise as they have always been so wellness-focused. However, I think it is a good idea. Many people are going to have these services anyway…so having them during a stay at a medically supervised longevity program isn’t such a bad idea. And I do think that a little bit of “freshening up” can score some mental health points. (Guests go off the premises to see a medical specialist for these treatments.)

5. Plastic surgery recovery. I didn’t realize that some people come to Pritikin post-plastic surgery. That might also include post mastectomy or reconstruction surgery, etc. Perhaps this has always been the case, however the information was new to me. Healthy eating, exercise, and stress reduction under medical supervision would be a great pre-surgery regime also.

6. No more ice cream. Boo hoo. Years ago I remember that their dessert options at dinner always included ice cream. For me with quite a sweet tooth, it was a real highlight. I believe it was Edy’s ice cream which was on their “OK” list at the time because of the low fat and no sugar. (Edy’s uses Splenda which is supposed to be better than the other artificial sweeteners.) Well, after more analysis by the Pritikin pros, there seemed to be some no no’s, and ice cream was taken off the menu. Guess it was too good to be true.

Alas, it’s probably better for me to distance myself from that sweet tooth rather than continue to indulge it.
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Gwinganna Spa Lifestyle Retreat has Got it Right

Gwinganna Spa Lifestyle Retreat has Got it Right

By Susie Elils, SpaFinder Insider

Am here in Australia at Gwinganna - a new spa (where Hugh Jackman and many others go). It opened less than two years ago and seems to be a smashing success. After just a few days here, I can see why.

More about that later however, I thought one aspect of their program is totally unique and brilliant:

To help guests be “mindful” and stay in the moment, they do not give schedules. I have no idea what I will be doing today except that in 30 minutes I will be showing up for wake-up tai chi. Then the rest of the day unfolds. It sure is a good feeling to simply flow along and not try to control everything. They have a list of whatever a guest requests for spa treatments, etc. And you just can trust that they will get it done right. Lots of repeat clientele are already proving that the program is extremely popular.

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Spas and Sleep Health: A Sizzling Hot Topic for Spas and Beyond!

Spas and Sleep Health: A Sizzling Hot Topic in Spas and Beyond
by Susie Ellis
You know that something is a “hot” topic when it comes to you from many different angles at around the same time. Here are three things that came across my desk in the past 48 hours:

1. “Great Reads: Nonfiction,” People Magazine, April 7, 2008

It isn’t every day that my People Magazine reading alerts me to a book that is useful for my work. However, when I saw this positive mention for Gayle Greene’s new book, Insomniac, and a mention that it is the last book you ever need to read about sleep, I went right to my computer and ordered it.

2. This morning, I received a press release with this headline: “NEW YORK STATE HOTELS AND INNS HELP GUESTS GET A RESTFUL NIGHT DURING NATIONAL BETTER SLEEP MONTH.” It seems there are a variety of hotels offering packages and products to guests in May for Better Sleep Month. These are “designed to celebrate the healthy quality of life difference that only a good night’s sleep can provide.”

3. Also this morning I received an urgent message from Cassandra at our SpaFinder Europe office stating that one of the big papers is doing a story on sleep health and wants me to comment. Their questions included: Is sleep really ‘the new wellness frontier’? Why are spas suddenly taking sleep so seriously? Which spas in the UK do you recommend for Insomniacs?

Even though we at SpaFinder predicted sleep health as a top spa trend for 2007 and again in 2008 as it relates to weight loss, I wasn’t prepared for such a groundswell of interest. The more I learn, the more I am convinced that this pillar of health will become of even greater importance and interest to all of us in the future. Researchers are just beginning to understand this part of our lives in which we spend almost 1/3 of our time.

Stay tuned!

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Sleep Health at Vacation Spas May be more Important than Massages, Facials, Manicures/Pedicures, Diet or even Exercise!

Sleep Health at Vacation Spas May be more Important than Massages, Facials, Manicures/Pedicures, Diet, or even Exercise!

by Susie Ellis

The importance of sleep is something that has been on our SpaFinder top 10 spa trends list for the past two years. In 2007 the focus was on adding sleep health to diet and exercise as an equally (if not more) important pillar of health in spas. In 2008, because of the growing research which shows sleep deprivation is linked to obesity, emphasizing sleep health in weight-loss programs at spas was the focus.

good nights sleep 5810 782965 Sleep Health at Vacation Spas May be more Important than Massages, Facials, Manicures/Pedicures, Diet or even Exercise!

Tonight’s piece on CBS’s 60 Minutes made these points clearer through video than I ever could in writing. I hope everyone who didn’t see it would watch it. Here is the link. A new thing I learned is that it appears we can add diabetes to the long list of consequences of sleep deprivation.

Sometimes I think that sleep health is my mantra. And for this upcoming week – it is no exception. Here is why….

I was thinking this morning about the volatile financial market situation we witnessed last Friday and how this might affect the spa industry. And what advice I might give.

I remember the October 1997 stock market plunge (which was later called Black Monday) and ever since have been aware that bad news at the end of a week might result in even worse news on Mondays. It just makes sense to me that after a weekend when people kind of regroup, they begin thinking about their personal financial situation and start taking steps toward self preservation. Too many people making financial moves all at once on a Monday can spell disaster.

Of course, I hope that I am wrong. My advice, however, for both spa consumers as well as the spa industry would be the same – be extra careful to get enough sleep. Dealing with challenges wisely necessitates clear thinking and emotional balance. Eating well is a good idea, exercising helps, however getting healthy and adequate amounts of sleep is possibly even more important. If you aren’t convinced, please do me (and yourself) a favor, and watch The Science of Sleep Part 1 and Part 2 from last night’s 60 Minutes.

Well…am off to bed.

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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!

Spa Veteran Thad Hyland, from Ojai Valley Inn Resort & Spa, heads east to open new Spa at Kelley House Martha’s Vineyard

Spa Veteran, Thad Hyland from Ojai Valley Inn Resort & Spa, heads east to open new Spa at Kelley House Martha’s Vineyard
by Susie Ellis

Just learned that Thad Hyland, Managing Director of the Ojai Valley Inn Resort and Spa - and one of the spa industry’s “stars” – is leaving Ojai. After 12 years and a stellar career there, he is apparently heading “home” to Martha’s Vineyard.

Thad is one of my favorite people in the industry – actually probably many people’s favorite. He is a great guy and a superb manager. He served as ISPA’s President for several years and was also one of the earliest resort GM’s to “get” the value of spa for a property.

Hearing the news through a spa colleague, I did a bit of online research to learn more. Here is the press release where the lucky new company he will be working with – Scout Real Estate Capital – announced his recent arrival. He will be the new GM at Harbor View Hotel & Resort and Kelley House. How interesting to find out that he worked there prior to moving to Ojai.