A host of new spa academies and training programs are helping some major players to staff their spas with qualified employees while also raising the bar for the industry as a whole.
Aug 1, 2008
By:
Heather Mikesell
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Most spa-goers know that not all treatments are created equally. In fact, oftentimes it can be difficult to get a similar experience from the exact same treatment. Much of the inconsistency found in spas today stems from a lack of education and training. If the expression, "good help is hard to find," is an all too familiar lament, you're not alone. It's that challenge that is spurring many hotel companies with branded spas to create their own training academies and programs.
Today's spas are getting back to nature by incorporating a host of organic ingredients from their own backyards.
May 1, 2008
By:
Maryann Hammers
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LIKE MANY SPAS, STOWEFLAKE MOUNTAIN Resort in Stowe, VT, offers a labyrinth for meandering, meditating, and reflecting. But unlike other labyrinths, this guided pathway is made of blooming hedges, herbs, and flowers, all within a 10,000-square-foot garden.
Today's spas are going beyond relaxation and introducing a host of sleep-related treatments and programs to address a growing health concern.
Feb 1, 2008
By:
Heather Mikesell
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Essential to Health and Wellness, Sleep is often taken for granted by those who drift off the moment their heads hit their pillows and slumber peacefully through the night. For millions of Americans, however, it is a frustrating struggle that can affect both physical and mental capabilities.
Paying heed to fashion and function, uniforms serve an increasingly important role in creating the right look for your spa.
Jan 1, 2007
By:
Anitra Brown
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The days of polo shirts, bulky lab coats, and one-size-fits-all spa uniforms are on their way out. Spa directors are getting more creative with their staff's attire as they look for the right fit from a visual, thematic, and philosophical perspective. Increasingly, spa uniforms are perceived as just as important as a carefully considered spa menu and a multi-million-dollar interior—and sometimes just as hard to get right.
Creating better air quality in your spa can promote greater wellness.
Jul 1, 2006
By:
Deon De Wet
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Your spa is a place where clients come to breathe deeply, relax, detox, de-stress, and become more healthy, peaceful, and beautiful. The trouble is that your spa's air quality probably makes this impossible. Remarkably, the air quality inside most structures is up to 90 percent worse than the air outdoors. The Environmental Protection Agency's Total Exposure Assessment Methodology (TEAM) studies has found levels of about a dozen common organic pollutants to be two to five times higher inside than outside, regardless of whether the structures were located in rural or industrial areas.
Get your piece of the wedding pie—er, cake—by offering services that cater to brides, grooms, and their attendants.
Jun 1, 2006
By:
Maryann Hammers
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From the moment the lucky guy gets on bended knee and pops the big
question, Dana Minkin, owner of Gloss Day Spa in New York City,
wants to be part of the planning and preparation. Gloss's 12-month
Bridal Star package ($1,950) includes a year's worth of
treatments—even a post-honeymoon facial. For brides-to-be who
don't have a full year, there's an abbreviated six-month package
($1,400), as well as an intense four-week Bridal Bootcamp ($390).
For the day before the big day, Gloss offers a quick-fix Runaway
Bride package ($490), which includes a facial, an upper-body
massage, teeth whitening, brow shaping, and body bronzing, plus
separate packages for the maid of honor, bridesmaids, and groom.
Meanwhile, an on-site wedding planner is on hand to consult with
the entire wedding party and offer style and image suggestions.
