From Sea Bright to Cape May, landlords and business owners have spent weeks readying the Jersey Shore for Memorial Day weekend, the summer season’s dress rehearsal.

Public works crews have dragged lifeguard stands and trash receptacles onto the beaches almost around the clock. Long Beach Island has put its traffic lights into full operation for the first time since fall. And bright spring blooms bob in freshly painted flower boxes everywhere.

In Surf City, on Long Beach Island, officials just this week completed a cleanup of unexploded military munitions that began to show up on the beach after a sand-replenishment project two years ago. Nearly 2,000 munitions later, the Army Corps of Engineers swears it has carted off the last of them.

Road crews have been busy, too, with workers wrapping up projects on the Atlantic City Expressway, Garden State Parkway, and other major roads in Atlantic, Cape May, and Ocean Counties.

Last Memorial Day weekend, 882,407 vehicles traveled the expressway, and 7.6 million used the parkway. AAA has predicted a slight decline this year, but with gasoline about $1.50 less a gallon now than it was a year ago and good weather forecast – mostly sunny with passing thunderstorms, highs between 75 and 80 degrees – tourism officials hope to prove the club wrong.

Until this week, most of the Shore’s traffic had been lines of delivery trucks carrying fresh linens, tortilla chips, suntan lotion, and other beach essentials to hotels, motels, restaurants, and shops.
In a rush

It takes a lot of work to get the resorts shipshape for their first big wave of visitors. And no one may be in more of a race than Mike Popdan and his small crew.

“I don’t know of anyone who’s in a rush like we are. We have to be out here from sunup to sundown to get this place together,” said Popdan, general manager of the private Club at Diamond Beach, just south of Wildwood Crest in Lower Township.

“We basically have three weeks to start from scratch to build our entire club,” he said.

Though a group of investors owns the 600-foot-wide beachfront – one of few such arrangements at the Shore – state law prohibits Popdan from placing anything on the property until May 1.

His crew has three weeks to install walkways, two bars, a restaurant, decks, cabanas, restrooms, outdoor showers, a children’s playground, and all of the club’s electrical wiring and plumbing. Each year, it carts in a small forest of palms and other tropical plants to give the place a Caribbean-South Seas feel.

The property, at the end of Raleigh Avenue, got a bad rap a few years ago when it was the Atlantis Beach Club and its then-owner charged tenants of adjacent condominium complexes exorbitant fees to use the beach. The state Supreme Court ruled in 2005 that the property must provide public access at a reasonable rate.

Under new ownership, the Club at Diamond Beach charges $5 for a daily beach tag and $300 for the season. An additional $40 buys membership to the club, which sells alcoholic beverages. Lunch, beach chairs, umbrellas, and other amenities are extra.

“It’s really cool when it all comes together, to see that nothing was here but the sand and ocean, and then there’s this little slice of paradise for people to come, bring their families, and enjoy a beach day,” Popdan said.
Finishing touches

Almost as busy as Popdan’s crew is Robert Duzy’s painting operation. The Core Painting Co., of Marmora, spends each spring primping more than a dozen Cape May businesses, rental properties, and amusements owned by Cape Advisors Inc., a company whose holdings include the venerable Congress Hall hotel.

“We do work all over Cape May County, in Ocean City, Avalon, everywhere. But this time of the year, we do nothing but work in Cape May. Because of weather and other conditions, spring is the only time we can do it here,” Duzy said.

All the recent rain has left his crew working overtime to brush, spray, and dapple the resort’s Victorian treasures. The contractor also has helped put finishing touches on a luxurious spa opening at Congress Hall this weekend.

“You never get it all finished by Memorial Day,” said Denney Mayberry, manager of the Southend Surf Shop on the beachfront in Cape May.

The holiday is the “soft opening” of beach season, which doesn’t really hit its stride until around July Fourth, Mayberry said. “You have to see what you need and get your personnel in order. . . . Memorial Day is a good barometer for all that.”

Michele Gillian, executive director of the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce, hears that from her membership every year, she said.

“They kind of use Memorial Day to feel out how they think the summer might shape up,” Gillian said. “But even with all the work they might still have to do, they all tell me they are very ready to see the visitors come back.

“Even if they don’t have all the painting finished or every single item in yet, after a long, hard winter, they’re definitely ready for the season to start.”

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The Greenbrier’s new owner and Marriott International have reached a tentative agreement that allows the hotel giant to market the historic resort.

In exchange, Marriott won’t challenge the resort’s sale, said Jim Justice, who purchased the Greenbrier’s stock earlier this month.

Justice worked out the deal with Marriott executives late Friday night at the Greenbrier Valley Airport.

“It can be a wonderful marriage,” Justice told the Gazette this morning. “Marriott will be an integral player in sending us guests. There are so many advantages that can come from this.”

Two weeks ago, Marriott questioned The Greenbrier’s sale, saying it had a contract to purchase the resort from Jacksonville, Fla.-based CSX.

Under the tentative deal struck Friday, Marriott will receive a special fee for every Greenbrier guest booked through the hotel chain’s marketing network.

Justice would have to pay Marriott a $7 million “break-up fee” if he ends Marriott’s marketing partnership.

Justice said no written agreement has been signed, and many details must be worked out.

On Tuesday, a U.S. Bankruptcy judge in Richmond, Va., is expected to consider whether to dismiss The Greenbrier’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy case.

“I’m cautiously optimistic that the dismissal of the bankruptcy is imminent,” Justice said.
Also today, Justice announced he has reached a new collective bargaining agreement with The Greenbrier’s union workers. The union overwhelmingly approved the new contract. The agreement includes significant improvements in health benefits for employees, Justice said.

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Bedecked in more than $2 million of decorative glass, massage chairs and a shower that rains in color, Mitchell’s Salon & Day Spa will open its new location April 15.

The salon, at the developing Kenwood Towne Place in Sycamore Township, is about a third larger than its 21-year-old space down the street on Montgomery Road, and includes the added services and breathing room to use it. Employing a staff of roughly 80, salon founder and owner Deborah Schmidt expects to add 10 more, and sales are projected to increase over the next 12 months by 10 percent to 15 percent (prices for services will not change).

“We definitely want this to be a resort atmosphere,” Schmidt said, after passing through the granite-counter bathrooms and dimly lit relaxation parlor, with its chaise lounges of muted gold. “When you are here at the spa, we want you to feel like you are at a resort.”

Schmidt and Michael Batchelor, general manager at Mitchell’s, took time a few days before the opening to provide a tour. Schmidt invested $2.2 million in the new space, and it shows. The 13,600-square-foot location, with its expanded manicure and pedicure rooms, spacious salon and 10-room spa, is adorned with quartz-tile walls, locally produced art and custom-made glass throughout. The wall of the main entry is slate, and the Mitchell’s sign hangs against backdrop of highly polished copper.

Accessing that main entrance may take a while, however. Kenwood Towne Place, also anchored by Crate & Barrel, the Container Store and Kroger Marketplace, has been mired in liens and lawsuits filed by subcontractors who say they have not been paid in months. But several of the tenants are up and running, and Mitchell’s is easily accessible from the elevators in the parking deck.

“This is a magnificent location,” Schmidt said. “I think the building will ultimately be successful. It just ran into a hiccup.”

The Mitchell’s space can best be described as handsome. It is not gender-specific, not ultra-feminine like many salons and spas. This is intentional, Schmidt said. Roughly 17 percent of her clients are men, and the figure is growing. So there is a men’s locker room along with the women’s, and the colors, lighting and fixtures all were carefully selected to appeal to both.

Overall, the style is minimalist. The tables and bureaus, for example, are dark paneled and the colors lean toward warm earth tones. The chandeliers are simple wheels of dark copper, and the floors are porcelain tile, one of the few surfaces that can withstand the chemicals and beatings a salon dishes out.

Many of the amenities at Mitchell’s current location – the refreshment area, the Macintosh computers, the catered lunches – will carry to the new locale, but with more space. The salon in particular is much more capacious, each of the 29 work stations is equipped with two right-angle mirrors and streamlined cabinets to handle laundry, trash and anything else that might pull a workers from her space. Of the added amenities: a photo booth, where clients can have their new style photographed, or e-mailed, for future reference. It will be available within 30 days of the salon’s opening.

“You haven’t seen anything,” Schmidt said. “Wait until you see the spa.”

Separated from the rest of the salon, the spa is beyond a glass-paneled door. Down a long hallway stand 14 rooms, for treatments, relaxation, changing and, at the very end, dining. Schmidt walks through each, pointing out the custom cabinets that hide the hot stones and facial scrubs. Gilded art work and glass-tile trim adorn the walls. Four rooms are for massage, five are for skin treatments, and one is the water treatment room, where a client can have a luxurious vichy shower, with seven massage heads, followed by the multi-colored waterfall shower, also new.

“It feels,” Schmidt said, “like you died and gone to heaven.”

The dining room, which seats 17, will be catered by the Cheesecake Factory next door, at Kenwood Towne Centre.

Running a salon of this size requires a lot of maintenance. Behind the scenes, two industrial-sized washers and dryers handle dozens loads a days. There are five water heaters, and a kitchen where incoming food is plated and garnished (dishes from Crate & Barrel).

A salon of this size also requires a lot of staff. So in addition to the stylists and manicurists (of which there is always a shortage), there is a graphics designer, a vice president of education (for staff) and a bridal coordinator. Schmidt shares her office, she said, with the head of information technology.

Winding up the tour, Schmidt remembers that Mitchell’s was recently chosen by Procter & Gamble Co. (NYSE: PG) as one of five U.S. flagship salons to carry its Sebastian products. With so much going on, it just slipped her mind. She still had to say goodbye to the old location.

Mitchell’s closed its former location, at 8118 Montgomery Road, April 11. The staff held a sleepover there that night.

Mitchell’s operates locations in Hyde Park, West Chester, Northgate and Tri-County and also owns Pump Salon in Norwood. A second Pump is opening May 15 at Kenwood Towne Centre in the former Walden Books locations.

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Enso Wellness Center & Day Spa: Opens for business

Enso Wellness Center & Day Spa opened for business on March 15th and will be celebrating their Grand Opening on Tuesday, May 12th. Enso provides a variety of therapeutic massage, spa services and more – all within a serene setting providing clients with a true escape. Owners Darcy & Michael Schwerin are ready and eager to provide superior service to their clients.

After time in Santa Fe, New Mexico Darcy and Michael have made their way back home to Wisconsin. “Bayfield has always been a very special place for us and the rest of our families. It is nice to be back home sharing our experiences with the community and helping create a balanced and healthy lifestyle,” explains Michael. Michael received his training from New Mexico Acadamy of Healing Arts, one of the leading massage therapy schools in the country. His training provides over 15 different treatment modalities ranging from deep tissue massage to lymphatic massage and craniosacral therapy. “Each client walks in with very specific needs. We work to be sure we are addressing those needs in a serene and calming setting,” explains Darcy. Darcy received her Esthetician certification from the Aveda Institute of Beauty & Wellness, providing superior training for spa treatments including facials, body treatments, waxing and makeup application.

Enso Wellness Center & Day Spa is also proud to be the first Travel Green Certified spa in northern Wisconsin. Travel Green is a voluntary program that certifies and recognizes tourism businesses throughout the State of Wisconsin that have made a commitment to reducing their environmental impact. Enso’s space has been designed using environmentally friendly materials, systems, green supplies and products for clients. “We have worked very hard to analyze our decisions based on cost, environmental impact and sustainability,” says Darcy Schwerin, “The beauty of this approach is that our clients experiences will be enhanced.”

Enso is also the perfect location for women’s retreat, wedding parties, corporate or group event. The spacious Gathering Room is available and Enso is more than happy to customize your their clients’ experience.

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One business not likely to get wrinkles from the economic down turn, the newly opened Virginia St. Day Spa.

Putting a twist on the quaint mom and pop shop, this spa in North Bend is ran by mother and daughter and together they cut the ceremonial ribbon for their new business on Tuesday.

Offering complete body, hair and nail treatments, they’re working to keep their small station comfortable and clean by encouraging customers to use more natural products and grow their own nails out.

Store owner, Juli Lovelace says, “As far as doing artificial nails, we’ve decided to be more organic. We want to be more natural and use natural products.”

Located on the corner of Virginia St. and Union Ave. in North Bend. Folks can stop in to make appointments or call 808-0297 and also hear a recording of each months special.

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Three new salons have opened recently in downtown Greensboro, bringing the total number of spas in the center city to 29.

 

Araneetae Russ moved her Spa Creations Day Spa from Battleground Avenue to 335-B Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in the Southside neighborhood earlier this month.

 

 

Adaomma Edwards opened Jade & Co. Salon next door on Martin Luther King in Southside after about a year at its former Pyramids Village Boulevard location.

 

 

Powder Room Day Spa opened last week at 111-E Paisley Street on the northern end of downtown Greensboro.

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Wink Eco Beauty Bar proudly announces its Grand Opening, set for Tuesday April 7, 2008 in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. W!NK is an eco-chic parlor offering clean, friendly, and healthy professional beauty services to enhance one’s life. From the product lines carried, to the service protocol and sustainable storefront design, W!INK Eco Beauty Bar has created an environmentally conscious and social environment for treatments and beauty services designed for men and women alike.

Tani Chambers, Owner of W!NK Eco Beauty Bar states “While Greening my lifestyle, I realized that would have to include my beauty products and regimens as well. Shockingly, there was no place in Brooklyn to accommodate my needs where I didn’t question sanitation and the safety of the products used. Not to mention that every place looked the same, so I decided to create W!NK Eco Beauty Bar, a place that addressed all those needs.”

For the environmentally conscious consumer, W!NK offers Brooklyn’s first Green beauty bar. While the list of green practices and sustainable design elements at W!NK is very long, some highlights include the usage of reclaimed & surplus wood for construction and custom furniture, energy efficient Compact Fluorescent Lights, water conservation rules, biodegradable salon slippers & toe separators, materials printed on post-consumer recycled paper w. plant, soy or vegetable based ink, and personal care products free of parabens, phalates, synthetic fragrance, toluene, formaldehyde and other harmful chemicals. The Apothecary Bar gives customers the option to select from natural, vegan, and/or organic products to create custom blended body care products for use at W!INK or at home. W!NK utilizes products from Farmaestethics, Spa Ritual, OPI, Zoya, Stript Vegan Cosmetics and much more to comply with their Green protocol.

Located on the now historically-landmarked Vanderbilt Avenue amidst some of Brooklyn’s most beautiful neighborhoods, W!NK’s clients are treated to a warm, cozy haven where discriminating beauty and rejuvenating needs are met. The fresh sea blue walls are contrasted by copper accents, espresso furniture and floors. A 12-foot bar table accommodates five clients at a time for manicures and blending sessions from the Apothecary Bar. The Pedicure lounge accommodates up to three clients at a time in unique relaxing loungers along with beautiful hammered copper foot baths not found in your typical nail salon. The Brow Bar is accented with two stunning 6ft mirrors and fully reclining styling chairs for the utmost in client comfort. The treatment room offers plenty of sunlight and a view of the garden. W!NK also invites clients to visit the boutique area where beauty products, cosmetics, fashion accessories and gifts are available to complement the eco-friendly services. With eco-minded features and plush, inviting furnishings, Brooklyn’s neighborhood nail salon and beauty treatment destination has a whole new feel to it.

W!NK Eco Beauty Bar provides over 40 signature services and treatments reflecting a natural, eco-friendly, and fun experience! Come for everyday beauty maintenance like a manicure, pedicure, eyebrow design and hair removal via wax, thread or sugar. When in need of some extra care or rejuvenation, W!NK offers massages, body scrubs, wraps, and detox treatments as well as makeup application. Spa treatments are crafted with clays, salts, sugars, herbs, essential oils, rich body butters, lotions and balms. Some of W!NK’s signature treatments include Acrylics Anonymous, W!NK’s nail restoration program, The Athlete – a series for men who need some attention after a rigorous exercise routine, Four Hand (Tandem) Massage, Green Glama Facial, W!NK’s signature facial and the preferred facial for the eco-fabulous, and Beau-T-Full Brows a treatment that’s more than just a shaping. There are also seasonal Apothecary Treatments, which for spring include “Soul Shine” a body polish & herbal wrap, “Citrus Foot Splash” pedicure and “Awakening” essential oil massage. Even more is in store at W!NK including weekly events such as MANic Mondays, when W!NK is open exclusively to Men and Thursday’s “Girls Gone Green”- an after work social, plus other special promotional events. W!NK is also available for private party bookings.

W!NK Eco Beauty Bar is located at 602 Vanderbilt Avenue. Brooklyn, New York, 11238 Regular Hours of Operation begin with the Grand Opening on April 7th and will then follow the schedule: Mon(By Appt -Men Only)Tues (closed), Wednesday-Friday (11a-8p), Saturdays (10a-7pm), and Sundays (11a-5pm).

There will be a Soft Opening March 28th, W!NK will be open from 10a-7p, Sunday (11a-5p), and Thursday & Friday (11a-8p).

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Spas Opening March 2009

Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach – Eau Spa
Eau Spa’s focus on water – the French translation of “eau” – will encourage you to relax and enjoy ancient spa rituals in a spontaneous setting. Revel in a variety of soothing and unique treatments inspired by the wet, wit and whimsy in Eau Spa at The Ritz-Carlton, Palm Beach Beach. By addressing the individual needs of each guest with color-therapy, aromatherapy and sound-therapy Eau Spa offers self-indulgence at its best to provide an intimate experience far beyond treatments. Fully immerse yourself into the aura of Eau Spa as you embrace “me time” for maintenance, enjoyment, beauty or romance.

 

 

 

 

Spa 101 at Hilton Bentley Hotel in South Beach Florida

The sensuous Spa 101 at the Hilton Bentley Miami/South Beach hotel is a one-of-a-kind sanctuary featuring Asian-inspired treatments and high-quality organic products. Taking its cues from Asian culture, Spa 101 has created an alternatively personal spa experience on the peaceful sun swept fourth floor terrace of the Hilton Bentley Miami/South Beach hotel, overlooking the beautiful Atlantic Ocean. Premier spa services offered include a foot spa, a heavenly head massage with hair treatment, and a full body signature massage, either in a private treatment room or outdoor cabana. Other services offered include customized facials, and a signature manicure with scrub and massage. Special touches include complimentary foot massages for gentlemen waiting.

Spas Opening April 2009

The Palms Spa at The Palms Hotel & Spa in South Beach, Florida

Aveda’s only oceanfront resort spa in the United States, The Palms Spa, features holistic treatments and rituals designed to deliver a highly personalized experience. Our boutique spa features an inviting indoor/outdoor relaxation area with a unisex steam room and pool/garden/beach access, five multi-purpose rooms including one couple’s suite, one hydrotherapy room, poolside treatment cabanas, a full Aveda retail area and a beauty salon.

Stress, diet, and daily environmental aggressors trigger imbalances in the body such as acne, sensitivity, dryness, premature aging, and pain. The Aveda spa approach combines pure botanical products that produce results. Our holistic spa experiences are enhanced with touch and breath techniques that relax body and mind and naturally activate the body’s repair and recovery mechanisms. The Palms Spa team will help you achieve balance by recommending the appropriate techniques, self care and products that are right for you.

 

Sea Spa at the Chelsea in Atlantic City, New Jersey 

Located on the ground floor is the Chelsea’s 10,000-square-foot luxury Sea Spa which draws its inspiration from one of the great traditions and original attractions of Atlantic City: the nourishing, soothing, and healing properties of the sea and specifically salt. Also known as the alchemists’ fifth element, salt has been considered a panacea for thousands of years, as has Solé (”sol-ay”), the fusion of salt crystals and water into pure light energy to restore the body´s perfect balance.

Sea Spa harnesses the qualities of salt and Solé in almost all of its treatments, such as a Dead Sea Salt Exfoliate or the Sea & Sand Pedicure, complemented by a seasonally heated saltwater pool. Located outside, adjacent to the spa and open to the elements of nature, the pool promises to loosen tight muscles and enhance the detoxifying process of massage.

With packages tailored to women, men, and couples, Sea Spa features ten private treatment rooms, including two Vichy wet-treatment rooms and the Social Sauna, comprised of two Jacuzzis, a sauna, and steam room. All of the spaces are rendered in natural materials such as heated stone benches and teak ceilings and walls to create a soothing, meditative atmosphere.

Hyatt Regency Monterey Resort and Spa on Del Monte Golf Course in Monterey, California

Our brand new,  14,000 sq. ft., full-service Monterey spa featuring  exclusive Spa Suites is scheduled to open in early 2009.  Enjoy a complete range of spa services, including:

• Massages
• Body treatments
• Facials
• Skin care
• Beauty treatments

 

Spas Opening June 2009

 

Guerlain Spa at The Roosevelt New Orleans in Louisiana

 

 

 

Spa Terranea in Palos Verdes, California

From your room, it is a short walk to pampering and renewal at the Spa at Terranea, a 25,000-square-foot oceanfront spa, fitness center and salon. Designed, directed and staffed by the foremost professionals in restorative therapy, the Spa at Terranea provides a transformative experience for mind and body. An indulgent array of treatments, some traditional and some inspired by Terranea’s unique coastal setting, can be enjoyed in any of the 24 tranquil rooms. An outdoor lap pool combined with a 5,000-square-foot fitness facility offer every opportunity to sustain an existing exercise program or create a new one with the help of one of the wellness experts on staff. The Spa at Terranea also provides the perfect starting and ending point for a hike along the miles of coastal trails that connect with the resort. 

Spa Openings, Spa Resorts

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For the ultimate in relaxation, guests can indulge and experience revitalization like never before inside the 23,000 square foot Spa Mio. This world-class spa provides the latest treatments and pampered services. Spa Mio offers 16 treatment rooms, sauna, steam and Jacuzzi wet areas, full-service salon and barbershop and a state-of-the-art fitness center – all with spectacular views of the pool and events piazza, Villaggio Del Sole.

The new M Resort Spa Casino Will Bring You:

• An unrivaled standard of personal service and resort amenities
• Modern architectural style where form meets function
• Spectacular views of the Strip and valley
• The awe-inspiring Villaggio Del Sole Pool and Entertainment Piazza 

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