Hot stone massage. Chocolate body scrub. Seaweed thalassotherapy wrap. All sound lusciously decadent and expensive.

Even the $10.9 billion spa industry admits prices are inching up, with some massages reaching $250 at the chicest of resorts. But you don’t have to pay full price. Just like the airlines and hotels, spas operate using yield management, meaning that when things are slow and the economy nosedives, prices drop. You can benefit if you learn when and what to book. Here are tips.

Weather your savings. If your destination has a particularly hot summer (Arizona) or cold winter (Maine), off-season specials may be only a thermometer away. Even five-star resorts have an off-season and a busy season. In the off-season, hotels use room discounts to attract guests, then toss in spa discounts to sweeten the deal.

Timing counts. Every spa has off-peak hours of operation: when it first opens, around noon and late in the day. Tuesdays and Wednesdays tend to be slow days. Check if services cost less at some days or times.

Ask and ye shall receive. If you’re a walk-in client, ask about daily specials. Say you’ll come early or are willing to use the newest employee. Many spas offer discounted services to fill unbooked time. Occasionally, day spas slash prices for any first-visit treatment, such as a manicure or facial, in the hope you’ll become a repeat customer.

Or, e-mail spas ahead of time and ask about discounts for business travelers. Julie Gallaher of ThingsYouShould Do.com suggests, “Write something like, ‘I’m going to be in your town next month, but I’m on a budget, so I’m looking for something affordable.’ ”

Also, check for special-occasion discounts. For example, Glen Ivy Hot Springs (www.glenivy.com) in southern California offers free spa admission on guests’ birthdays.

Less is more. Services that require extensive training (Thai massage, Shiatsu, cranio-facial, etc.) cost more. So will a spa’s signature treatments because of the more expensive products used. Among the most overpriced spa services, manicures and pedicures as much as triple what a typical nail salon charges.

Bundle up. Bundling several treatments on one day can reduce the cost 10 percent to 20 percent over à la carte services. If you don’t want a particular service in the package, some spas will substitute.

Cast your net wide. Look off-property or outside resort areas where the facilities are often equal in quality but far less in cost. Within a mile of Honolulu’s Waikiki is Aloha Lomilomi (www.aloha lomilomi.com), which specializes in the Hawaiian lomilomi massage with extra discounts for those older than 65. Ask your hotel concierge if any neighborhood spa offers discounts to hotel guests, advises Mary Hall, author of the Recessionista Blog.

Frequency pays. If you’re in a location for a couple of weeks or visit frequently, you may be able to buy a series of treatments – say, six for the price of five – to be used within a specified time. Some spas offer a frequent-user card. The Spa at Inverness (www.invernessspa.com) in Denver offers a Relaxation Rewards card. After 11 visits that rack up $95 or more each in services, you receive a free treatment of choice.

Show your loyalty. Most spas offer loyalty programs for local or repeat customers. The Relache spa at the Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine (817-778-1800; www.gaylord hotels.com/gaylord-texan) offers the Preferred Customer program. Participants get 20 percent off all services on Mondays through Thursdays. To make the PC list, share your e-mail address so the spa can send you information.

Maximize a mini. Consider express treatments such as a mini-facial or 30-minute massage. A shorter facial and half-hour spent in the relaxation area may just give you the boost you need. Plus, with most full-service spas, visitors who book a treatment are free to use the entire facility – saunas, steam rooms, swimming pool, relaxation lounge – for the day.

Surf the Internet.  For other spa savings options, search with city name and “spa discount.”

Go back to school. Cosmetology or massage-therapy schools charge a fraction of their spa counterparts. Most offer a student salon or clinic where treatments are performed under the supervision of instructors. Search for schools of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (www.careersinbeauty.org) or the American Massage Therapy Association (www.amtamassage.org).

In Dallas, the Salon Professional Academy (214-222-2436) offers facials for $22. Manicures start at $11.

Shop Costco. Another great deal dug up by Consumer Reports’ Shop Smart magazine: Discount warehouse Costco sells two $50  gift certificates for $79.99 (a 20 percent savings). Use the certificates for treatments (even discounted ones) at any spa in the  network.  Make sure you have a local spa that accepts them ands use them right away.

Join the club. Consider a national or regional massage chain. The chains are prone to staffing turnover, and it may take a few visits to find the ideal masseuse, but savings can be significant. For example, Massage Envy has more than 500 storefront clinics nationwide and employs only certified therapists. Members get one massage for $49 to $59 per month (depending on location) with any extras $39 to $49 each.

Hiatus Spa and Retreat in Dallas (214-352-4111; www.hiatusspa.com) offers a similar membership program. Customers pay $59 a month for a 12-month platinum membership or $69 for a six-month gold membership, which gets them one core service such as massage, facial or wrap each month plus unlimited core services priced at the monthly fee. Memberships may be shared by four people in the same household.

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Once an economic sweet spot, spas are aching for business.

Spas are discounting or tossing in freebies “to get people in the door,” says Shelby Jones, an International Spa Association (ISPA) spokeswoman. An ISPA survey found specials at slow times (Monday-Thursday) and more free use of amenities such as pools and hydrotherapy areas.

More hotels (1,646 in the USA had spas as of June, ISPA says) are giving spa credits. When ISPA president Lynne Walker McNees checked into a Lexington, Ky.-area Marriott after a power outage, it gave her a $40 spa credit.

Some soothing offers driven by the stressful economy:

•Through May, Miraval Tucson in Arizona (an Oprah Winfrey favorite) is touting “Authentic Remedy” packages from $399 a person daily to help manage angst. That covers meals and one spa service (up to $125) a day.

•At the Inn at Palmetto Bluff in South Carolina, visitors who book a 60-minute massage ($145-$160) also get a free mini-facial or foot refresher.

•Usually heavily booked Rancho La Puerta across the Mexican border from San Diego is holding rates at 2008 levels and running a “bring a friend for 50% off” deal on slow weeks.

•Pennsylvania’s The Lodge at Woodloch is massaging wallets with savings of 25% for a four-night minimum stay and 20% for three nights.

Even VIP-luring Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills is value-minded. It’s doing massages in a cabana at no extra cost, spa director Derek Hofmann says. “And if you’re a Bloody Mary girl, we’ll bring you one.”

Vegas spas deals:

•The Golden Nugget spa gives guests who have 50- or 80-minute services a free manicure or blow dry, based on availability.

•Some packages at The Mirage Hotel & Casino are deeply discounted ($150 for a massage and facial vs. the usual $260).

•The opulent Caesars Palace spa now gives new guests $25 off a service on request; all can get free eye treatments with a facial.

You can tell the industry is hurting  says Lindsey Gockenbach of the Spa Week Media Group. 

More spas with “treatments of $200-plus” are joining in, Gockenbach says. Among the 250 newcomers: pricey The Boulders Resort & Golden Door Spa in Arizona. “These are spas that never participated in Spa Week because of this discount but now are almost forced to do so.”

Spas also are touting wellness over pampering. But in general, rates for spa basics such as massages ($150-plus hourly at some chic sanctuaries) aren’t sliding.

“The idea is to protect the brands,” says Bernard Burt, co-author of 100 Best Spas of the World. “Historically, the best spas have ridden out recessions.”

Meanwhile, at a time when a good kneading is needed more than ever, he suggests asking for discounts. It can’t hurt, he says.

“The smart shopper will call direct and ask for the best price.”

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Spas offer spa deals, discounts to lure customers in slumping economy

With the economy slumping and fuel prices soaring, facials and massages may not be a top priority for consumers on a budget.

But America’s top spas, gathered in New York for the annual meeting of the International Spa Association, are trying to make it as easy as possible for visitors to indulge without using up their gas money or breaking into the piggy bank.

“You can still go and have a spa experience without spending a ton of money,” says Veronica Cole of the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa in Ojai, Calif. “Many spas, like ours, offer use of our facilities with one treatment, so you can come spend hours relaxing.”

In other words, if you can’t afford a weekend or overnight stay, consider booking one massage or scrub at a destination spa, which usually entitles you to use the pool, steam room and other facilities for the day.

The Ojai Valley Inn, located not far from Los Angeles, is a destination spa known for its blooming lavender gardens and an approach that draws on Native American traditions. Cole said carving out an hour or two and hanging out at the spa can be relaxing enough to make you feel like you’re on a mini-vacation.

Jaime Huffman of the Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa in Asheville, N.C., said more 50-minute massages have been made available recently instead of more expensive 80-minute massages. The Cliff House Resort & Spa in Ogunquit, Maine, offers a US$99 spa sampler on Sundays.

Booking midweek is usually cheaper than weekend trips and spa owners suggest asking about specials like a mother-daughter discount or a family discount. Most spas have them but don’t necessarily talk them up.

Cole also suggested asking the therapist or esthetician for tips on how to continue the regimen at home.

“It’s not that we don’t want you to come and stay with us for days – we do,” she said. “But if it’s a choice between thinking it’s too expensive and skipping it altogether, we’d rather you just come for something small.”

Spas are still growing despite the economy: 138 million people visited spas around the country in 2007, according to the most recent industry figures from the International Spa Association. And spa revenue in 2007 was $10 billion, the organization said, up from just over $9 billion the year before. Data for 2008 shows that spas continue to grow, the association said.

Spa operators also suggest considering a spa vacation as an alternative to going to Europe or taking some other big trip. There’s rarely a need to drive once you’re at a destination spa, so you won’t be spending money on gas. And an all-inclusive booking means that lodging, food, pools, the locker room and other amenities and facilities like hot tubs and steam rooms are included in the cost.

“You can really retreat to a spa, and there are no unaccounted costs because you pay upfront,” said Lola Roeh, general manager of the Osthoff Resort, which is home to the Aspira Spa in Elkhart Lake, Wis. “You can chose to add on costs, like additional treatments, but that’s up to you.”

Destination spas can be pricey – $500 for a weekend or more – but it’s possible to cut other costs if you decide to vacation at one. The Lodge at Woodloch, located about two hours outside of New York in Hawley, Pa., is far enough away from the city that visitors can feel like they’re on a real vacation, but close enough to take a bus or train from Manhattan and save on gas. And you don’t have to stay a week or five days – many spas offer two-night stays that can still be relaxing.

Many other spas are located outside of major metropolitan areas, like Kohler day spa in Burr Ridge, Ill., outside Chicago. The company, known for its faucets, paired a showroom with the spa so clients can sit in whirlpools or fancy tubs and do shopping for remodelling, too.

Along with tips for spa-goers on a budget, other themes emerged at the Aug. 21 spa meeting. Here are five trends shaping today’s spa experience.

-Busy bees: Many spas are catering to the stresses on busy workers. The Spa of Colonial Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Va., is offering a WiFi massage geared toward the muscles you use when you’re at the computer. Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, N.Y. , offers meditation to help calm nerves.

-The first time: Ginn Hammock Beach Resort in Palm Coast, Fla., offers a clothed massage – for people who are afraid of going in the buff to a treatment. A survey of spa-goers last year found 70 per cent who hadn’t tried a massage were uncomfortable with being naked or partially naked. This massage eases people into the treatment – and hopefully allows them to feel more comfortable to go full Monty later on.

-Couples too: Ginny Lopis of The Lodge at Woodloch says she’s seeing more and more couples booking spa getaways. At least half the guests these days are male, she says. “It’s really not just for ladies anymore,” she said. “We get husbands and boyfriends here who really enjoy it.” Other spas say they are seeing more couples, also.

-Go Green: Spas are getting greener, from homeopathic treatments at the JW Marriott Spa Collection to an eco-friendly spa at Mohonk Mountain House that uses organic products made from locally grown ingredients. The Kohler spas are big on water conservation, and use eco-friendly shower heads and toilets.

-Distinguish from the masses: With more than 18,000 spas around the country, establishments are distinguishing themselves by offering unique treatments and products. The Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts spas offer a lava shell neck treatment, which uses shells, applied in the same way that heated stones are sometimes used in massage. The Lake Austin Spa Resort located outside Austin, Texas, offers yoga and spa treatments for those with asthma and allergies.

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ISPA Offers Spa Savings Tips

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To help clients who are finding fewer funds available for spa visits, the International SPA Association is offering tips for spa deals.

With everything from gas to grocery prices on the rise, you are no doubt looking for ways to get the most bang for your buck. So, how about stretching your dollar with a half day of de-stressing and relaxing in a spa for the cost of a 60-minute massage? With more than 3,000 members in 75 countries, the International SPA Association wants to help you find a spa experience to match your budget.

“Just as you can find a hotel, restaurant or pair of shoes in any price range, there is a spa experience out there for everyone,” said ISPA President Lynne McNees. “ISPA’s research shows that the average cost of a spa treatment is $79, which means you can relax, reflect, revitalize and rejoice at a spa for the cost of going out to dinner, playing golf or seeing a play or concert.”

One in four Americans has been to a spa and stress is bringing them through the doors. “The main reason that people go to spas is to reduce and relieve stress,” said ISPA Chairman Jim Root. “With concerns over the economy, combined with our 24/7 society of BlackBerries, cell phones and traffic, people are realizing they must take time out to recharge their batteries and are turning to the spa lifestyle as a necessary part of a healthy routine.”

When ISPA and research firm The Hartman Group asked spa-goers what they would spend $200 of additional discretionary income on, a spa visit came in first for nearly 60% of American and Canadian spa visitors. The study also showed that dining and shopping finished second and third respectively, while concerts, movies, golf and spectator sports finished much lower.

Are you ready to relax? These six insider tips will keep you from stressing over costs at the spa:

• Off Is On – Book an appointment in the morning, mid-week and during the off-season. By beating the crowd you’ll score a spa deal.

• Packaged Deal – Many spa directors report that packages are often discounted up to as much as 20% off the regular individual prices. With 70% of spas offering packages, these deals are easy to find.

• Group Mentality – Bring your friends, family or co-workers and save. For example, you and your significant other will have no trouble finding a deal on a couples package, as 46% of spas offer them.

• Make a Day of It – Turn a 60-minute spa experience into a full day! Spas offer a wide range of complimentary amenities for you to enjoy, such as relaxation rooms, steam rooms, fitness centers, pools and healthy snacks and beverages.

• Score Online – Besides checking your favorite spa’s Web site for any new promotional postings regularly, you should also sign up to be on the spa’s e-mail list.

• Taking It Home – Take the spa experience home by learning techniques from your treatment that you can practice in your daily life. Ask your therapist for pointers on stretches, breathing techniques and home remedies, as well as product recommendations.

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The Lounge Spa / Culver City CA Day Spas / Cheap Spa Packages

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It’s always nice to head to the spa to de-stress, but sometimes the prices can be anything but relaxing. A number of local spas offer massages and treatments that feel expensive but are really affordable.

Around for centuries, the Art of Threading® is the primary method of shaping eyebrows at Ziba Beauty. Threading is practiced in parts of the Middle East, Pakistan, and India. One advantage to threading is that it doesn’t irritate the skin.

“Instead of tweezing and waxing, we use common cotton thread, and we twist and run it along the skin,” said Sumita Batra, Ziba Beauty. “The twisted area grabs the hair and pulls it out of the follicle.”

It also shouldn’t strain your wallet at $9 for both brows.

Ziba also practices the Indian Art of Mehndi®, the painting of ornate henna tattoos that can last up to ten days.

“Basically it is a form of celebration,” said Batra. “When we get married, when we have children, it’s considered to bring you good luck and good fortune.”

But it doesn’t cost a fortune. Some work going up the arm would run about $25.

The Lounge Spa in Culver City is cool and swanky without the swanky price.

“Part of the what makes the Lounge Spa really stand out is that they offer both these beautiful amenities, niceties like a locker room and a lounge, and a little bar area where you receive an elixir tonic when you walk in, and you don’t get that at most places with these kinds of prices,” said Erin Mahoney Harris.

An average massage costs $50 for 50 minutes.

“I wanted to create an atmosphere as well as a price that clients will not feel stressed, not only coming in here, but they can come in more regularly,” said Alice Koskas, The Lounge Spa.

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Like many Americans, it’s tough for Stephanie Nickele to find time in her hectic schedule to enjoy a manicure and pedicure.

 

“It’s the only opportunity I have during the day to get this done. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to do this at all,” she said.

 

Enter 10-Minute Manicure.

 

“It’s very much like the men’s business tie and shiny shoes. It is something that is necessary in today’s professional world,” said Karen Janson, vice president of 10-Minute Manicure.

For $10, customers get a manicure in 10 minutes.

 

It’s a needed service, say the business’s creators, because well-groomed nails can be the final touch on a woman’s image.

“We can’t show up at business meetings or social events without our appearance being 100 percent, and nails are very integral to that,” said Vivian Jimenez, co-founder of the business.

10-Minute Manicure was born from a simple idea. Three friends, all busy professional women, desperately wanted something that would make their lives easier.

 

“Women need a little bit of an oasis and we provide that as a service during their busy working day,” Janson said.

 

Last January, the women opened their first 10-Minute Manicure in Cincinnati’s airport. There are now 11 airport locations with one at Miami International opening soon.

 

Each salon, like the one in downtown Miami, has the same design and pricing.

 

“They can rely on the consistency of the services. That’s really important,” Jimenez said. “They know it’s clean. They know we sterilize. All of our technicians are licensed and have all been through our training.”

The owners specifically targeted airports to grow their business. The stores are located after the security gates where travelers spend about 90 minutes on average waiting for flights.

It’s fast because technicians use special products and eliminate the soaking process.

 

“Anytime I’m in one of our locations, a woman will come up to me and thank me, and say, ‘This is the greatest idea. I wish I had done it,’” said Lorraine O’Neil, CEO of 10-Minute Manicure.

“I think of us as the Starbucks of nails,” Janson said. “They have taken the cup of coffee to the next level, and we’ve taken nails to the next level.”

 

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Black Friday Free Gift Certificate Sale at Pittsburgh’s Best Day Spa ESSpa Kozmetika Organic Day Spa, 17 Brilliant Avenue Aspinwall, PA 15215, announces its “Black Friday” Gift Certificate Sale scheduled for 4am Friday November 23rd, the Day After Thanksgiving 2007.

Early morning Black Friday sales events are not typically associated with a high-end, luxury day spa. After dozens of red-eyed, fur-coated spa guests lined up in the cold pre-dawn darkness last November 2006, ESSpa owner and former Hungarian model Eva Sztupka-Kerschbaumer decided to make “ESSpa Friday” an annual event.

This year Eva will also offer complimentary champagne, roasted marshmallows, s’mores, gourmet coffee, croissants, mimosas and plans for a live band to keep spirits bright. Such an unusual event is sure to draw hordes of intelligent shoppers from their turkey-induced slumber as they make their way to ESSpa’s beautiful spa located just 8 miles north of Pittsburgh in Aspinwall, PA.Voted by numerous publications as Pittsburgh’s “Best Spa” in 2005, 2006, & 2007 and selected by the USGA as The Spa Services Provider for the 2007 U.S. Open at Oakmont CC, ESSpa Kozmetika Skincare is highly-regarded amongst Pittsburgh’s well-to-do. But Mrs. Sztupka-Kerschbaumer wants to make her ultra-effective skincare treatments available to all those potential customers who may never think of visiting a spa.

ESSpa will open at 4 AM on Friday, November 23rd, (The Day After Thanksgiving) and offer Complimentary “Buy One Get One Free” Gift Certificates to the first 100 customers through the door.

“Growing up in Hungary, a visit to the spa was part of our regular grooming routine as we rarely went to see a doctor.” explains Eva, who looks like a young Bridget Bardot, “Here in America, people regard spa treatments as an expensive luxury when in fact they provide significant health benefits.

It is my goal to offer traditional Hungarian skincare to as many people as possible, from infants to great-granparents. Our Black Friday Gift Certificate Special will help accomplish this task while allowing me to give something special back to those guests who have supported us. And what a great way to start your Holiday shopping.”

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