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

“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 $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 aesthetician 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’s newest 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 remodeling, 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 Wi-Fi 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 percent 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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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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Health
World’s Authentic Spa Experiences

Remember when a Swedish massage sounded exotic?

As recently as a decade ago, many U.S. spas offered fairly generic menus, counting European facials and the standard Swedish massage as their most unique offerings.

The industry has gotten more diverse and creative since then, branching out into treatments and body scrubs native to India, Korea and Thailand. But that hasn’t stopped dedicated spa-goers from roaming far and wide for spa treatments.

In Depth: World’s Authentic Spa Experiences
Experts in the industry say that, for the past few years, a small group of adventurous spa regulars with money to spend has been traveling, domestically as well as abroad, in search of spa experiences that more closely resemble their original forms. The therapies usually offer the promise of a health benefit or treatment of a chronic illness, such as a reduction in inflammation or relief of arthritic pain. But the treatments also provide a window into a different culture.

“Seeking out the true roots of a tradition is very appealing,” says Mindy Terry, president of Creative Spa Concepts, a full-service spa consulting firm. “And there’s a lot of bragging rights, too–to be able to say ‘I’ve done onsen in Japan’ or thalassotherapy in France, that’s significant to this group.”

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Carolee Friedlander, CEO of the by-invitation network for women AccessCircles, has been an avid spa-goer since the ’80s, shortly after Canyon Ranch opened its first health resort in the foothills of Tucson, Ariz.
Over the years, she began making a habit of visiting spas during travels to China and Thailand, but found that most of the focus was on massages and body or facial treatments. Today, she says, there are far more experiential treatments aimed at helping you re-energize and heal.

Take, for example, the outdoor bath she took at an Amankora Spa in Bhutan during a recent trekking trip. As she looked out on Mount Jumolhari, Friedlander relaxed in a wooden tub filled with hot stones–to regulate the water temperature–and floating local herbs, a practice said to ease muscles aches.
“It was in fact a reflection of the country’s cultural, physical and spiritual values,” she says.

Friedlander isn’t the only one who has developed a taste for a touch of authenticity. Dr. S.P. Sreejit, medical director of Athreya Ayurvedic Resorts in Kottayam, India, estimates the number of customers from around the world seeking the facility’s traditional Ayurvedic and rejuvenation therapies has doubled in the past couple of years.

The therapies include shiro dhara, a cleansing and invigorating treatment that involves the careful pouring of a stream of medicated liquid or oil on the forehead for 45 minutes. While offered at many spas and medical centers in the U.S. in single sessions, this kind of Ayurvedic treatment was traditionally designed to be given in conjunction with other medicinal therapies over a period of weeks.

Environment also plays a role in the effectiveness of a spa experience. At Athreya Ayurvedic Resorts in Kottayam, guests live and breathe the therapy, surrounded by peaceful, green paddy fields and an exotic herbal garden with access to a yoga and meditation hall.

Sure, you may be able to get a version of the traditional Maldivian sand massage, which uses cool, wet sand to exfoliate the skin, in your local spa. But it likely won’t be performed on a patch of shaded sand next to the Indian Ocean, as the waves roll in and out, lulling you to sleep.

What spa treatment do you swear by? Weigh in. Add your thoughts in the Reader Comments section below.
The little things can also make a big difference when you’re experiencing a spa treatment in its country of origin. Get a fango, an Italian mud treatment, in the U.S. and you may get a light body mud wrap. Go to the source and you’re likely to have inches of mud applied to your whole body–mud that somehow smells fresh and gives you the same feeling as bathing in mineral springs.

There were no major practical differences in the Thai Yoga massages received in and out of Thailand. But the native Thai masseuse, who had been practicing the art most of his life and probably learned it from his family, performed the stretching techniques in a much more fluid manner.

But you don’t have to go all the way to Thailand for a unique spa experience. Look hard enough and just about every country has an indigenous spa ritual. In Virginia, the one-year-old Spa of Colonial Williamsburg, for instance, offers treatments inspired by healing and relaxation practices from each of the last five centuries.

The price tag associated with tradition varies widely depending on the type of overall experience you’re seeking. A Thai Yoga massage could cost $160 in a Thai spa connected to a luxury hotel, while down the street in a storefront shop, it could cost $5. A two-hour, 18th-century inspired colonial herbal spa experience in Williamsburg will run you $265.

If you feel the urge to try an authentic local healing or relaxation ritual on your next trip, look at some spa menus online and see what’s unique, ask the hotel concierge and, most important, turn to the locals for advice.
Talking to the people who work in the hotel, service your room or run nearby shops. They will know the truly indigenous places to go.
With any luck and an adventurous spirit, you may soon, too.

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World-class pampering and wellness are today getting creative: customized treatments, elaborate hydrotherapy circuits, locally inspired rituals, and lots of four-hand massage. Our correspondents tested the latest facilities around the globe to yield a list of 76 winners as wide-ranging as the planet itself.

Conde Nast Traveler Names 76 Hot List Spas for 2008

Condé Nast Traveler’s May issue features a “Hot List” of 76 new spas that opened around the world in 2007. The list in the U.S. includes four in California — Spa Solage in Calistoga, Voda Spa in Los Angeles, Spa Desert Springs in Palm Desert, and Spa at Grand Del Mar in San Diego — and two in Texas — Spa at Four Seasons in Austin and Ritz-Carlton Dallas. Other US winners include The Spa of Colonial Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Va., Drift Spa in Las Vegas, Nev., and Solitude Spa, Jackson Hole, Wyo. Mexico has three winners, including Spa Aqua in Cancún, Paz Body & Mind Spa in Los Cabos, and Spa at the Mandarin Oriental, Riviera Maya, while the Caribbean had a whole slew of hot new spas, including three in Antigua — Spa at Curtain Bluff, Hermitage Bay Spa and Spa Tranquility in Antigua — and two in Jamaica — Fern Tree at Half Moon in Montego Bay and Rockhouse Spa.

World-class pampering and wellness are today getting creative: customized treatments, elaborate hydrotherapy circuits, locally inspired rituals, and lots of four-handed massage. Our correspondents tested the latest facilities around the globe to yield 76 winners as wide-ranging as the planet itself.

Spas in the U.S. making the Hot Top Spas List include:

- Spa Solage, Calistoga, CA

- Voda Spa, Los Angeles, CA

- Spa Desert Springs, Palm Desert, CA

- Spa at Grand Del Mar, San Diego, CA

- Drift Spa, Las Vegas, NV

- Spa at Four Seasons, Austin, TX

- Ritz-Carlton Spa, Dallas, TX

- Spa of Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg, VA

- Solitude Spa, Jackson Hole, WY

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Virginia Day Spas • Virginia Resort Spas • Virginia Medical Spas

Colonial Williamsburg offers new-age spa treatments

Williamsburg, VA — The challenge was to take the essentially modern construct of a spa and integrate it into the fabric of one of the country’s premier historical destinations.

You can get a massage or facial at the Spa of Colonial Williamsburg. You can get a manicure or pedicure or sit in the whirlpool. But the spa’s signature treatments, modern interpretations of healing and relaxation practices of the last five centuries, take you into a time machine. Each incorporates therapies drawn from the prevailing attitudes toward health and wellness in a specific era.

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

The new outdoor pool at the Spa of Colonial Williamsburg nestles into a sloping hillside overlooking a golf course.

In sum the five experiences highlight wellness traditions not only across time but also across the ethnic groups that have left their imprint on Williamsburg.

The Cleansing Hot Stones Spa Experience draws on the 17th-century Powhatan Indian practice of using sweating to eliminate aches and pains. In the modern interpretation, the body is warmed by hot stones then wrapped in herb-infused, steaming linen to encourage the release of toxins. The experience concludes with a full-body, hot-stone massage using oil containing lavender, cypress, juniper and rosemary.

Doctors in the 18th century began to make connections between cleanliness and health, theorizing that dirt on the skin prevented the body from perspiring freely, considered to be an essential natural process. Herbs and botanicals were thought to be a cure for a variety of ailments, and these were added to cleansing baths. This ritual has been adapted for the modern-day patron in the Colonial Herbal Spa Experience, consisting of a foot bath, followed by an orange-ginger body scrub, herbal body wrap and massage.

The Root and Herbal Spa Experience draws on African-American practices that used root powders to heal and strengthen, combined with the 19th-century fascination with spring waters. They thought that when the water was ingested, applied topically or used for bathing, it would cure common diseases. This treatment includes exfoliation with an herbal powder of lavender buds, rose petals and essential oils, followed by a bath, infused with sage, lavender and sea salts, and a massage.

Inspiration for the 20th- century Williamsburg Water Cures Spa Experience came from the development of technologically advanced spa equipment combined with the history of bathing rituals. This treatment consists of a full-body, dry-brush exfoliation, followed by a Vichy shower “rain” massage and a traditional milk bath to seal in the skin’s moisture.

Among the newest services are laser treatments and micro-dermabrasion. The spa offers state-of-the-art, particle-free dermabrasion along with the application of pure oxygen to the skin as part of its 21st-century Skin Rejuvenation Spa Experience.

Housed in space formerly occupied by a folk art museum, the Spa of Colonial Williamsburg opened a year ago. All proceeds go to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, said Kate Mearns, spa director.

The red brick Georgian-Revival building is bordered by a deep green arbor that shades a brick walkway. The inside decor is a pleasing combination of Colonial and modern. The women’s locker room features candle chandeliers, pewter hooks and hardware, honey-colored wood lockers and frosted glass.

A wet lounge with rough stone walls includes a eucalyptus steam shower, whirlpool and cooling rainfall shower. A bucket of ice water holds rolled up, lavender-scented face cloths.

Clad in robe and sandals, I began in the 18th century and ended in the 21st. My treatment started with a foot bath and ended with a foot massage.

The foot bath was followed by a body scrub. Made of brown sugar, orange essence, ginger powder and coconut oil, the scrub was pleasantly exfoliating and didn’t sting the way some scrubs do because it contained no salt. My therapist, Laura, explained that oranges were prized in Colonial days because they were imported from Europe, and ginger was used in tea and medicines.

After the scrub, Laura wrapped my feet in hot towels, draped my body in towels, then placed hot cloths that had been soaking in an herbal solution atop the towels. She pulled up the sides of the thermal sheet I was lying on and wrapped me like a mummy. While the heat-infused cloths softened my skin, she massaged my scalp.

Laura left the room, and I showered and got back on the table for a massage. The lemon grass and ginger oil left my skin silky.

From the traditional territory of scrubs and massage, I headed to the high-tech world of ultrasonic dermabrasion and applied oxygen. My modern experience also began with a foot bath and lavender scrub, during which my therapist, Tina, explained the process of cleansing, exfoliating and then hydrating the skin.

Using an ultrasonic wand, Tina exfoliated my face, then worked hydrating products into my skin with the same tool. I actually saw some lightening of brown spots caused by sun damage, but Tina explained that it wouldn’t last without regular treatment.

The next step was a hydrating masque, and while it set, Tina massaged my neck, shoulders, arms and hands. Finally she applied pure oxygen and oxygenated products with the Oxy Oasis machine, whose insistent thump had a distinctly hospital overtone. Bursts of pure air alternated with the soft spray of botanical skin products.

The whole process was markedly gentler than traditional micro-dermabrasion and chemical peels, and there was no redness to my skin when I left.

With any service, patrons can use all the spa’s amenities, including an indoor pool, outdoor pool in season, whirlpool, steam room, showers and locker rooms.

Massage continues to be the most popular treatment, said Mearns. And while most clients are women, men have responded especially well to services that incorporate baths and water rituals. “The century treatments are gaining in popularity,” she said, “and as we continue to be more branded, we expect this trend to continue.”

A long-range goal, Mearns said, is for the spa, with its access to the vast records of the foundation, to become “the library for the American spa experience,” an authority on American therapies that spa owners and designers can consult.

The field is still evolving, said Sepielli, noting two areas that are becoming increasingly prominent: spirituality — which she described as “doing things that enrich your soul, mind and heart to maintain your health” — and healthy aging.

“People want to make sure their health keeps up with their lifestyle,” she said. “This is good news for the spa industry. We’re moving from the realm of luxury into wellness.”

The Spa of Colonial Williamsburg, 307 S. England St., Williamsburg. Century-inspired treatments, 1 1/2-2 hours, cost $165-$285. 1-800-688-6479,

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