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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Conde Nast readers name Watermark’s spa one of country’s best

The Watermark Hotel & Spa has been voted one of the top spas in North America by the readers of Conde Nast Traveler.

The Watermark earned an overall score of 92.4, ranking it among the Top Ten hotel spas in the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean and Canada. The complete list is featured in the publication’s April 2009 issue. The Watermark is the only spa in San Antonio to earn a ranking in this year’s Readers Choice Spa Poll.

“We are delighted to have received yet another top accreditation by Condé Nast Traveler and are pleased to have the support of our loyal customers,” says Rusty Wallace, general manager of The Watermark Hotel & Spa. It’s a testament to our outstanding spa staff that our beautiful facility and expert services have earned consistent praise from both San Antonio locals and hotel guests.”

Readers evaluated 79 hotel spas throughout North America on food and dining, location, treatments, spa facilities and spa staff.

“This is an important ranking for us as spas are playing a critical role in providing an escape from the stresses of daily life,” says Liz Hutto, spa director at The Watermark Spa. “Our spa bookings have held strong within the past six months showcasing a real desire by consumers to relax and re-charge.”

The Watermark Hotel & Spa is owned by Irving, Texas-based Omni Hotels. The hotel and spa is located along San Antonio’s River Walk and is a companion property to Omni La Mansion del Rio Hotel.

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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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Steel Magnolias hits Lake Dallas

In an effort to bolster development, the city rezoned property at 111 Gotcher Avenue to a commercial district. A new salon and spa will occupy the zoning.

City council held a special meeting on Monday, Nov. 24, and unanimously approved for the new lot. The property was previously zoned for residential single-family dwelling.

“The property was residential property and has been residential since the house was moved on since the 1950s,” said property owner Kay Swihart of Corinth.

The building is about 100 years old and was once a Baptist church, said Swihart.

The lot is about 0.585 acres, and was leased to business partners Rachelle Garland of Hickory Creek and Karen McCown of Denton. They plan to open Steel Magnolias Salon and Spa.

“They have signed their lease and it was effective Nov. 15, so the business will be opening Dec. 1,” Swihart said.

Garland, who has been in the salon and spa industry for about 19 years, said the antique building will make all the difference. It is about 1,000-square feet.

“We’re not in a shopping center, we’re in a free standing house,” Garland said. “It’s very charming and unique.”

The freestanding antique building will give a personal, intimate setting she said, setting it apart from most other businesses in the Lake Cities area. Currently the business has two employees, but is hoping to expand to four as soon as possible.

“Most of my clients that I have currently do not live in Lake Dallas,” she said. “So we would like to have Lake Dallas coming to us and Hickory Creek, and the whole tri-city area.”

“Quad-city area,” interrupts co-owner Karen McCown as she corrects Garland.

“We’ll have a full service salon and spa, and so we are bringing it back to just a real serene, and old fashioned, eclectic type [of building], where it’s just calming and relaxing and they’re not really fast paced,” she said.

This will be the only full-service salon and spa in Lake Dallas.

“I think personally that anything we can do to bring business to Lake Dallas is a positive thing,” said City Councilmember Alan Fletcher who voted in favor of the rezoning. “So, if you have an owner who is really wanting to make an investment in Lake Dallas and it’s going to bring more traffic to Lake Dallas, and if we can do that, I’m all for it. It should be a positive impact on the city.”

Others on the council also voted for the rezone and agreed.

“Hopefully it will spur a lot more development,” said Mayor Pro-Tem Karl Hammond.

If Steel Magnolias Spa and Salon lives up to the expectations of the council, it could bring more traffic to Lake Dallas, and possibly more development.

“We just want to add a little bit more charm and have a full service salon and spa,” McCown said.

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Day spa continues growth with move to new location

Starting out in 2004 as a “one-woman” operation in an old 8×12 file room, Palestine native Jamie Pettiette-Rhone began achieving her dream of bringing a state-of-the-art day spa to her home town.

Just one year later, Rhone expanded Jamie’s Therapeutic Touch for the first time to include an additional room and a secretary. After another 18 months, she purchased a building on Palestine Avenue — adding two massage therapists, a nail tech and hair dressers.

And now, just three years after her last expansion, Rhone has upgraded again to a 2,000-square-foot building on Crockett Road that includes eight treatment rooms housing six massage therapists, three estheticians (skin care therapists) and two nail technicians.

“I started with nothing and I feel like we have almost everything now,” Rhone said in a recent interview. “When I started, I didn’t have any clients and didn’t know if I make it or not, but I jumped in it with both feet forward and have never looked back.

“I can’t believe that was almost five years ago — time has flown by so fast, and I love every minute of it.”

Along with the growth of her facilities and staff, the services offered at Jamie’s Therapeutic Touch also have expanded profoundly since opening.

“When I first started I just did a basic facial, microdermabrasion and weight loss body wraps,” she said. “Now we offer a variety of facials, peels, wraps and massages and provide treatments like Lamprobe, AquaDetox and Ionithermie.”

Permanent make-up, manicures and pedicures, spray-tanning and product lines such as Dermalogica (skin care), Jane-Iredale (make-up) and Tahitian Noni are also offered at Jamie’s.

“We are always looking for the next greatest and best thing to offer our clients,” Rhone said. “All of our therapists are licensed in their fields and we encourage continued education.

“We are always attending trade shows, and seminars to be able to stay on top of the ever changing market.”

With their expanded facility, the local day spa is now better able to accommodate small groups for parties, ‘girls night out’ events, children’s birthday spa parties and bridal parties for the bride and her whole bridal party.

“We can get the bride’s face and body ready for her big day to make it less stressful,” Rhone said. “We offer couples treatments and spa packages that range from two hours to eight hours at the spa with lunch and champagne provided.”

Rhone’s plans for growing her business are not quite complete, she said, as an expansion to her new building is already in the works.

“Right now our five hair dressers are still operating at the Palestine Avenue location,” she said. “We will be adding space for the hair dressers and another treatment room as well.”

Rhone cannot take all the credit for her success, though. Without her loyal and always-growing customer base, none of the dreams she has achieved for the spa would have been possible, she said.

“We have a wonderful client base that we are blessed to have as our clients and friends,” she said. “Some of my clients have been with me the whole five years in business, which I thank God for everyday.

“Palestine has everything to offer that the bigger towns have, and we strive to always bring them the best service possible,” she added. “I just want to give back what God has blessed me with.”

Jamie’s Therapeutic Touch, is holding a holiday open house Dec. 12 and 13. The public is invited to tour the spa, meet Rhone and her staff and enjoy a selection of desserts, champagne and coffee.

“Dermalogica educators will be available to answer questions and we will offer microzone and skinbar treatments,” Rhone said. “A Jane-Iredale make-up artist will be demonstrating the latest looks; and we also will offer hand and arm massage.”

Therapists at Jamie’s include: Kathy Klauser, licensed medical massage therapist; Christine Pennington, nail technician and licensed massage therapist; Monika Comancho, licensed massage therapist; Christy Parish, licensed massage therapist; Brandy Leblanc, licensed massage therapist; Amy Gordon, esthetician; Diane Wakeland, esthetician; Jolonda Freeman, permanent make-up artist; and Charlie Yaunk, assistant.

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Only One Week Away — All 24 Houston Massage Envy Clinics to Give Away 1000s of 1-Hr Massages to Men/Women Who Want to Fight Breast Cancer

‘Massage for the Cure’ Set for September 15, 2008
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Only 1 week away: Fight breast cancer and enjoy the benefits of a free 1-hour massage at Massage for the Cure — a day-long event slated for September 15 and sponsored by 24 Houston-area Massage Envy clinics.

The event will raise money for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Houston affiliate.

This is what’s happening: On Monday, September 15, all of the 24 Greater Houston-area Massage Envy clinics will offer a free 1-hour therapeutic massage session to any man or women in support of the Komen for the Cure Houston Affiliate.

“For a donation of any amount, any Houstonian who calls for an appointment will receive a free, one-hour therapeutic massage from any of our 24 Houston-area Massage Envy clinics,” said Lance O’Pry, regional developer of Massage Envy clinics in the Houston area. O’Pry said every Massage Envy clinic will be fully staffed with licensed massage therapists and every penny collected will be donated to the Houston Komen affiliate. The money will serve the needs of Houston-area women.

Reservations for appointments will be accepted beginning at 8 a.m., Monday, September 8. Massage Envy clinics are open from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m., first come-first serve. “Call early. This event is popular and massage appointments go fast,” said O’Pry.

Contact Houston-area Massage Envy clinic of your choice,” said O’Pry. “Or, walk into one of our clinics and make the appointment in person.” He said the addresses and phone numbers of every Massage Envy clinic is at www.massageenvy.com.

Massage Envy Clinics in the Houston area

Massage Envy Clinics Atascocita
Massage Envy Clinics Bay Colony
Massage Envy Clinics Clear Lake
Massage Envy Clinics Copperfield
Massage Envy Clinics Cypress
Massage Envy Clinics FM 1960/Eldridge
Massage Envy Clinics FM 1960/Willowbrook
Massage Envy Clinics Galleria
Massage Envy Clinics Gleannloch Farms
Massage Envy Clinics Katy-I-10
Massage Envy Clinics Katy – Cinco Ranch
Massage Envy Clinics Kemah
Massage Envy Clinics Kingwood
Massage Envy Clinics Memorial
Massage Envy Clinics Meyerland
Massage Envy Clinics Missouri City
Massage Envy Clinics Pearland
Massage Envy Clinics River Oaks
Massage Envy Clinics Sugar Land/Greatwood
Massage Envy Clinics Sugar Land/Woodbridge
Massage Envy Clinics Magnolia/Westwood Village
Massage Envy Clinics The Woodlands/Indian Springs
Massage Envy Clinics The Woodlands/Market Street
Massage Envy Clinics West University

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