Saturday, January 31, 2009

World's Most Luxurious Spas


It wasn't so long ago that luxury hotels were racing to add spas, realizing they weren't competitive without one. Today, luxury spas are racing one another. The pressure is on--and we're not talking about your massage.As spa-goers become more sophisticated and better-traveled, they expect more from a spa experience than ever before, and they're willing to pay for it. The industry generates about $40 billion globally, according to SpaFinder, a New York City-based spa marketing and media company. So spas worldwide are adding private suites, Japanese baths, rain showers and an ever-more-exotic array of treatments, therapies and fitness programs, influenced by everything from the traditions of far-flung cultures to cutting-edge medical technology, in order to stand out, cash in and attract new customers.Sure, you can still get a basic Swedish massage at any spa worth its bath salts. But some spas, like the Six Senses Spa at Soneva Gili in the Maldives, are now offering Abhayanga, a full-body massage derived from Indian ayurvedic medicine that is performed by two therapists. And forget the traditional facial. At the Terme di Saturnia Spa Resort in Tuscany, you can have a rejuvenating salicylic acid mask, which exfoliates away skin problems like wrinkles or acne and leaves the skin looking fresher and younger.Even the traditional mud bath is passé. Terme di Saturnia now offers three varieties of mud: anti-fatigue mud, specifically formulated for swollen legs; toning body mud, which is laced with essential oils; and anti-cellulite mud, a mix of thermal mud and unspecified additives that promise to fight cellulite. And the cost for each one of these muddy luxuries? $70 a pop.It's not just the treatments and facilities that are changing at modern spas, either. To ensure a ready supply of clients, spas are reaching out to new groups of potential guests. "The industry is finding niches and catering the experience directly to them," says Lynne Walker McNees, president of the Lexington, Ky.-based International Spa Association (ISPA). "For men, they are changing the titles on the spa menu, changing the oils and making the experience less girly."See ten of the most luxurious spas in the world. Video: World's Most Luxurious SpasThe demographic of spa visitors has shifted dramatically as a result. Men now constitute more than 31% of spa visitors, up from 24% in 2004, according to ISPA.Click on the links for more slideshows• Slide show: World's Sexiest IslandsSlide show: Most Expensive BikinisSlide show: Most Luxurious Spas In The USSlide show: World’s Most Expensive HotelsSlide show: Summer's Hottest Fitness Trends"Throughout the world, spas are really catering to men with special menus, treatments, facilities, mens' clubs, scotch on the rocks--all the trappings you associate as typically masculine--to put men at ease," agrees Ann Abel, executive editor of Luxury SpaFinder, a publication of SpaFinder. "They need to take care of their skin, and they enjoy massage as much as women do," Abel adds. And now, there are more places than ever for them to do it.The Island Experience, a 100-square-mile private island off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, is one example. The resort, which bills itself as an adventure spa, will introduce an "Alpha Adventures" program next winter, encouraging men to buff and beautify themselves in the most masculine way possible. Alpha Adventures will feature testosterone-filled activities like jungle hikes, sea kayaking, surfing, snorkeling, fishing and two nights of camping. (Lest that sound too much like roughing it, yoga and massage are available as well.)And at Chiva Som, an exclusive destination spa in Hua Hin, Thailand, men get a spa menu of their very own, which includes specialties like the Volcanic Pumice Polish, a body buffing treatment done with Italian pumice, or the Executive Hand Treatment, which tends to the cuticles and nails (which are shaped, but not polished), and ends with a hand and arm massage.Now that's pressure we can handle.Story posted on MSN.COM & FORBES.COM

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I follow this industry closely thanks for sharing some of these facilities.

Regards,
J
Spa Marketing

Anonymous said...

Hello !.
You may , probably very interested to know how one can manage to receive high yields .
There is no need to invest much at first. You may commense to get income with as small sum of money as 20-100 dollars.

AimTrust is what you need
The company represents an offshore structure with advanced asset management technologies in production and delivery of pipes for oil and gas.

Its head office is in Panama with affiliates everywhere: In USA, Canada, Cyprus.
Do you want to become a happy investor?
That`s your chance That`s what you wish in the long run!

I feel good, I began to take up real money with the help of this company,
and I invite you to do the same. It`s all about how to select a proper companion utilizes your money in a right way - that`s AimTrust!.
I make 2G daily, and what I started with was a funny sum of 500 bucks!
It`s easy to start , just click this link http://huhoqacy.dreamstation.com/ilateg.html
and lucky you`re! Let`s take our chance together to feel the smell of real money

luxury spas said...

Tower rooms are a billion times better than the Pyramid. The Inclinator is dumb. Hitting your head on the roof when you walk to look out your slanted window is the worst.

Powered By Blogger