Recovery Watch: Spas Will Lead The Way
Tuesday June 30, 2009
The Associated Press just ran an interesting article that said spas will be one of the first places the economic recovery will show up. "What used to be an afterthought, from ordering wine with dinner to jetting off on a resort vacation, still feels like a splurge," read the article by Jeannine Aversa.
Spas, hotels, restaurants and shops will be amongst the first to see the shift as consumers feel financially secure enough to return to old spending patterns, she wrote. "Taken together, these seemingly minor transactions will likely help lift the country out of its longest recession since World War II."
Todd Walter, chief executive officer of Red Door Spa Holdings, is looking for Read more...
Legendary Greenhouse Spa in Dallas Closes
Friday June 26, 2009
The Greenhouse in Dallas, Texas, one of the earliest and most famous upscale
destination spas, has closed its doors and laid off all its staff. "The owners are saying they might reopen in October," says Brooke Couch, former director of sales and marketing. Call me cynical, but that seems highly unlikely in this economy.
The Greenhouse opened in 1965 with the help of Stanley Marcus of Neiman Marcus and was a favorite of the old-school Texas oil money crowd. The Greenhouse pampered wealthy ladies while they lost weight or recovered from plastic surgery during week-long stays. Being served breakfast-in-bed on fine china was a signature Greenhouse experience.
In recent years the spa seemed dated compared to fabulous new destination spas like Cal-A-Vie near San Diego and the sportier Lake Austin Spa Resort. And over time its location lost some of its allure. In 1965, The Greenhouse was surrounded by Read more...
Are Spa Treatments A Luxury?
Thursday June 25, 2009
Like a lot of other people, I'm trying to be more careful about my spending. So I just went through my credit card bills looking for things to cut. The two things that jumped out at me as substantial "discretionary" spending were books and massage. So, I've cut back on books by making friends with the local librarian. But I'm still budgeting for a massage every two weeks. To me, it's not a luxury. It's taking care of my health.
What I've found from hard experience is regular massage has substantial health benefits. If I put it off until I'm hurting, then my body is a mess and it actually takes more treatments to get back to normal.
Here's how I'm coping: I'm spending my spa dollars at a small local spa with affordable prices ($80 for a 75-minute massage). I work with one or two therapists who Read more...
Spas & The Greed Factor
Sunday June 21, 2009
Have spas become too greedy? I was talking to a
massage therapist the other day who said that the resort spa where he works is still busy, but the spa is dead. He thinks it's because the prices have reached absurd levels. "
Resort spas educated people about getting
massage and
facials," he said, "But now they get them at home instead of when they're on vacation because it's so much cheaper." He thinks we've seen the end of the splashy new 60,000 square-foot spas, where prices are cranked up high to help pay for the fabulous facilities.
Judy Singer, a spa consultant, says people want what spas offer, but it has to be financially feasible. "Many spas have been their own worst enemy by getting caught up in the greed factor (very high treatment prices)," she writes in an article for www.hotelexecutive.com. "This has caused consumers to re-evaluate the genuine need and ability for them to visit the spa."
What do you think? Have spas become too greedy? Are you changing the ways you use spas?
