GLOBAL MARKET GROWTH REDEFINES MEDICAL SPA

For a large segment of the adult market, spas are no longer seen as luxuries. Staying well means integrating spa experiences with a personal health regimen.

The growing trend of medical spas, however, is becoming a source of confusion for consumers and the news media. Many medical spas offer a broad range of invasive and non-invasive cosmetic services, mostly in a physician-supervised environment. Services include breast augmentation, liposuction, Botox and collagen injections, face-lifts, microdermabrasion, cellulite reduction, hair transplants and laser hair removal.

Destination spas are expanding treatment menu options; new offerings include sleep health, fertility, and teeth whitening. At a retreat titled "Passionate Intimacy," Mii amo in Arizona invited spa guests to rediscover masculine and feminine energy through communication, love, intimacy, and sex; the four-night package was priced $3,124.80 per person, including medical specialist consultation.

As a huge generation of baby boomers turns 60, women and men are seeking treatments that enhance youthful appearances rather than anti-aging promises. Growing demand among women 40 to 54 years old: liquid face-lift rather than cosmetic surgery, fat transfer breast enhancement instead of implants. Younger adults are expanding the market. Look for tattoo removal to become a new specialty.

These are just some of the cosmetic and aesthetic procedures offered in conjunction with traditional facials and massages by professional therapists. Data compiled by ISPA for its 2004 Spa Industry Study showed 471 medical spas in the US representing approx. 4% of US spa locations. By May 2005, it was estimated to have doubled in size, and should break the $1 billion barrier by this year.

Medical spas now represent ten percent of the overall spa industry if one combines pure medical spas, laser hair removal facilities, spas that are attached to doctors' and dentists' offices, and those now being built into resorts, says Mark Wuttke, head of the Wuttke Group. Mark's 20-year history in the spa industry, covering homeopathic medicine to Jurlique skin care, convinced him to form his Atlanta-based consultancy to develop strategies that bring the medical spa into the mainstream of wellness and prevention of illness.

Networking spawned a new "industry" of consultants, advisors, and operators seeking the right balance of business for entrepreneurial doctors and dentists. Advice on how to handle ethical issues as well as management practices is offered members of the Medical Spas Association (www.medicalspaassociation.org.)

An alliance of industry leaders based in Washington, D.C., will launch June 17th with a conference at the National Press Club. Conceived as a forum for newsmakers, the Washington National Spa Alliance (W-Spa) includes the Hela medical day spa in Georgetown, as well as Alchimie Forever skincare created for dermatologists. Serving as honorary chair, Deborah Szekely, founder of Rancho La Puerta and Golden Door, says the W-Spa will be a resource for news media and policy makers in the national capital.

WELLNESS TOURISM LINKS TRAVEL INDUSTRY

Vast, growing global markets are intersecting and interweaving in creative and potentially synergistic business models. Ongoing research is needed to document the economic impact of medical tourism. Data has been limited to a few surveys by ISPA and the Global Spa Summit (www.globalspasummit.org). Market studies by two firms - Deloitte, McKinsey - contributed valuable insights to the conversation, but their vastly different numbers underscored that agreements on industry definitions and measurement remain unsettled.

• "The idea of traveling around the world for medical treatment" with 'medical travelers' defined as "people whose primary and explicit purpose in traveling is medical treatment in a foreign country." (McKinsey)
• "Healthcare consumers leaving home for treatments and care abroad or elsewhere." (Deloitte)

European health resorts now feature executive checkups alongside traditional kurs and hydrotherapy. A leading example is in Budapest, the Hungarian capital of hot springs. Surrounded by the Danube River, the Danubius Health Spa Resort Margitsziget was the birthplace of modern medical spas in Central Europe: The Thermal Hotel, mid-century modern, with 267 rooms and conference center, combines preventive medicine with thermal baths. The medical director said I could bathe in certain pools but some were too hot for a person with high blood pressure. Mudpacks made with mineral-laden vegetal mud from Lake Heviz, Hungary's spectacular source of healing waters, were prescribed for aching muscles and rehabilitation after surgery. Doctors on staff treat a variety of ailments, including cardiology and obesity; dental and optometry care is offered at prices well below the rest of Europe.

The British International Spa Association (BISA) will meet in Budapest this June to consider cross-currents in medical spa services. One issue will be enforcement of new standards on use of the term medical wellness, recently adopted by a consortium of health organizations and wellness hotels in Germany to replace the spa concept.

In Florida, the Pritikin Longevity Center and Spa relocated to Miami on the site previously occupied by the elegant Saturnia Spa. Located within Marriott's Doral Golf & Spa Resort, the new center continues the pioneer work of Nathan Pritikin linking diet and lifestyle in programs that address obesity and cardio problems. For the first time, staying at the Pritikin Center will be covered by Medicare in 2010.

From massage to teeth whitening, the spa movement has come a long way in the past 20 years. In the early 90's there was very little overlap between medicine and spas. That changed dramatically, with more doctors 'discovering' that spas add to health and reduce stress. (Perhaps through their own experience after a round of golf at a medical retreat.) The spa world and the medical world began talking at the first ISPA European Conference, which I co-chaired with Jenni Lipa of Spa Trek in 1996, hosted by Baden-Baden. With the arrival of Botox in 2002, a new type of aesthetic/medical spa was born and the spa and medicine connection was solidified. Spas also got their act together, becoming more transparent and down-playing the New Age factor. On the beauty front, anti-aging therapies and products that prevent problems and avoid costly, invasive actions are the focus of leading resort and day spas. Examples include Brenner's Park-Hotel in Baden-Baden, which has one of Europe's top private medical clinics attached to a luxurious center for beauty and fitness, plus a PREVENT program that combines comprehensive examinations with personalized therapies, nutrition and fitness plans. Another world-class medical center in Switzerland, the original Clinique La Prairie, integrates a full-service spa with medical checkups. Now there are executive physicals at a Lanserhof in Austria, Bad Ragaz in Switzerland, or the Kurotel in Brazil.

When hospitals open spas, the health-care discussion takes on a new dimension. In Carmel, Indiana, Clarian North Medical Center has OLOGY, a "medically-based" spa where patients enjoy a one-hour Thai massage for $75. The Philippines' Medical City Hospital will preserve your DNA by stem-cell banking. Thailand's amazing Bumrungrad Hospital expanded its VitalLife Wellness Center customized nutrition and health programs, offering anti-aging, sports medicine, and fitness consultations within the Bangkok campus and a proprietary line of nutraceuticals for home use.

American hospitals often integrate spa-like services. Patients at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota can schedule in-room massage before and after surgery, and get a facial. Naturopathic doctor Les Moore, Director of Integrative Medicine at Clifton Springs Hospital in New York, restored mineral spring baths and opened a full-service spa. Cornell University professor Mary Tabacchi chaired NYSPA which aims to promote New York spas through an alliance with the state's tourism development program. Traveling across borders to destination spas such as Champney's in the UK, Rancho La Puerta in Mexico, or Chiva-Som in Thailand, for a life/health turnaround was well established in the 1980s when I researched a guidebook, "Fodor's Healthy Escapes," for Random House. Being immersed in exercise, nutrition, and stress-reduction therapies was the basis of "wellness tourism." But only one heath resort had a diagnostic clinic - Canyon Ranch at Tuscon, Arizona - still leading the industry with wellness vacations.

Going back to nature, some of America's original hot springs health resorts now feature full-service spas: Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas, and New York's Saratoga Springs have been rejuvenated; George Washington's favorite watering hole in West Virginia, Berkeley Springs, now a state park, offers bargain baths with thermal spring water; Glen Ivy Hot Springs in Southern California celebrated 150 years as "Club Mud."

What's old is new again.

TRENDSETTER DESTINATIONS CALIFORNIA HEALTH & LONGEVITY INSTITUTE, Westlake Village

David H. Murdock, octogenarian billionaire and sole owner of Dole Food Company, Inc., envisioned the Institute as a place where individuals in search of a healthier lifestyle engage with the best available experts in the fields of Medicine, Nutrition, Fitness, Life Balance and Spa to improve the quality and longevity of their lives. WellPoint, Inc., the largest health benefits company in terms of medical membership in the United States, recognized a need to educate their corporate clients about strategic methods of reducing healthcare costs and absenteeism while increasing productivity through proven methods that provide a return on investment. Dr. Conrad, one of the world's foremost experts in the fields of genetics, complemented this venture with his studies about the degradation of DNA due to lifestyle factors. Together, they refined a vision to proactively provide an educational approach to improve the health and well-being of individuals and corporations' employees which resulted in California Health & Longevity Institute

CANYON RANCH, Arizona

Leading the way to quality aging, the Life Enhancement Center has its own residential compound where participants in the structured week-long program share experiences and enjoy supportive camaraderie.

Set amid 70 acres of high-desert, the landscape of cactus, mountains, and flowering shrubs enhances clusters of fitness facilities and the central building where guests gather for meals and lectures. Among features is an indoor set of pools for Watsu water therapy; demonstration kitchen for daily cooking class; and yoga/meditation dome. Excursions to nearby canyons are scheduled for hikes and biking.

Outposts of Canyon Ranch in Massachusetts, Miami, Las Vegas, and aboard cruise ships, offer similar services, but only the Arizona spread is both comprehensive and inspiring.

TOSKANA THERME, Germany

Taking the waters at Toskana Therme attracts young families as well as senior citizens. Nestled in rolling hills near Frankfurt, a new Toskana Therme opens this spring. Combining public pools fed by thermal springs, a day spa, hotel, and wellness center, the new structure in Bad Orb images the original Toskana health resort in East Germany, Bad Sulza. Created by the same team of designers, facilities include a "Liquid Sound" pool equipped with underwater music and projected images that induce deep relaxation.

The healing waters of Bad Sulza are the centerpiece of the original Toskanaworld, a large resort near Weimar. Marion Schneider and Klaus Boehm renovated a hotel/clinic and built a remarkable structure for water therapies on a grand scale. Recently added, saunas of many varieties provide a peaceful respite from the crowded pools. The clinic is staffed with medical doctors and therapists specialized in geriatric medicine. Restorative therapies employ thermal baths and exercise.

CLINIQUE LA PRAIRIE, Switzerland

Adding the spa building a few years ago brought La Prairie a new generation of devotees. The bi-level 4,500-sq.-metre facility includes indoor swimming pool, exercise equipment, and first-class restaurant. Trainers and physiologists are on hand to coordinate with doctors doing laser work or surgery. The original anti-aging treatment has been updated with CLP Extract, an orally administered potion taken from liver cells of unborn sheep. In addition to salon services, week-long packages focus on revitalization and thalassotherapy.

KUROTEL LONGEVITY CENTER, Brazil

Kurotel Directors Neusa and Dr. Luis Carlos Silveira founded this elegant mountain retreat 28 years ago. Inspired by Dr. Silveira's studies in Germany at the Kneipp center in Bad Woerishoffen,. Kurotel, uses the latest advancements in predictive and preventive medicine, plus nutrition and exercise regimens that address the whole person.

MURAD INCLUSIVE HEALTH CENTER & SPA, California

Based on the Cellular Water Principle® - Dr. Murad's theory that no matter what causes disease or aging, the final common pathway is cellular water loss - treatments are designed to maximize a crucial level of hydration in every cell of the body. Services include facials, extractions, new concepts in peeling, and an array of laser and light therapy. Massage and body treatments such as wraps, soaks in Japanese onsen tubs, and cellulite therapy are offered, as are salon services. The staff includes physicians, lifestyle practitioners, aestheticians, acupuncturists, body therapists, nutritionists, psychologists and other health providers. The Murad Inclusive Health Center® and Spa is affiliated with the Murad Medical Practice, where Dr. Murad treats his patients.

INTERNET SERVICES OFFER GUIDELINES TO MEDICAL SPAS

1. Who is the owner of the spa, and how long have you been in business?
2. Is your supervising doctor board-certified in the specialty I'm interested in?
3. Who performs the treatment and what are his/her qualifications? (For invasive/laser work, the procedure should be performed by a licensed physician or registered nurse under the supervision of a physician.)
4. If he/she was trained in the procedure, when and where did the training take place?
5. How many times has he/she performed the procedure?
6. What is your emergency protocol in case of complications? If a doctor isn't performing the procedure, will one be on-site and available?
7. Do you have a list of patients I can contact? (Ask to speak with someone who has had the same treatment, at least 6 months earlier, so you can evaluate permanence and healing.)
8. What are the costs for the procedure? Are there any additional costs?
9. What are the risks/side effects involved with the procedure?
10. What type of laser/equipment is being used? Is it appropriate for my skin type and for the result I'm seeking?

Susie Ellis

About the Author: Bernard Burt is senior editor and columnist for Spa Management Journal. He authored 100 Best Spas of the World and Fodor's Healthy Escapes. Updates and industry news are featured on his website SpaGoer.com. As founding director of the International Spa Association (ISPA), Burt tracked international trends. In 2010 he will co-chair the Washington National Spa Alliance (W-Spa), a forum for newsmakers in the capital region.

SPA INDUSTRY SPONSORS AND PARTICIPANTS DRIVE ONE-OF-A-KIND 21ST CENTURY SELLING & NETWORKING EVENT

The new, high ROI selling and networking event - The Medical Aesthetics & Spa Marketplace - will be held June 25-27 at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu.

The creator and sponsor of the extremely focused Medical Aesthetics & Spa Marketplace program, Guy Jonkman, publisher of Spa Management Journal and Medical Spas Review, explained how the entire program enhances value for both the vendors and the spa and medical aesthetics professionals who will be there buying: "After three years of research and development," says Jonkman, "we decided to go directly to all those organizations and let them drive the decision about when to re-schedule our event to ensure the best possible results for all involved. A consensus was reached that for many reasons the best dates were mid-year, at a time when no other national spa or aesthetics events would be taking place and no other outside issues could have any adverse affect on the program. The Hawaii Convention Center was very helpful and worked with us. They found us the perfect dates that make The Medical Aesthetics & Spa Marketplace the only major spa event happening at that time, therefore affording the real value and ROI power to both our vendors and buyers the event deserves!"

Skip Williams, program director, defined it best: "With this first and only major buying and education event ever held in the islands for the hundreds of spas and medical/aesthetics facilities there, and the unique high-value three part format of the program, it was important that nothing take away from or distract from it's success. Besides all the Hawaii buyers, our buyers from California and across the west coast are even more excited about going to Hawaii. Now they are telling us they can combine business with pleasure, attending the program along with taking the perfect vacation in the perfect vacation destination, some even planning it for the entire family, and I am hearing this over and over again."

The Medical Aesthetics & Spa Marketplace is a three-part program made up of one-on-one meetings between spa and medical aesthetics buyers and vendors; a unique trade floor of world-class vendors for those facilities buyers; and focused seminars for spa and medical aesthetics professionals, the buyers, addressing their most pressing and important issues. Three days scheduled so no one part overlaps or takes away from any other part!

For more information about participating or attending this powerful high-value program please contact the The Medical Aesthetics & Spa Marketplace team at 702-436-6854, or e-mail them at Info@medaex.com or Medaex@yahoo.com. You may also visit www.medaex.com to review the event details and send an inquiry for more details!

STEINER LEISURE ACQUIRES BLISS, REMEDE BRANDS

"This sale is illustrative of our long term strategy to focus purely on our growing and increasingly global hospitality business," said Frits van Paasschen, President and CEO of Starwood. "At the same time, we are delighted that we will continue our business relationship with Bliss, which has provided a distinct point of view to our amenities and spas in our W and St. Regis hotels."

Leonard Fluxman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Steiner Leisure Limited, said, "Bliss' accomplishments over the years have resulted in the creation of a very distinct, clever, unpretentious brand in the beauty industry, introducing a lively approachable, fun atmosphere to the spa arena. We are very excited for the opportunity to introduce Bliss products and broaden the appeal of the brand through our distribution channels."

Based in the Bahamas and Florida, Steiner operates resort and day spas worldwide. Brands developed by the company include Mandara, Elemis, and Chavan in India. As the world's largest operator of spas at sea, Steiner branded Greenhouse spas aboard Holland America cruise ships, Mandara aboard Norwegian Cruise Lines, and Lotus Spa for Princess Cruise Lines. Listed on the NASDAQ exchange (STNR), the company branched out into education, acquiring schools for therapists across the United States. Steiner Leisure revenues for the third quarter ended September 30, 2009 decreased 9.6% to $130.9 million from $144.7 million during the comparable quarter in 2008. Net income for the third quarter of 2009 was $10.8 million compared with $13.8 million for the same quarter in 2008. (Net income for the third quarter of 2009 includes $1.2 million of nonrecurring costs relating to a proposed strategic opportunity.) www.steinerleisure.com

Established in 1901, Steiner divisions include spas and salons on 127 cruise ships, 50 resort spas, and two luxury day spas. Cruise lines include Silversea, Carnival, Celebrity, Crystal, Holland America, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Seabourn, and Norwegian. Resort spas are at Atlantis Bahamas, Harrah's Entertainment, Hilton Hotels, InterContinental Hotels and Resorts, Loews Hotels, Marriott Hotels, Nikko Hotels, Planet Hollywood, Sofitel, Starwood Hotels and Resorts and Westin Hotels and Resorts. Steiner's Elemis Limited subsidiary manufactures its Elemis(r) brand products for use in their cruise ship and land-based spas, and sold at department stores. Other Steiner products include La Therapie(r), Ionithermie, and Steiner Hair Care.

Starwood® Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels and resorts with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, aloft(SM), and element(SM).

VIETNAM OPENS DOOR TO THE EAST

Special thanks to spa travel authority Susan Teng of Worldwide Honey Tours based in Singapore, and the unflappaple staff at Asia Spa Institute for coordinating arrangements.

Ho Chi Minh City Day Spa La Cochinchine Has Affordable Luxury

At the Rex Hotel, a monument to Saigon and its French connections in Ho Chi Minh City, a luxury spa complements rooftop fitness center and swimming pools. La Cochinchine Spa is inspired by the French name given to Vietnam in the 17th century. Opened less than a year on two floors redolent of the old Rex, treatments are inspired by traditional Vietnamese, French, and Chinese beauty secrets. From neighboring India come Ayurvedic therapies with herbal remedies. Priced in US dollars and thousands of VND, treatments range from $12; full-day packages with three to five hours of therapy start at $66, include access to Nautilus fitness center, Jacuzzi, sauna and pools.

Contact: www.lacochinchine.net; Email: info@lacochinchine.net

For a Vietnam vet or newcomer, staying at the Rex is nostalgia trip. Lunch at the rooftop restaurant adds panoramic views of Ho Chi Minh City and the heart of old Saigon. Gone are the American cultural center and army briefings for foreign correspondents. A new wing elevates the status of the Rex as the first state-owned five-star hotel, built and run by the Vietnamese. Across the square, Sheraton and Park Hyatt hotels compete with the new Caravelle hotel, all offering spas. Shops offer designer couture, Thalgo spa products.

Contact: www.rexhotelvietnam.com

Serenity of Nature Inspires Princess D'Annam Resort & Spa

A sense of history lingers as we navigate streets of the Capital onto Highway #1.
Traffic gridlock adds hours to a beach excursion. Before we reached the Princess d'Annan Resort, the restaurant manager thoughtfully telephoned to order my room service dinner, complemented by excellent French wine. The beachfront spa is an ideal escape from scorching sun, has separate wings for men and women; two private suites allow treatments without leaving your luxe roost. Try indigenous herbal oils for Viet massage.

Built by French investors on a pristine cove, the resort's modern villas bespeak a minamilist sensibility, post-colonial ambience. Ginger perfumes gardens, beachside dining overlooks a century-old lighthouse and fishing village. A talented kitchen crew prepares seafood French style. The resort is named for a legendary princess who brought peace to her kingdom. Quiet, spotless, it's an antidote to city stress.

Contact: www.princessannam.com; Email: info@princessannam.com)

The Nam Hai Blends American Technology, Oriental Tradition

From bustling seaport to ultramodern beach resorts and casino, Hoi An is fast developing as an international center for business and leisure. Luxurious lodging and spa therapy meet at The Nam Hai, a resort with a distinctive sense of style.

Shimmering on China Beach, the lotus lagoon at The Nam Hai harbors an intoxicating blend of East and West. Six spa villas serenely dot this floating world. Ancient healing traditions start with footwash, welcoming travelers, refreshing and healing. In the privacy of your villa, select botanical ingredients for Sundari facial, Arabian rhassoul scrub, or Ayurvedic abhyanga friction massage; calm the senses, rev circulation. Bodywork includes products by Traditions D'Orient, romantic baths for two, complete with Champagne and canapés.

(Rituals from Bali, India, Himalayas, and Vietnam
2 hours, from U$190; other treatments start at $90.)

Must Try: The Nam Hai Jade Massage synchronized by two therapists working pressure points with jade-infused oil to dissolve muscle tension with a variety of soothing strokes. ($160 - 60 mins)

Vietnam's ancient architecture inspired design of the resort's spacious 100 villas, with suites priced from US$160 last spring. Interiors feature high-end amenities, double shower, posh lounge, and garden with open-air shower; 40 pool villas have up to five bedrooms. Three swimming pools adjoin the grill and candle-lit restaurant offering local seafood, American steak, plus a fresh take on Vietnamese cuisine. Scheduled activity includes tennis tournament, self-defense lesson, cooking class. Golf at nearby Montgomerie Links, tour Hue imperial citadel, villages that preserve traditional crafts.

Opened in 2006, managed by GHM (General Hotel Management) with the same style as The Setai on Miami's South Beach, The Nam Hai takes luxury to a new level, honoring the culture of Vietnam.

www.ghmhotels.com Email: spa@thenamhai.com

Pilgrimage Village Links Imperial Hue to Spa Haven

Turn back to a time when emperors of Vietnam ruled atop a moated citadel in Hue.
An hour's flight from HCMC, it was another world.

A delightfully rustic resort where skilled artisans create beautiful souvenirs under leafy arcades, yoga and tai chi groups meet at an Olympic-length swimming pool, and spa treatments come with traditional Viet technique, Pilgrimage Village links past and present. A member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World since 2007, the 99-room resort is tucked into tropical gardens 4km from the center of Hue and the Perfume River.

The airy Vedan? Spa reception pavilion is surrounded by water, with treatment huts in lush foliage. My therapist spoke no English but body language was sufficient. The Vietnamese massage ends with suction cups placed on the body to draw out toxins and muscular knots. (US$45, 50 min). Other treatments include Swedish massage, Thai body work, hot stone massage, and foot reflexology. Signature baths with fresh flowers and milk, body wrap with local honey, reflect indigenous sources, including coffee or green tea salt scrub. "Romance for Two" package adds nailcare for men and women.

Stay in a bungalow or villa close to the spa (ask for B149). Built with red brick, villas have marble bath; Honeymoon pool hut comes with private garden, four-poster bed. Furnished simply but artfully, my bungalow had comfortable king-size bed, large bath, TV and phone. Also mosquito spray. Prices start at $145 per day, plus taxes.

Meals are in a two-story restaurant crafted in wood. Vietnamese favorites include noodle soup for breakfast, as well as dumplings. Cooking classes can be arranged, and there's a free shuttle bus into town. The resort's tranquil setting, variety of dining spots and bars, and artful landscaping, provide a welcome respite.

Contact: www.pilgrimagevillage.com or www.slh.com
Email: info@pilgrimagevillage.com

FIRST SIX SENSES DESTINATION SPA OPENS ON THAILAND's PHUKET ISLE

Escape to a private isle in the Andaman Sea, minutes from Phuket by speedboat. Secluded at Asia's most lavish destination spa, discover a new world of wellness.

Lifestyle coaches welcome you to spa gardens devoted to traditions of Siam, China, Indonesia, and India. Thai therapists pick herbs for Pra Kob compress made of tumeric, lemongrass, and bergamot, kneading sore muscles with soothing strokes as you relax in open-air pavilion or air-conditioned sala.. Ayurveda treatments are housed in India-style cottage. Tea is served in a Chinese bamboo grove at the heart of this unique spa village.

Must Try: Pra-Trim Siam stimulates lymphatic system with body brush, wash, Jasmine balm, energizing traditional Thai massage (8,900 Thai Baht - 2hrs 20mins).

Live close to nature in a thatch-roof villa, with garden pool and bath, butler service, AC but no TV. Join group exercise and yoga at hilltop fitness center; relax at enormous swimming pool; meditate in tropical labyrinth. Dining options include organic salad at sand-floor restaurant with bio-dynamic wines, pizza oven, grilled lobster; raw food lunch on beach. Drinks include fresh fruit juice, coconut water, coffee, Evian, and Champagne.

There are free bicycles, CD library and computers if you insist.

Not a typical Six Senses resort (Soneva Fushi, Zighy Bay), the destination spa program integrates wellness and lifestyle. Created by Ana Maria Taveres, veteran of Chiva Som, and an international team of wellness specialists, this is a healthy lifestyle village where you can consult Reiki master Nikorn Banjerdiert, psychotherapist Albert Schmaedick, TCM pharmacist. With an amazing 44 treatment rooms, the range of well-being therapy is exceptional.

Seasonal specials add value. Three-night package 47,000 Thai Baht single, 94,000 double occupancy, plus taxes, service charge.
www.sixsenses.com Email: reservations-naka@sixsenses.com

Bernard Burt, founding director of the International Spa Association (ISPA), tracks trends for Spa Management Journal and www.SpaGoer.com . His new book "Spectacular Spas: Asia/Pacific will be published in 2010. Contact: Asia Spa Institute,Singapore - www.asiaspa-institute.com Email: marketing@asiaspa-institute.com

Remembering Christina Newburgh
Italy's Guru of Benessere

"Happiness is healing others," was the motto that marked the work of Christina Newburgh, who passed away in Naples at the age of 83 this past December (Dec 20, 2009). Founder of Europe's first American-style health resort, SpaDeus, Christina Newburgh helped celebrities and the people of Italy become aware that losing weight was an attainable goal and could be achieved gracefully.

Called the "guru" of international wellness, her spa guests included Barbara Streisand, opera director Franco Zeffirelli, the Brazilian plastic surgeon Ivo Pitangui, NASA astronaut Buzz Aldrin, and the granddaughter of Gandhi, Tara, who has just completed a biography titled "Lady Cristina." But the impact of SpaDeus extended far beyond Tuscany. Every year, Christina hosted young people coping with obesity, lacking income, for three months at no charge. And spa guests visited one of the Catholic charities that she supported, (Mondo X) a retreat for recovering drug addicts at the nearby medieval town of Cetona. Truly original, Christina Newburgh created a modern destination spa in an ancient spa town, near Siena. Her vivacious presence brought life (and jobs) to Chianciano Terme, where the Communist mayor leased to her a shuttered 40-room hotel. Born in Hungary (her maiden name was Gluker), married to an American-Russian naval engineer, her personal odyssey included 45 years in Italy, including Naples, plus California and Mexico. In the 1980s, SpaDeus was recognized as the pioneer of wellness, the first in Europe to create a 'spa' where recovering a proper balance between mind and body through the dictates of a California-style diet, aerobics and movement, was the daily regime. From pre-breakfast walks or "passegiatte" in the glorious Tuscany countryside, to communal meals where you met fashion models from Milan, journalists from Rome, ambassadors and a countess or two, all indistinguishable in their standard-issue green and white "tutte" (sweats), SpaDeus had a supportive camaraderie that we now recognize as the essence of the destination spa experience.

Attending the first ISPA Conference in 1990, the SpaDeus founder launched her new Italian brand of beauty (benessere) for the international market. Staffed by fitness specialists from America, Italian and Hungarian therapists, the week-long spa program attracted distinguished converts who listened to the advice of Newburgh: low-calorie diet, seafood, fruits and vegetables, a lot of movement in the gym and swimming (hers was the first Italian spa to offer water aerobics - and even underwater treadmills and aquatic step machines) with background music by Vivaldi, massage with natural oils. Wine and coffee were not permitted (but available up the road at a much-frequented and favorite local café!). We consumed at least three liters of water every day in tribute to traditions of Italian terme, however the spa treatment menu never included mud wraps or thermal baths.

Learning the meaning of "Detoxificante," remembers Irvina Lew, a journalist based in New York, made her a convert. Beauty was as much a theme in Christina's wellness recipe as pure foods and exercise. Her art-filled homes in Tuscany and in Acapulco were not the only places where she created beauty. Spa Deus had its own marvelous gallery with favorite pieces from the Newburgh collection and art throughout, even to the lighting fixtures in the dining room. "Once, she invited me to speak at a conference in Rome, and I tailed along with her for the early spring spa re-opening: She was as consumed with the placement of each piece of art as with her new Pilates and in-pool fitness equipment."

Christina personally selected morning walks or "passegiatte" with the exquisite ambiance of the Tuscan countryside in mind. (The pre-walk signature warm-up music was Handel's Messiah). One Sunday morning, the walk led around a convent where nuns were singing mass. "Tu sei per me la piu bella del mundo," was the lead Lew wrote. "We--perhaps 30 of us--were lunching in an off-property farmhouse estate that Christina rented for her guests' enchantment; the nightly lounge singer was there playing the piano and we all joined with him: Volare..." Lew remembers the soup, the meal, and the lyrics in Italian. "Now, I only recall that it was one of many magical Christina moments."

Christina appeared at the spa every day, dressed in cashmere warm-ups, silk scarves, and wedge-heeled sneakers. After her early morning personal water aerobics workout and daily massage, she commented "For me, movement and body care has always been a prime necessity," in line with her Hungarian heritage. A culture learned with difficulty; her Jewish family in Budapest, destroyed during the Nazi occupation, she moved to Italy in the Fifties. At the La Scala opera, Christina met Steven Newburgh, who was in love with Italy, particularly Naples, where he created "Fondedile" one of the most important and flourishing businesses in postwar Italy, and helped run SpaDeus until his death in 1991.

Dedicated to healthy lifestyles and prevention of illness, Christina Newburgh created in the hills of Tuscany a health resort with equal parts of California and Italy. Closed after Christina suffered a stroke in 2008, SpaDeus inspired a new generation of spa-goers to explore beyond tradition.

Darryll Leiman was recruited as fitness director for SpaDeus while aboard an Alaska cruise with Christina. Now with the Mandara Spa division of Steiner Leisure, Darryll contributed generously to this remembrance of Christina.

- Bernard Burt