Spa Marketing

The Spa gets its day

Conde Nast Traveler recognizes the Williamsburg facility in the May issue.

The Spa of Colonial Williamsburg is named in the May issue of Condé Nast Traveler as one of nine spas in the United States to make the magazine’s annual list of the hottest new hotels, restaurants, spas and clubs in the world.

To develop the list, the magazine’s editors anonymously visited hundreds of new properties, evaluating each one on a standard set of criteria.

In addition to The Spa of Colonial Williamsburg, the eight other American spas named to the list are Spa Solage, Calistoga, Calif.; Voda Spa, Los Angeles, Calif.; Spa Desert Springs, Palm Desert, Calif.; Spa at Grand Del Mar, San Diego, Calif.; Drift Spa, Las Vegas, Nev.; Spa at Four Seasons, Austin, Texas; Ritz-Carlton, Dallas, Texas; and Solitude Spa, Jackson Hole, Wyo.

The Spa of Colonial Williamsburg opened in the spring of 2007 in the Georgian Revival building that formerly housed the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, which moved to new and expanded exhibit space in the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum in early 2007.

Treatments in the 20,000-square-foot spa provide a 21st-century interpretation of relaxation and wellness practices from European, African and American Indian cultures. The spa’s signature scent of lavender lemongrass greets visitors to the three-story former museum filled with natural light from the large mullioned windows overlooking formal gardens.

Kate Mearns, spa director and former chairman of the International Spa Association (ISPA) says, “The Spa of Colonial Williamsburg is the result of the passion and creativity of some phenomenal people, including the architects, historians, craftsmen, internationally known spa professionals and Colonial Williamsburg leadership…After 16 years of working in the spa industry, I am well aware that accolades such as this are not easily earned.”

The Spa of Colonial Williamsburg includes men’s and women’s changing rooms with lockers and private showers, steam room and whirlpool baths; an indoor lap pool, 12 treatment rooms, including one for couples, three relaxation lounges, a full fitness center, conservatory salon and retail sales of spa products. A fully trained staff is on the premises daily. Prices range from $110 for a one-hour massage to $245 for a two-hour full-body spa treatment.

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Spa’s long-running makeover gets attention

How often does this happen: A former nudist camp and lodging house for rodeo cowboys is named the top spa in America?

The Lake Austin Spa Resort has pulled that off, landing the top rating in Condé Nast Traveler’s annual ranking of the best destination spas in the country.

The spa has been in the top five before and moved up to No. 2 last year.

These days, the spa is a serene waterfront retreat, with just 40 guest rooms.

It had much humbler beginnings as a fishing camp in the 1940s and was briefly a nudist camp in the 1970s. During that decade, it also hosted rodeo cowboys and clowns who were training at nearby Steiner Ranch, which was then a working cattle ranch.

Mike McAdams bought it in 1997 and has invested several million dollars in renovations and upgrades.

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Apply for the Dr. Howard Murad Research Grant
Apply for the Ruth Stricker Spa & Wellness Award
Apply for the Mary Tabacchi Scholarship

Dr. Howard Murad Research Grant
Explanation and Guidelines

This award, established in 2007 by Dr. Howard Murad, was created to promote research on the causes and effects of cultural stress on society. Dr. Murad has devoted his life to the science of skincare and it’s correlation with public healthcare and welfare, and is passionate about the connection between cultural stress and both internal and external wellness.

The grant is open to all applicants researching the affects of cultural stress on society, although priority will be given to proposals investigating the direct link between cultural stress and one of the following social issues: technology overload, inadequate nutrition, isolation, and overwork. Project selection will be based on the proposal’s creative approach, usefulness & application, and quality of presentation. Recipients will be awarded $1,500 USD towards research. If you interested in conducting research on cultural stress-related topics, you may apply for this grant. All applications must be received by the deadline of June 16th, 2008.

Ruth Stricker Spa & Wellness Award
Explanation and Guidelines

Established in 2007 by Ruth Stricker, an international spokesperson for the mind/body connection, this award was created to support research surrounding the idea that real wellness involves the mental, spiritual and emotional, as well as the physical aspects of one’s life. While all research proposals will be considered, special consideration will be given to projects with measurable outcomes concerning the areas of aging, techno-stress, chronic illness, and loneliness as they apply to spa and wellness.

Award recipients will receive $2,500 USD toward research. If you are conducting or planning to conduct research on the promotion of humanistic wellness and it’s direct link to the spa lifestyle, you may apply for this award. Proposal selection will be based on quality of research, creative approach, usefulness and application, level of research, and quality of presentation. Applications must be complete and submitted by June 16, 2008 for consideration.

Mary Tabacchi Scholarship

This scholarship was created in 2006 and named in honor of Mary Tabacchi, Ph.D., RD, Associate Professor, Hospitality Facilities and Operations at Cornell University. Dr. Tabacchi is a spa industry veteran and pioneer in spa education.

The ISPA Foundation’s Mary Tabacchi Scholarship will be awarded to an undergraduate student who has completed at least one year of college and is seeking a spa-related degree with a demonstrated interest in spa management. The recipient will receive $2,500 USD to assist with their education expenses, as well as registration, airfare and hotel accommodations to attend the ISPA Conference & Expo.

Apply for the Mary Tabacchi Scholarship.

Donate to the Mary Tabacchi Scholarship fund.