NEW YORK, March 28, 2000 - Spas are booming,
and they�re not just for women or the elite anymore. But what makes one
great? Conde Nast Traveler asked 6,000 readers, and releases the results
of its first ever spa poll in the April issue of the magazine, on sale
at newsstands March 28th. The guide to the Top 40 Spas in North American
and the Caribbean asked readers to evaluate 200 destination and resort
spas using seven criteria:
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Spa Program/Facilities,
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Treatments,
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Location/Setting,
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Room,
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Service,
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Diet/Cuisine, and
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Other Activities.
An article by Features Editor Alison Humes accompanies the poll and reports
on the spa boom:
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16% increase in the number of people visiting spas last year; that�s an
average of 33,000 visits per spa annually, according to the International
Spa Association (ISPA).
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25% of those visiting spas make $30,000 or less per year.
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35% of those visiting spas are men-a dramatic increase in the past few
years.
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80% increase in the number of day spas registered with ISPA, making spa
treatments available to a wider range of people.
The poll results are separated into two categories: Resort Spas and Destination
Spas. Resort spas are defined as those resorts where activities in addition
to the spa facility are available and are as much a draw to clientele as
the spa (golfing, tennis). Destination spas, by contrast, are places dedicated
to encouraging guests to follow particular health and fitness regimens.
In both categories, readers reported that the deciding factor in where
they go is not the gym facilities and classes, available treatments, or
even the food. Instead, readers chose spas first and foremost for their
setting and location. Following are the poll results:
Top 15 Resort Spas
1 - Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Ka�upulehu, Big Island,
HI (83.8)
2 - Grand Wailea Resort Hotel Spa, Maui, HI (82.6)
3 - Las Ventanas al Paraiso, Los Cabos, Mexico (80.1)
4 - The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, WV (79.1)
5 - Centre for Well Being at The Phoenician, Scottsdale, AZ (78.5)
6 - Wyndham Peaks Resort Golden Door Spa, Telluride, CO (77.4)
7 - Agua at Delano, Miami, FL (77.1)
8(tie) - Canyon Ranch SpaClub at The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV
(75.8)
8(tie) - Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort Spa, Bahamas (75.8)
10 - Manele Bay Hotel, Lanai, HI (73.5)
11 - Green Valley Spa Tennis Resort, St. George, UT (73.1)
12 - Lodge at Koele, Lanai, HI (72.9)
13 - Four Seasons Resort, Nevis (72.8)
14(tie) - Amangani, Jackson Hole, WY (72.7)
14(tie) - Hyatt Regency Kauai Resort Spa, Kauai, HI (72.7) |
Top 10 Destination Spas
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Golden Door, Escondido, CA (87.6)
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Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires, Lenox, MA (85.6)
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Miraval Life in Balance, Catalina, AZ (84.5)
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Rancho La Puerta, Tecate, Mexico (80.7)
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Canyon Ranch Health Resort, Tucson, AZ (80.0)
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The Greenhouse, Arlington, TX (73.9)
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Merv Griffin�s Resort Hotel Givenchy Spa, Palm Springs, CA (72.9)
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Lodge at Skylonda, Woodside, CA (69.6)
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Two Bunch Palms Resort Spa, Desert Hot Springs, CA (65.0)
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Hilton Head Health Institute, Hilton Head Island, SC (64.5)
|
Following are results in
individual categories:
Top Treatments:
Destination, Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires (85.7);
Resort, Grand Wailea Resort Hotel Spa (79.6)
Top Spa Program/Facilities:
Destination, Rancho La Puerta (90.6);
Resort, Grand Wailea Resort Hotel Spa (83.3)
Top Location/Setting:
Destination, Rancho La Puerta (95.3);
Resort, Solace Spa at Banff Springs Hotel (98.9)
Top Rooms:
Destination, Miraval Life in Balance (83.9);
Resort, Las Ventanas al Paraiso (93.9)
Top Diet/Cuisine:
Destination, Golden Door (88.4);
Resort, Agua at Delano (95.5)
Top Service:
Destination, Golden Door (93.0);
Resort, Four Seasons Resort Hualalai (93.7)
|
The independent firm of Mark Clements Research, Inc., asked 6,000 readers
to evaluate 200 destination and resort spas in North America and the Caribbean
which they had visited in the last two years. Seven criteria were used
for Resort Spas: Spa Program/Facilities (36%), Treatments (18%), Location/Setting
(9%), Room (9%), Service (9%), Diet/Cuisine (9%), and Other Activities
(9%). Destination Spas were rated on the first six criteria, each weighted
equally. Scores are the percentage of the first 2,536 readers who responded
and rated features as �excellent� or �very good.� The April issue of Conde
Nast Traveler is on sale at newsstands on March 28th. Conde Nast Traveler
stands for �Truth In Travel.� Unlike many other travel publications, Conde
Nast Traveler does not accept free travel and accommodations, and its correspondents,
as far as possible, travel anonymously. The result is travel the way consumers
experience it-good and bad, with reporting that is fair and honest. Conde
Nast Traveler is the only travel publication to have won a National Magazine
Award, the highest honor in magazine publishing. Conde Nast Traveler has
a circulation of over 766,000 and is published by The Conde Nast Publications
Inc. |
