Destination: Wellness

The front entrance to Miraval, a top destination spa in the Tucson, Ariz., area

When Beth Shoshan was given the go-ahead to hold a regional sales meeting for the 16 reps under her supervision, she searched for a place that would keep them stimulated for the duration of the session. “It’s very hard to put a team in an indoor environment and not be bored after an hour,” says Shoshan, regional vice president, Northeast, for Bentley Prince Street, a commercial carpet manufacturer based in New York City. She had been to Canyon Ranch, the landmark destination spa in Tucson, Ariz., and decided to try its cousin in Lenox, Mass.

Canyon Ranch is a destination spa, defined by the Lexington, Ky.-based International Spa Association as “a facility with the primary purpose of guiding individual spa-goers to develop healthy habits.” These properties offer treatments, exercise classes, education and healthful food to accomplish their wellness goals.

What many meeting planners don’t know is that most destination spas get a small but significant portion -- about 5 percent in Canyon Ranch’s case -- of their business from corporate meetings. The groups usually are no smaller than eight attendees and no larger than 40.

“Some corporations could be a little tentative about coming to Canyon Ranch,” admits Laura Orley, sales manager for the Lenox property, “but I think after they get here, they’re very pleasantly surprised. They start to try things that they might not have tried in their office and home environments.”

Canyon Ranch, as is typical with destination spas, offers three-, four- and seven-night packages, rather than nightly rates. Shoshan’s group only had time (and funding) for two nights, however, and the property was flexible enough to accommodate that -- and even added an extra half-day at no charge. Time was too short for a lot of scheduled wellness activities, but as part of the meeting, Shoshan did include a session introducing the group to Canyon Ranch, a morning walk, a stretching/yoga activity and a cooking demonstration with a nutritionist. To Shoshan’s surprise, the president of the company tried yoga for the first time. “I think he walked away a little bit richer for it,” she says.

To give her attendees a chance to experience the property, Shoshan gave them free time from 2 to 6 p.m. and then resumed the meetings after dinner, from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. -- something she had never done before. She found it worked very well.

Shoshan was thrilled about the event. “Everyone left feeling energized, and they thought about what they were doing in their lives personally as well as professionally,” she says. “I’m glad I made the choice to bring them there.”

Out of the ordinary

After visiting Miraval, another famed destination spa in the Tucson area, Carol Y. Ost, owner of C.Y.Ost Consulting, a meeting planning company in Los Angeles, decided it was the ideal choice for a small meeting she was arranging this year for 11 marketing professionals for a medical device company. The vice president of marketing at the company initially dismissed the venue because he thought it would be too expensive, but Ost helped him realize that the rate included not just the room but also meals and activities.

“If you’re really looking for something that will take you out of your [usual] comfort zone, then Miraval is the place,” says Ost. “I think that’s really what he was looking for.”

Miraval offers a number of programs that appeal to corporate groups, such as The Golf Connection, an inspirational golf clinic taught by renowned coach Fred Shoemaker. For Ost’s group, the property customized other activities, including a “desert journey,” a trust- and communication-building exercise in which one person leads another blindfolded through the desert, communicating only through touch. The group meal function was a chili cook-off, which fired up the attendees’ competitive natures.

Most of the participants were men, not typical destination spa customers, but everyone enjoyed Miraval, according to Ost. “People who hadn’t been there before commented to me afterward that it was a wonderful selection because it was so different,” she says.

NEW RESORT OFFERINGS

Every new year brings dozens of beautiful new resort spas. Here is a peek at the latest and forthcoming.

The Spa at Rosen Shingle Creek
Orlando, Fla.
Opened: September 2006
Rooms: 1,500
www.rosenshinglecreek.com

Why visit: The spa at the new Rosen Shingle Creek is open 24 hours, which means insomniacs can indulge in a 2 a.m. steam bath.



 

Design for wellness:
Spa at Sea Island

The Spa at Sea Island (Ga.)
Opens: November 2006
Rooms: 196
www.seaisland.com

Why visit: Sea Island used to be about luxury; now it’s about luxury and healthful living. “Wellness Chef” Laurie Erickson hosts cooking classes.

The Spa at Ponte Vedra (Fla.) Inn & Club
Opened: November 2006
Rooms: 250
www.pvresorts.com

Why visit: Guests can choose the music playing and the temperature in the treatment rooms.

Emerson Resort & Spa
Mount Tremper, N.Y.
Opening: Late 2006
Rooms: 53
www.emersonplace.com

Why visit: Guests can choose between the original spa, with its East Asian stylings, and the new one, featuring a Silk Road theme.

Elemis Spa at Loews Miami Beach Hotel
Opening: Early 2007
Rooms: 790
www.loewshotels.com

Why visit: Enjoy 15,000 square feet of tranquility in the midst of bustling Miami Beach. The spa will debut the Ten Cultural Touches of Elemis, a greatest hits of massage strokes from all over the world.

Fern Tree Spa at Half Moon
Rose Hall, Jamaica
Opening: Early 2007
Rooms: 398
www.halfmoon.com

Why visit: Guests with specific maladies may consult with the spa elder, who spends her days in the spa library in this massive 68,000-square-foot mind/body retreat.

Golden Door Spa at Naples (Fla.) Grande
Opening: Spring 2007
Rooms: 475
www.naplesgranderesort.com

Why visit: Zen garden meets massage table. Koi ponds and sand gardens mesh seamlessly with soaking tubs and pedicure stations.

Solage Calistoga (Calif.)
Opening: Spring/summer 2007
Rooms: 89
www.solagehotels.com

Why visit: Think Napa minus the pretension, plus a 20,000-square-foot spa. -- J.V.

What to know

Destination spas aren’t designed especially for groups. They’re meant mainly for individuals to relax, detoxify and focus on wellness. Generally, they can’t host hundreds of people, their A/V capabilities might not be up to par with those of a conference center and they don’t have banquet menus.

Nevertheless, a number of these spas claim they are trying to attract small corporate meetings, including board of directors and sales meetings, client appreciation events, and relaxation excursions for lawyers, pharmaceutical reps, nurses and dental assistants. Following are some of the benefits of bringing a group to a destination spa.

Healthful focus. For a group that will be in meetings all day, every day, a destination spa isn’t a good choice, since participants won’t be able to take advantage of its core offerings. However, when a meeting needs a healthful slant, or when attendees need rejuvenation, this type of venue could be the perfect fit.

“Corporations are seeing the correlation between health and wellness and productivity in the workplace,” explains Canyon Ranch’s Laura Orley. “They’re looking at unique destinations, like a spa, rather than the typical destinations they might have chosen in the past for meeting retreats.”

Cozy quarters:
The spa relaxation room
at Lake Austin Spa Resort

Men-friendly. Adrienne Dyson, group sales manager at Lake Austin Spa Resort in Austin, Texas, says that even all-male groups in the oil industry are getting into adding a wellness component to their meetings.

“They don’t just want to shoot some doves,” she says. “They want to do something healthy, something they can take home with them.” Recently, when an executive of an oil company tried Thai massage at the Lake Austin facility, he convinced all 15 attendees to experience it before the end of the meeting. And for men still uncertain about diving into the spa lifestyle, most spas offer golf either on-site or within minutes of the property.

Fewer distractions. Commonly, destination spas request that guests use cell phones and BlackBerrys only in specified areas. “It’s a different feeling,” says Beth Shoshan of Bentley Prince Street. “You’re a little bit more relaxed.”

Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain

Better food. Spa food is known for being healthful, organic and tasty. “It’s not a continental breakfast that you get here,” explains Missy Ballweg, groups and events manager at Sundara Inn & Spa in Wisconsin Dells, Wis. “Our signature breakfast is organic yogurt, homemade granola and French-press coffee.” Sundara also is attentive to accommodating food allergies, Ballweg adds.

Because the groups are small, the food at spas is made to order, rather than cooked banquet-style. “We don’t use the ‘B word’ here,” says Jo Ellen Felmann, director of group sales at Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain in Paradise Valley, Ariz.

The pool at The Greenhouse,
a spa just for women
in Arlington, Texas

Less alcohol. The more rigorous destination spas, including Canyon Ranch, Cal-a-Vie Health Spa in Vista, Calif., and The Greenhouse, a women-only spa in Arlington, Texas, don’t serve alcohol, though generally it is allowed at private receptions. Other facilities, such as Red Mountain Spa in St. George, Utah, limit it to beer and wine. Alcoholic beverages are almost never included in the package rate, which fosters an atmosphere that discourages heavy drinking.

Along the same lines, destination spas don’t ply guests with caffeine and sugar, though it is up to the meeting planner to decide how much of all these substances will be available in the meeting.

Unique meeting space. Spas generally don’t have the typical ballroom. Meetings are held in giant living rooms, in meeting rooms with fantastic views or even outside. For example, at Cal-a-Vie, a new 17,000-square-foot pavilion houses a “great room” with a 72-inch plasma TV and a bar area (used for juicing demonstrations). The building also houses a grand ballroom that, according to Dana Higgins, director of sales, “looks like you’ve gone into someone’s luxurious living room.”

Candlelit dinners at the property can be held in the 400-year-old meditation chapel, which was transported piecemeal from France and reassembled on the property.

In-house speakers. Spas use speakers and other professionals for their day-to-day programs, which means that, often, the perfect presenter already is waiting in the wings. Cal-a-Vie has an arsenal of tried-and-true off-site experts, including authors, yoga specialists, musicians and a handwriting analyst. Canyon Ranch’s own behavioral therapists can lead workshops on stress management, balancing work and home life, and improving communication skills.

All-inclusive pricing. Prices often head north of $500 per day, which causes sticker shock for some. Keep in mind that the price usually includes rooms, food, activities and sometimes speakers, so the cost is often comparable to meeting at a high-end resort.

Great for buyouts. Destination spas are generally small, usually with just a few dozen rooms. A small group looking for exclusivity can’t go wrong with a buyout. Mii Amo, the 16-casita destination spa within Enchantment Resort in Sedona, Ariz., does about four buyouts per year. Deborah Waldvogel, director of spa operations, suggests giving the facility at least 60 days’ notice when arranging a buyout -- though it might be prudent to allow even more lead time.

Light packing. Standard wear at spas ranges from track suits to bathrobes, which means clothes for three days can fit in a backpack. Even in meetings, groups dress down. Some spas, including Cal-a-Vie and The Greenhouse, provide workout clothes and robes.

Another benefit of the casual spa dress code: When everyone in the group is wearing sweat suits or polo shirts, it tends to calm the atmosphere and strip away the perception of hierarchy.

Happier guests. Spouses or other guests at meetings and on incentive trips often get the short end of the stick, with their partners in meetings and at events all day; at destination spas, any plus-ones will be too busy encountering life-changing experiences to feel left out.

Hybrid resort choices

A number of spas, including Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain and El Monte Sagrado Living Resort and Spa in Taos, N.M. (which was recently purchased by The Kessler Collection and is currently doubling in size), are built like destination spas but offer services similar to resorts. Alcohol flows freely, guests can choose to pay on an a la carte basis and the focus is more on relaxation than on wellness. These spas can host an unbeatable getaway for a group looking to be pampered.

Sandi Akers, executive assistant to the president and COO at Trinchero Family Estates, a large wine company in St. Helena, Calif., was considering various resorts for a client event a few years back. The goal was to help 50 women from all facets of the wine industry come up with ideas for selling wine to women.

When she walked into Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain, the sense of calm she experienced convinced her it was the perfect place. “It was very casual,” Akers says of the property. “It gave my group the feeling that they were there to brainstorm, and believe me, they did.”

Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain sees up to 40 percent of its business from groups, according to group sales director Jo Ellen Felmann.

Akers’ two-day agenda was packed with ahh-inspiring sessions, including stretching, spa treatments, and free time for hiking, swimming and tennis. She hired two speakers and a numerologist (a mystic who studies the significance of numbers) and planned a pajama party and a Jeep tour. Meetings took place in the property’s ballroom, which has floor-to-ceiling windows and was furnished to feel like a contemporary living room. For variation, she rented a private home on property to use as extra space.

The retreat was so successful, the company held it there three years in a row. “There wasn’t one person who didn’t feel that it was worth it,” Akers says.

Another resort venue with a distinct destination-spa vibe is Aspira, a new spa at The Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake, Wis. For those who want to focus exclusively on wellness, the spa launched special packages in October. Currently, the resort offers an event that brings a group into the spa and lets each attendee try out a number of short treatments and classes, while all eat together in the cafe. The property also has a program called Revitalize your Organization’s Initiatives (ROI), which helps companies refocus on their business goals.