The Market Outfit

Today Norm Goldman, Editor of Sketchandtravel & Bookpleasures interviews Susie Ellis, President of Spa Finder Inc.

Norm:

Could you tell us a little about yourself and your expertise in spas, and why you became interested in them?

Susie:

I was athletic in my youth and naturally gravitated toward being as healthy as possible. After college in the mid 70’s, I began working at the Golden Door Spa which, unbeknownst to me at the time, was the top spa in the country. After spending many years on staff, I became enthralled with how people’s lives were transformed after just a one-week stay at this famous place. I decided to make spa my life’s work, and the combination of movement, good nutrition, spa therapies and a mind/body/spirit approach to wellness became a passion. And lucky for me, the spa industry, which was just emerging at the time, was poised for explosive growth.

Norm:

Why have spas continued to grow and have become popular over the past several years?

Susie:

I see three general trends that have come together to precipitate the popularity of spas.

1. The aging baby boomer. This demographic wants to maintain youth and vigor. Spas are a perfect place to achieve these goals.

2. Stress. The non-stop bombardment of information and connectivity is creating a need for people to have places to decompress, de-stress, slow down and pay attention to their body, mind and spirit.

3. A troubled health care system means people of all ages must become more responsible for their wellness and health.

Norm:

How do you go about identifying top-notch romantic spas in terms of quality of treatment, fitness, relaxation, location, atmosphere, and staff?

Susie:

Truly the best way to identify romantic spas is to consult the romantic/honeymoon spa category on www.spafinder.com. There are almost 50 romantic spas listed. Spa Finder’s mission is to connect people with their ideal spa experience, and we also present spas in 20 other categories such as: weight loss spas, spas for horseback riding, hiking spas, spas for yoga, etc.

Norm:

As a follow up which ones would make the top ten on your list?

Susie:

Here are a few of my favorite romantic spas in the U.S.:

Mirbeau, New York

Chateau Elan, Georgia

Miramante Resort & Spa, California

Silverado, California

Emerson, New York

The Spa at Sundance, Utah

Hampton Retreats, New York

Mana Lani , Hawaii

Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain, Arizona

Westglow, North Carolina

Outside of the U.S.:

Brenner’s Park, Baden Baden, Germany

CuisinArt Resort & Spa, Anguilla

El Santuario, Mexico

Samas, Park Kenmare Hotel, Ireland

Echo Valley Ranch Resort, Canada

Norm:

What are the benefits of spa treatments for honeymooners and romantic getaways for couples in search of de-stress?

Susie:

There are many ways to de-stress and spas specialize in this. Exercise is an excellent de-stresser. Bathing in hot water is a de-stresser. Massages are for many the ultimate de-stresser. At spas people typically leave their outside world behind, they slow down and their bodies become more relaxed. A spa has nurturing staff and there is lovely food that doesn’t intoxicate but rather revitalizes. I think that what spas do is help us get back to who we really are and connecting at that level is always romantic.

Norm:

What spa treatments are especially recommended for those new to the spa experience?

Susie:

I think a good place to start for a newcomer is with a Swedish Massage and a facial. These are still the most favorite spa treatments because people love them. Although there are many wonderful treatments on most spa’s menus, such as hot stone massage, Ayruvedic treatments or even body scrubs and wraps, I would not recommend them for the first time spa-goer.

For a first time romantic experience, I would suggest choosing a “couple’s massage” where both of you are in the same room for your treatment. Sometimes this can include a bathing ritual for the two of you together before or after…very romantic!

And finally, if a spa has a “signature treatment” that might also be a good place for a first time spa-goer to begin. Often this is an experience with more than one element - like a scrub and a massage, or a foot ritual and massage, etc.

And I do suggest that a person let the receptionist know that this is their first time spa experience so that the attendant and therapist can be a bit more thorough about explaining procedures and protocol.

Norm:

What is meant by “destination spas,” and how do you differentiate them from other spas as well as between themselves?

Susie:

That’s a great question and I’m glad you asked. In the world of spas we segment them into various categories. The most general categories are resort/hotel spas, day spas and destination spas. The resort/hotel spa is part of a hotel or resort where there are also activities such as golf, tennis, fine dining, etc. The spa is one of the amenities. A day spa is a place where people go for a spa experience but do not stay overnight - this can be for one spa treatment or for several or even for an entire day. Then there is the destination spa. Think of them as places to stay overnight with programs that makes it a full immersion spa experience. In other words, everyone is there for the spa experience. Canyon Ranch Health Resorts and the Golden Door are good examples of a destination spa. La Costa or The Doral are examples of resort/hotel spas and Bliss or Elizabeth Arden’s Red Door are examples of day spas.

Norm:

Can you tell us something about the new developments and trends in the spa industry, particularly as it affects those couples seeking romantic getaways together with spa treatments?

Susie:

We are seeing a variety of trends in the spa industry. I will share with you the 10 trends that we predicted in January of this year:

Medical spas (medicine and spas coming together)

People mixing business and spas

The arrival of the “destination day spa”

More affordable spas and more inclusive

International treatments and unique and inviting spas internationally

Spa cuisine going mainstream

Travelers deciding on where to go and stay depending on the spa

Pets are welcomed at some spa

More men are going

More families, including teens and preteens

Of these I think one of the interesting trends for couples is that more men are going to spas. This means that it is becoming easier and easier for a woman to get her guy to go with her to a romantic spa get away. Increasingly, they already want to go!

Norm:

I have come across the term “quality assured” spa, what does this imply, and why should we believe the spa when it has this designation?

Susie:

To be honest, I am not aware of any such designation on a large scale. There are over 10,000 spas in the U.S. and no one has been to all of them or able to rate them in terms of quality. There is no easy way to conclude the level of a spa’s service. In fact, sometimes quality comes down more to an individual therapist than it does a facility.

That being said, there are some ways for the consumer to have more information that could help them make an informed decision. There is an association called the International Spa Association (ISPA) that has a “voluntary standards and practices designation” that spas may choose to apply for if they wish. This could be of some help. But even here, many spas don’t know about this so I wouldn’t necessarily rule out selecting a spa if they don’t have this designation.

It is also helpful to look at what awards a spa has won. For example the Spa Finder Readers’ Choice Awards lists the top 10 spas in almost 20 categories. Since this award is voted on by readers, it is a good indication of quality.

Of course, word-of-mouth is always a good way to learn about a spa.

Norm:

Could you give our readers some suggestions as to tipping?

Susie:

Tipping policies differ among spas but in general it is customary to leave a gratuity of between 15% and 20% for the therapist or technician providing your service. In some cases, the gratuity is already added on to the final bill and in some very rare cases, tipping is discouraged. Most spas have their tipping policy printed on their brochure I often ask, “What is your tipping policy?” when I arrive at the spa and check in. That usually clears things up right away!

Norm:

I have read that the destination spa concept is evolving as some brands expand their product through other outlets. Could you give us some examples and explain why this is taking place?

Susie:

we are seeing brand extension from destination spas such as Canyon Ranch and The Golden Door. Canyon Ranch Health Resort began as a destination spa in Tucson, Arizona in the late 70’s. They then opened in Lenox, MA and then opened their first Spa Club in Las Vegas. They are now the spa on the QM2 and are part of a retirement condominium spa facility being built in Miami. They have also added a Canyon Ranch product line and I hear there are more things in the pipeline.

The Golden Door branched out from its origins as the U.S.’s top destination spa…there are now Golden Door spas at resorts in Arizona, Colorado and Puerto Rico. There is a Golden Door product line.

But I am also seeing another type of brand expansion; that is product companies opening “retail spas”. Jurlique comes to mind, Givenchy, and to a certain extent Elizabeth Arden’s Red Door could be considered a spa extending from a product. And there are day spas which have become as well known for their products as their spas, such as Bliss and Nichel.

Norm:

What should we expect in the future from spas?

Susie:

I think that medicine and spas coming together is a very exciting happening. We are seeing prevention/wellness as well as aesthetic/cosmetic medical spas now. Doctors and spa therapists working together is resulting in some very nurturing, comfortable medical settings with the best results possible. In addition the entire arena of complementary and alternative (CAM) medicine is finding a home in the medical spa environment. Consumers are increasingly interested in being proactive when it comes to their health and well being. (They increasingly need to take responsibility for their own health.)

I think that spas will eventually become a very important part of the solution to health problems in the world.

Thanks Susie for replying to my questions.

______________________________________________________________

Norm Goldman is the editor of http://www.sketchandtravel.com and http://www.bookpleasures.com. The former is a travel site that melds Norm’s words with his wife Lily’s water colors. Their articles focus on romantic and wedding destinations. You can find out more about them by clicking on their site, http://www.sketchandtravel.com.

Norm is also a book reviewer and in addition to contributing to his own site, http://www.bookpleasures.com, he is a regular contributor to many other sites.

So, you have worked really hard to build a fabulous affiliate site. You took the time to add your keywords and relevant information about the products. Your pages load quickly, and your site is even listed in the search engines for specified terms. You look at your stats, and you see a regular flow of traffic coming into your site. You get really excited! You log in to your affiliate program manager, and…. WHAMO! You have very few commissions from sales, and your click-throughs are extremely low. Suddenly, you are asking yourself, “what the heck happened here??” The answer… You might possibly be the victim of affiliate link hijacking!

In this revolving world of the Internet, we are constantly being bombarded by spammers, spyware, viruses, and hackers. Now, we have to worry about link hijackers stealing commissions that are rightfully ours. So, what is link hijacking and how do you prevent it?

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Link hijacking comes in various forms… not just from downloads. Let’s say your affiliate link looks like this: www.url.com/?123456 , where 123456 is your affiliate ID. A link hijacker is interested in the product and wants to purchase it. He also wants the affiliate commission from the product. He takes your ID 123456 and replaces it with his ID 999999 to look like this: www.url.com/?999999 . The result? He gets the commission from the product purchase. He modified the link to benefit himself. You lose.

Here is another example of link hijacking: A customer comes to your website and sees a link to the product that he wants to buy. When he moves the mouse over your link information, he sees your affiliate url in the status bar of his computer. Instead of clicking your affiliate link, he decides to manually type it into his address bar, leaving off the affiliate referral code: www.url.com. This results in no affiliate tracking information and no commissions for you. You lose again!

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Take Action by Protecting Yourself From Revenue Loss

In the constant search for new scripts and software to improve my websites, I have run into several affiliate cloaking devices. Most of them cost around $50 or more. However, I did run into one cloaking script that is free. It is called Affiliate Link Cloaker (ALC). The site owner simply asks that you subscribe to their newsletter.

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Stephani Richardson is a work at home mother of 4 who has been actively involved with affiliate marketing and home business opportunities since December 1999. She owns and operates several business related websites including 1 Work At Home Dot Com.

One of the bacteria that live in your mouth and cause gingivitis is the helicobacter pylori or H. pylori. This bacterium is transmitted by kissing. Everyone have this bacterium in his or her mouth and stomach. You mostly likely got this when you were a youngster and were kissed by your parents and all kinds of relatives.

When these bacteria enter your stomach and small intestine, they wait for an opportunity to multiple. When you eat junk food, overeat, mix foods incorrectly, use NASID’s or have continual stress, excess stomach acid is created. This weakens the stomach lining and gives H. pylori a chance to imbed into these weak areas and multiple.

So, how to do you use natural remedies to relieve a stomach ulcer? There are to two proven methods to do this.
First you can use Mastic Gum.
In a recent issue of Life Enhancement Ezine, this story appeared,

“My daughter was diagnosed with H. pylori. When her doctor insisted on giving her antibiotics, she declined, and the doctor thought she was foolish for doing so. Instead, my daughter went on a Bye-Lori II regimen. After 4 weeks, she was tested again, and her H. pylori levels had plummeted, showing a 50% decrease in the pathogen. Needless to say, her doctor was amazed. Mariann Hardington, Ontario”
Bye-lori II is product that contains mastic gum. Pure mastic gum capsules are available. Mastic gum, a resin, comes from the sap of the mastic tree in the Mediterranean.
Mastic gum’s action in the stomach or intestines is to kill the H. pyloric bacteria and to reduce and heal the ulcer inflammation.

Second you can use Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice or DLG.
DLG is a natural product made from the herb licorice root. Researchers have found DLG just as effective in treating ulcer as using the drugs Tagament, Zantac, Prilosec, or Prevacid.
DLG stimulates release of secretin, which protects the lining of the stomach or intestines. In the past, antacids were used to self-treat ulcers. Because antacids have excess sodium, aluminum, side effects such as diarrhea, constipation, and raise stomach acid, it is best not to use them.
DLG comes in tablets that should be chewed or dissolved in the mouth. DGL is activated by saliva to produce chemicals that help to regenerate cells in inflamed areas of your stomach and intestines.

Typical use for DLG is 750 to 1500 mg taken 30 minutes before meals. Use for around 7 - 15 weeks/.

Rudy Silva has a degree in Physics and is a Natural Nutritionist. He is the author of Constipation, Acne, Hemorrhoid, and Fatty Acid ebooks. He also write a newsletter called Natural Remedies Thatwork.com. For more information on his writings go to http://www.stop-constipation.com

Deciding about whether you should get a divorce or not is an
agonizing experience to go through. If you are asking yourself
“should I get a divorce?”, you’ve been thinking about your
relationship’s state for a while or an isolated incident (an
example is an extramarital affair) that occurred was so
terrible, that you want to just chuck it all and start over with
a new life!

If you have been asking yourself “should I get a divorce?” for
any length of time, you should figure out what is making you
feel that way if you haven’t already. Take the time to reflect
back on why you’re leaning towards divorce rather than working
out your marriage problem. Once you identify the things that are
making you feel like divorce is the right option, make a list of
those things.

Once you make that list, go back through each item on the list
that led you to asking yourself the question “should I get a
divorce?”. Look at each item on the list in depth and make
certain you really deem those items as valid reasons for wanting
a divorce, either in and of themselves or as a part of a common
theme of reasons that make up a whole set.

Once you trim the list down to include only truly ‘valid
reasons’, rank each reason in order of importance. Identify 2
reasons that hold the most weight to you and that contributed
most to you asking yourself “should I get a divorce?”.

After you accomplish this, decide if these reasons seem like
things that can be changed for the better or if they are just
flat out unrecoverable. Soul search and decide whether or not
you are willing to do what it takes to try and fix the problem
that is associated with these reasons.

Example: If one of your reasons for thinking about divorce is
because your spouse is insanely jealous of you having friendly
and/or purely plutonic relationships with members of the
opposite sex, decide whether or not you are willing to socialize
less with members of the opposite sex (or in a different manner)
or do what it takes to ensure that your spouse understands and
believes that you truly love him/her. If you aren’t willing to
do either of those things (or anything else it may take to
change the situation), you have some serious long-term thinking
to do about whether you really want to stay married.

If you have been asking yourself “should I get a divorce?” due
to one isolated incident, you should re-live that isolated
incident in your mind and identify why the isolated incident led
you to the way that you feel now.

List the top 5 reasons that this incident hurt you to the extent
it did (thinking about divorce). Then, think about what you feel
the top 5 reasons are that led to the actual incident itself.

This is especially crucial because, even though it may be one
isolated incident that caused you to think about divorce as an
option, the reasons that led to that isolated incident may have
been present for quite a while and need to be dealt with. The
point is, just because one isolated incident ‘happened’, doesn’t
mean the execution of that incident is the true cause of the
problem. Chances are there’s much more to it, and finding out
what those things are will help you identify the true story.

If you have been asking yourself “do I want a divorce?” and
haven’t prioritized why you feel that way, you aren’t ready for
divorce. What you are ready for however, is to go through soul
searching to get to the root of the problem.