Conde Nast Traveler Releases Results of First Ever Spa Poll

    NEW YORK, March 28 /PRNewswire/ -- 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: Spa
 Program/Facilities, Treatments, Location/Setting, Room, Service, Diet/Cuisine,
 and Other Activities.
     An article by Features Editor Alison Humes accompanies the poll and
 reports on the spa boom:
 
     -- 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).
     -- 25% of those visiting spas make $30,000 or less per year.
        35% of those visiting spas are men-a dramatic increase in the past few
        years.
     -- 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
     #1        Golden Door, Escondido, CA (87.6)
     #2        Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires, Lenox, MA (85.6)
     #3        Miraval Life in Balance, Catalina, AZ (84.5)
     #4        Rancho La Puerta, Tecate, Mexico (80.7)
     #5        Canyon Ranch Health Resort, Tucson, AZ (80.0)
     #6        The Greenhouse, Arlington, TX (73.9)
     #7        Merv Griffin's Resort Hotel & Givenchy Spa, Palm Springs, CA
               (72.9)
     #8        Lodge at Skylonda, Woodside, CA (69.6)
     #9        Two Bunch Palms Resort & Spa, Desert Hot Springs, CA (65.0)
     #10       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.
 
 

SOURCE  Conde Nast Traveler