Thursday, October 18, 2007

Five-star Travel: Desert Resorts

It's too cold to stay in New York but if Aruba and St. Barts are too clichéd you can find a new hot spot in the desert.

In the Sahara Desert in Morocco, just outside the ancient city of Marrakech, lies Amanjena (amanjena.com), where guests can relax in the two-story Al-Hamra Maison with two bedrooms, private gardens and swimming pool and butler service for $3,000 a night. The resort tries to live up to its translation meaning “peaceful paradise" with an extensive spa menu and library and tennis courts that ensure guests are never bored.

At the Hotel de Lariche in San Pedro, Chile (explora.com/atacama), tourists can explore the secrets of the Atacama Desert via a personal guided tour and at the end of the trek, settle into their suite's Jacuzzi or comfortable sitting area.

Friday, September 28, 2007

Pool Party

Visitors to the Switzer Cove home of Ron Lorenz and Dianne Wilson in Ocean Springs will never wonder whether their hosts like the water.

Often the party place for the whole neighborhood, the house's open design helps guests feel both comfortable and festive at their own pace and has a swimming pool that acts like a people magnet.

There's also a hot tub, a sauna, a large aquarium and, in the master bedroom that adjoins the pool room, a free-standing Jacuzzi. The house is 5,500 square feet and has four bathrooms and four bedrooms, one used as an exercise room.

Three years ago Lorenz transformed his traditional L-shaped ranch-style house built in 1972 into a fantasy water world where all halls flow toward a 2,200-square-foot pool house. The area enjoys indoor comforts while basking under 180-degree, horizon to horizon murals of outdoor beaches, boating and sea life.

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Hot Tubs Hurt Fertility, Study Says

Exposure to hot baths or hot tubs can lead to male infertility, according to a new study at the University of California, San Francisco.

But the effects can sometimes be reversible, a news release said.

"We now have actual evidence to show patients that these recreational activities are a real risk factor for male infertility," said Dr. Paul J. Turek, a urologist who led the study.

"These activities can be comfortably added to that list of lifestyle recommendations and 'things to avoid' as men attempt to conceive," he said.

Turek said this is the first published study to show that total body exposure to wet heat can impair both sperm production and motility. Previous work showed that dry heat -- such as from a fever -- has the same effect.

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Hammons to build luxury hotel, exhibition center at Lake of the Ozarks

John Q. Hammons today said he plans to build a luxury property, including a hotel, spa and exhibition center, near the Grand Glaize Bridge at the Lake of the Ozarks in Osage Beach, Mo.

In a news release this morning, the Springfield hotel developer said the Chateau on the Lake of the Ozarks will be built on a 30-acre waterfront location. The 15-story hotel will include 320-rooms and suites, a spa and more than 100,000 gross square feet of meeting space. Hammons will own the property and his John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts will manage the facility.

No financial terms were disclosed.

Of the 184 hotels Hammons has developed, the Chateau will be his 14th property in Missouri. Construction is expected to start in spring 2008 with an opening planned for spring 2010.

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Home show takes indoors outside

Wendy David remembers the days when people threw a few hamburgers on their grills, a few chairs on their decks and a few flowers in their backyards and considered that outdoor living.

No more.

"Life has changed a lot since then," David said yesterday at the 33rd Pennsylvania Home Show in the state Farm Show Complex. "Now people want outdoor kitchens, hot tubs, pools, ponds and landscaping. People are spending more time at home and want a place to really relax."

As snow and freezing rain coated midstate roads, a summerlike atmosphere dominated the outdoor-living displays of the Home Show, which runs through Sunday. Exhibitors showed visitors how to turn backyards into casual but beautiful attractions and transform decks into entertainment areas that rival resorts.

Friday, July 27, 2007

Apollo completes acquisition of Jacuzzi Brands

The private equity company Apollo Management LLP has completed the acquisition of Jacuzzi Brands Inc., which is responsible for the Jacuzzi, Sundance, Zurn and Astracast brand names. Alex P. Marini, the chief executive officer of Jacuzzi Brands, will continue to manage Jacuzzi Bath and Zurn Industries, while George M. Sherman, co-investor with Apollo, has become the non-executive chairman of Jacuzzi Bath.

Mr Marini said: We are confident that as a private company, and with George Shermans vast industry experience, Jacuzzi Brands will be better positioned to operate in the highly competitive and capital-intensive global bath and plumbing industries.

Larry Burn, a senior partner at Apollo, commented: We are pleased to have completed the acquisition of Jacuzzi Brands. We look forward to working with George Sherman, the Zurn and Jacuzzi management teams and their dedicated employees to continue providing high-quality products and services.

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Romantic Couples Discover Recently Opened Upscale Spa in Historic ...

The Hochelaga Inn, Kingston Ontario's most recognizable Historic Inn is proud to have recently opened an upscale spa to further enhance the services that they can provide for their guests.
Kingston, Ontario (PRWEB) February 19, 2007 -- The Hochelaga Inn, Kingston Ontario's most recognizable Historic Inn is proud to have recently opened an upscale spa to further enhance the services that they can provide for their guests. Hochelaga Inn, located in the heart of the historic lakeside city of Kingston, Ontario has long been a favourite destination for couples from Toronto, who want to escape for a short getaway and be pampered in luxurious surroundings. Over the years, Hochelaga Inn with its elegant decor and old-world charm, has built its reputation as a first-class romantic inn and Kingston, Ontario's best bed and breakfast inn by indulging their guests in stylish comfort and by instinctively knowing what their customers want.

Monday, May 28, 2007

Opening of The Diplomat Radisson SAS Residence in Bahrain

The luxurious 14-storey property has 121 apartments (a choice of one, two or three bedrooms as well as exclusive penthouse suites); all for lease from one month to yearly contracts or more. In addition to stunning views of the Arabian Gulf, each apartment has access to 24-hour room service, free high speed internet connection, baby sitting service and full housekeeping.
“Bahrain is attracting new business, particularly in the banking and finance sectors. With this addition we are able to cater to international and regional travellers who plan to visit the island for a longer period of time," says Kurt Ritter President & CEO of The Rezidor Hotel Group.
The Residence will also see the opening of the largest spa in the Kingdom later this year with separate male spa, a ladies-only indoor pool, 11 female treatment rooms, 6 men's treatment rooms, three outdoor pools, a 280 metre feature lagoon pool, state-of-the-art male and female gymnasiums, sophisticated steam and sauna rooms, jacuzzi and cold pool facilities, an open-air tennis court and two indoor squash courts.

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

Medical Spa Dangers

Imagine you're paying hundreds or thousands of dollars for cosmetic treatments that are supposed to make you look young and beautiful, but what if that treatment left you in pain?
That's what one Panhandle woman says happened to her, when she went to a so-called medical spa for a laser treatment.
52-year-old Jordan Miles of Gulf County says she went to a Panama City medical spa for laser treatments.
The plan was to remove sunspots from her back and chest.
But in an interview with ABC's "Good Morning America", Miles says she ended up with second and third degree burns all over her chest and back.
"It looked like raw meat. I had horrendous blisters all over it," says Miles.
Miles isn't alone.

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Basking at Baden-Baden

Winter was getting old. True, the weather in Germany has been unseasonably mild, but certainly not balmy. And then theres the rain.
I began daydreaming of warm beaches, but neither my girlfriend nor I had the vacation time or cash for that. Then I remembered there was an easier escape nearby: the elegant spa town of Baden-Baden.
Since Roman times, people have gone to Baden-Baden to soak in the thermal water gushing from springs beneath the surrounding hills. Emperor Caracalla eased his rheumatism there in private baths, and soldiers enjoyed the spas public baths, the remains of which you can still see, at the renowned Roman-Irish Friedrichsbad.
When the Friedrichsbad opened in 1877, it was Europes most modern and stylish bathhouse. Thats according to its brochure, at least, which had me sold with its quote from Mark Twain: Here at the Friedrichsbad, you lose track of time within 10 minutes and track of the world within 20.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Mall medical spas cater to need for speed

A trip to the mall used to mean shopping and maybe a bite to eat. Now, a mall customer can stop to have some minor surgery or a laser treatment at a medical spa."We have lots of walk-in business," says William Nelson, medical director of Skinovative Laser Center at a fashion center mall in Chandler, Ariz.Eager customers don't get a beauty fix right away, not only because the clinic requires a consultation before treatment, but also because it's usually booked.Medical spas - especially those in shopping malls - have bridged the gap between the doctor's office and the cosmetics counter. There are more than 2,000 medical spas in the country, and though they accounted for 3 percent of all spas in 2004, that grew to 7 percent in 2006, according to the International Spa Association.Ease of use is keyNelson says people seek out mall spas because they are more convenient and luxurious than a doctor's office.Although some of the clinic's business is walk-in, most people know what they want and have done research before they arrive, Nelson says."People are not coming in here ignorant," he says.

Tuesday, April 3, 2007

Marley Resort & Spa debuts in the Bahamas

On 1st June 2007, the Marley family will open the new, 16-suite Marley Resort & Spa in Nassau. The resort will be an experience of art, history and spiritual sensibility. A discerning traveller will be drawn to this hideaway for its blend of exquisite natural beauty, romantic heritage and rustic luxury. "So many people celebrate my father's music and see that his message is prolific and still relevant today," daughter Stephanie Marley explained. "They keep his spirit alive. In return, we are inspired to share our piece of paradise here in a place we once called home." Inspiration comes easy at this Nassau hideaway, once a governor's mansion. Rita Marley purchased the property after falling in love with it at first sight and the family used it as a summer getaway for many years.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Basking at Baden-Baden

Winter was getting old. True, the weather in Germany has been unseasonably mild, but certainly not balmy. And then theres the rain.
I began daydreaming of warm beaches, but neither my girlfriend nor I had the vacation time or cash for that. Then I remembered there was an easier escape nearby: the elegant spa town of Baden-Baden.
Since Roman times, people have gone to Baden-Baden to soak in the thermal water gushing from springs beneath the surrounding hills. Emperor Caracalla eased his rheumatism there in private baths, and soldiers enjoyed the spas public baths, the remains of which you can still see, at the renowned Roman-Irish Friedrichsbad.
When the Friedrichsbad opened in 1877, it was Europes most modern and stylish bathhouse. Thats according to its brochure, at least, which had me sold with its quote from Mark Twain: Here at the Friedrichsbad, you lose track of time within 10 minutes and track of the world within 20.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Hot tubs, baths may hurt male fertility

Hot tubs or hot baths can lead to male infertility, according to a small pilot study in Brazil.
A three-year study analyzed data from 11 infertile men who had been repeatedly exposed to high water temperatures through hot tubs or hot baths, the study reported in the March-April issue of the International Brazilian Journal of Urology.
"It has been believed for decades that wet-heat exposure is bad for fertility, as an old wives' tale, but this effect has rarely been documented," said study leader Dr. Paul J. Turek, a urologist and professor at the University of California, San Francisco. "We now have actual evidence to show patients that these recreational activities are a real risk factor for male infertility."
For the purposes of the study, wet-heat exposure was defined as the immersion of the body in a hot tub or bath at a temperature warmer than body temperature for 30 minutes or more per week for at least three months prior to participation in the study.