Excuse the pun, but I have had meditation on my mind for quite a while now. As someone who used to meditate at least once a day over 10 years ago, I don’t need convincing about the benefits. So why did I stop? You know how it goes...I convinced myself that I was so busy that I couldn’t find 15 minutes a day to practice something that would help me stay healthy, calm and focused and actually be more productive!
I tried to convince the sceptics around me of the proven benefits, flattening the 60’s image of bearded Indian gurus, mung beans and middle aged hippies sitting cross legged in circles chanting and smoking joints. What a difference 10 years can make in perception and image! It seems that the media machine is working hard as journalists cover the topic in broadsheets and glossy magazines to push meditation into today’s sober baby boomer consciousness. You know why? There are more and more stories being shared by high-powered, top of the power chain execs that meditate as part of their success regimen. Even the medical profession has reached a state of consciousness as the NHS now prescribe meditation to help treat depression, high blood pressure and even diabetes. Scientific research conducted at Harvard and the University of Massachusetts is routinely quoted to prove that this is not some far out practice only for disciples of the Beatles sojourn to India a few decades ago.
So I feel like the universe is telling me to pick up where I left off. I recently discovered www.getsomeheadspace.com which is a good introduction to meditation that you can do online. If like me, you want to a face to face session to start or kick start, check out www.londonmeditationcentre.co.uk.
Here at Wellbeing Escapes are working on a range of meditation holidays, so focus and watch this space.
Stella
Friday, 2 July 2010
Monday, 8 February 2010
Austrian Remedy for Stubborn Coughs
One of the many advantages of working in the travel industry is that you get to meet lots of people from different cultures and countries. Add a wellbeing twist and you learn about indigenous remedies that people have followed for generations and are open and generous about sharing their pearls of wisdom with you.
I recently had a stubborn cough that was keeping me awake at night and the usual gargling with sea salt, lozenges and even cough medicine was not helping. I resisted going to the doctor to be dished out the obligatory antibiotics but I had to do something as I was exhausted and cranky during the day! I then received an email from an Austrian business associate with a great tip that has tried and tested results:
Hollow out half an onion, fill with liquid honey and leave overnight. Eat the honey with a spoon the following day.
As you can imagine, not the nicest taste in the world but after doing this for 2 days, my cough gradually got better and I had a solid nights sleep. Must be something to do with the antibacterial properties of onions and honey.
I am now on a quest to collect more of these remedies from my international colleagues!
Stella
I recently had a stubborn cough that was keeping me awake at night and the usual gargling with sea salt, lozenges and even cough medicine was not helping. I resisted going to the doctor to be dished out the obligatory antibiotics but I had to do something as I was exhausted and cranky during the day! I then received an email from an Austrian business associate with a great tip that has tried and tested results:
Hollow out half an onion, fill with liquid honey and leave overnight. Eat the honey with a spoon the following day.
As you can imagine, not the nicest taste in the world but after doing this for 2 days, my cough gradually got better and I had a solid nights sleep. Must be something to do with the antibacterial properties of onions and honey.
I am now on a quest to collect more of these remedies from my international colleagues!
Stella
Tuesday, 2 February 2010
Conde Naste Traveller Spa Awards
I attended the Conde Naste Traveller Spa Awards last night at the Mandarin Oriental in London and apart from enjoying the champagne and very tasty but healthy hors d'ouvres I was pleasantly suprised with the results. I am always quite sceptical about how these awards are dished out by publications (are they truly based on readers voting or more biased towards the hotels that support them through big advertising budgets?). However Conde Naste proved to be at least somewhat true to their word that the readers choose who wins in the various categories. Our friends at SHA Wellness Clinic picked up the best medical spa award and I know for a fact that they have not been advertising! Susan Harmsworth, founder of Espa gave a short but powerful speech about how the industry should not jump onto the bandwagon on the current buzzword "Wellness" without being able to deliver true wellness to the customer - this is the real mind, body and soul stuff!
Which leads me on nicely to our biggest mantra at Wellbeing Escapes which is authenticity! We pride ourselves on only featuring hotels and spas that provide exactly what they promise. The newest and sexiest doesn't necessarily mean the best and these places are not cheap - so you want to make sure your expectations are delivered on. I was therefore delighted to see that some of our closest partners were shortlisted and picked up awards based on the quality of what is delivered.
SHA Wellness Clinic, Spain - Voted number 1 in best Medical, Thermal & Natural Spas category
Como Shambhala Retreat Cocoa Island, Maldives - Voted number 1 in best Hotel Spas category in Africa, Middle East & Indian Ocean
Six Senses Spa, Kempinski Hotel, Barbaros Bay,Turkey - Voted number 2 in best hotel spas category in Europe & Asia Minor
The Retreat Spa, Aphrodite Hills, Cyprus - Voted number 3 in best Hotel Spas category in Europe & Asia Minor
Como Shambhala Estate, Bali - Voted number 3 in best overseas Spa Retreats category
Chiva Som, Thailand - Voted number 4 in best overseas Spa Retreats category
Ananda in the Himalaya, India - Voted number 5 in best overseas Spa Retreats category
Six Senses Spa, Porto Elounda, Crete - Voted number 5 in best Hotel Spas category in Europe & Asia Minor
To read more about our luxury spa holidays visit our website
Which leads me on nicely to our biggest mantra at Wellbeing Escapes which is authenticity! We pride ourselves on only featuring hotels and spas that provide exactly what they promise. The newest and sexiest doesn't necessarily mean the best and these places are not cheap - so you want to make sure your expectations are delivered on. I was therefore delighted to see that some of our closest partners were shortlisted and picked up awards based on the quality of what is delivered.
SHA Wellness Clinic, Spain - Voted number 1 in best Medical, Thermal & Natural Spas category
Como Shambhala Retreat Cocoa Island, Maldives - Voted number 1 in best Hotel Spas category in Africa, Middle East & Indian Ocean
Six Senses Spa, Kempinski Hotel, Barbaros Bay,Turkey - Voted number 2 in best hotel spas category in Europe & Asia Minor
The Retreat Spa, Aphrodite Hills, Cyprus - Voted number 3 in best Hotel Spas category in Europe & Asia Minor
Como Shambhala Estate, Bali - Voted number 3 in best overseas Spa Retreats category
Chiva Som, Thailand - Voted number 4 in best overseas Spa Retreats category
Ananda in the Himalaya, India - Voted number 5 in best overseas Spa Retreats category
Six Senses Spa, Porto Elounda, Crete - Voted number 5 in best Hotel Spas category in Europe & Asia Minor
To read more about our luxury spa holidays visit our website
Saturday, 22 August 2009
Is a Spa Holiday a Luxury or an Investment?
As always in times of recession, people start to question their own spending and look for ways to plan and stick to budgets. As our company was bracing itself for a tough year we have instead seen a growth in people taking a wellbeing holiday – definitely something we didn’t predict.
What has brought about this development?...well it has become apparent to us that our clients are looking for some serious stress relief not just with a flop in the sun with a couple of massages type of way, but a serious wellness programme that will rejuvenate and give them energy and good health. This is particularly important in times like these, where we all have to work extra hard and keep ourselves in the best condition to keep at the top of our game! People seem to want to take care of themselves more in this environment – maybe they need to work harder or deal with additional stress so they want to be armed with tools that will help them through these difficult times. That’s where a wellness holiday is seen as a genuine investment rather than an indulgence.
We have seen a general increase of demand to destination spas as they provide a one stop shop to address people’s concerns in the current environment. Stress relief, healthy eating, exercise, and education so people can bring back what they have learned and apply it to their lifestyles. From an economic point of view they are also desirable, not because they are cheap but because all is paid for up front and there are no huge check out bills as treatments, meals and activities are part of the package. Our clients like this certainty to their budgets and now is a good time to get a good deal!
The BBC News channel also found this subject interesting and put together a small programme where we were interviewed for our opinion. Take a look >bbc news interview
Stella
What has brought about this development?...well it has become apparent to us that our clients are looking for some serious stress relief not just with a flop in the sun with a couple of massages type of way, but a serious wellness programme that will rejuvenate and give them energy and good health. This is particularly important in times like these, where we all have to work extra hard and keep ourselves in the best condition to keep at the top of our game! People seem to want to take care of themselves more in this environment – maybe they need to work harder or deal with additional stress so they want to be armed with tools that will help them through these difficult times. That’s where a wellness holiday is seen as a genuine investment rather than an indulgence.
We have seen a general increase of demand to destination spas as they provide a one stop shop to address people’s concerns in the current environment. Stress relief, healthy eating, exercise, and education so people can bring back what they have learned and apply it to their lifestyles. From an economic point of view they are also desirable, not because they are cheap but because all is paid for up front and there are no huge check out bills as treatments, meals and activities are part of the package. Our clients like this certainty to their budgets and now is a good time to get a good deal!
The BBC News channel also found this subject interesting and put together a small programme where we were interviewed for our opinion. Take a look >bbc news interview
Stella
How Reliable are Trip Advisor Reviews?
There has been a lot of fuss made in the travel industry lately about the authenticity of hotel reviews posted on Trip Advisor. It has come to light that many fake reviews have been written either by the hotel’s own marketing people, giving themselves top marks, or by competitors with scathing reports. This is a nasty practice but it happens! Hotels become obsessed with their ratings and reviews and rightly so given the size and popularity of Trip Advisor.
We frequently hear from our clients about the reviews they have read on Trip Advisor after we have recommended a particular resort. This is entirely normal – I also check consumer reviews on a big purchases I am about to make. But a small word of warning, Trip Advisor has no way of substantiating whether the person posting the review has actually stayed at the hotel and has started putting disclaimers on many of its pages stating this fact. Also it is human nature to want to voice your complaints to the world if you have had a bad time but you are less likely to do so if you were entirely satisfied.
When we launched our new website earlier this year we did introduce a review section that only the clients that booked through us could post their own comments on. We frequently have dodgy reviews posted by people who we have no knowledge of that are immediately deleted. We are constantly encouraging our clients to post their comments when we phone them to find out how they enjoyed their Wellbeing Escape, but frequently it gets pushed down to the bottom of their priority list in their busy lives. If you have travelled with us, please do post your comments. It will help people have more access to truthful reviews rather than just the questionable content on Trip Advisor.
Stella
We frequently hear from our clients about the reviews they have read on Trip Advisor after we have recommended a particular resort. This is entirely normal – I also check consumer reviews on a big purchases I am about to make. But a small word of warning, Trip Advisor has no way of substantiating whether the person posting the review has actually stayed at the hotel and has started putting disclaimers on many of its pages stating this fact. Also it is human nature to want to voice your complaints to the world if you have had a bad time but you are less likely to do so if you were entirely satisfied.
When we launched our new website earlier this year we did introduce a review section that only the clients that booked through us could post their own comments on. We frequently have dodgy reviews posted by people who we have no knowledge of that are immediately deleted. We are constantly encouraging our clients to post their comments when we phone them to find out how they enjoyed their Wellbeing Escape, but frequently it gets pushed down to the bottom of their priority list in their busy lives. If you have travelled with us, please do post your comments. It will help people have more access to truthful reviews rather than just the questionable content on Trip Advisor.
Stella
Saturday, 1 August 2009
Should you tip at the spa?
I have just returned from my holiday at Le Sport in St.Lucia and the issue of tipping spa therapists once again reared its head. You would think that being in "the industry" I would be very clear about when and where it is appropriate, but I still struggle with this issue, primarily because the treatments are quite pricey to begin with.
Le Sport state clearly in their in room directory that it is a NON tipping resort so you would think that cleared it up for me. Well not so! On my daily visit to the spa, I frequently saw the American visitors leaving tips for therapists, (yes I know tipping is in their DNA), but I still felt slightly guilty that I was being a stingy Brit and not showing my appreciation for a hard working therapist.
On questioning the General Manager at the resort about their policy, he told me that they believe that their service should be first class without tips and don't want to encourage different service levels that are dependent on tips. He said that guests could leave a discretionary amount at the end of their stay that would go into the staff welfare fund (which is managed by the staff).
Well that made sense and my guilt went away, but what happens if the resort doesn't take such a common sense attitude? On thinking about this further, I have finally come to the conclusion that I will only tip a therapist who is outstanding and has clearly taken extra care to give me a fantastic treatment rather than feel pressurised to do so because everyone else is doing it. You can generally decide who deserves this at the end of your stay so I will be doing this then rather than after each treatment. This is so personal and I am definitely not saying this is the "best spa etiquette" but I'm pleased I have finally cleared this up for myself.
Let me know what you think?
Stella
Le Sport state clearly in their in room directory that it is a NON tipping resort so you would think that cleared it up for me. Well not so! On my daily visit to the spa, I frequently saw the American visitors leaving tips for therapists, (yes I know tipping is in their DNA), but I still felt slightly guilty that I was being a stingy Brit and not showing my appreciation for a hard working therapist.
On questioning the General Manager at the resort about their policy, he told me that they believe that their service should be first class without tips and don't want to encourage different service levels that are dependent on tips. He said that guests could leave a discretionary amount at the end of their stay that would go into the staff welfare fund (which is managed by the staff).
Well that made sense and my guilt went away, but what happens if the resort doesn't take such a common sense attitude? On thinking about this further, I have finally come to the conclusion that I will only tip a therapist who is outstanding and has clearly taken extra care to give me a fantastic treatment rather than feel pressurised to do so because everyone else is doing it. You can generally decide who deserves this at the end of your stay so I will be doing this then rather than after each treatment. This is so personal and I am definitely not saying this is the "best spa etiquette" but I'm pleased I have finally cleared this up for myself.
Let me know what you think?
Stella
Wednesday, 8 July 2009
Will Single Travellers Take Over?
A recent Mintel report shows that over 5 million Britons travelled alone this year and this is expected to be one of the fastest growing travel sectors in future years. Although 70% of Wellbeing Escapes clients are single travellers, the sheer size of this figure surprised me, although given the fact that 39% of the adult British polulation live alone it shouldn't! This number is set to get even bigger with projections that by 2031 single households will represent 45% of the population in the UK.
This is largely about women driving the trend. We are talking about confident,professional and independent women who unlike previous generations don't think twice about going off to do their own thing and get what they want out of a holiday. Busy schedules and the desire not to have to satisfy other people's needs on holiday are a main factor - many of our clients have partners, and some even families but choose to have at least one holiday on their own. Some may call this selfish (my mother just can't understand why I would go away without my family!) but a wellbeing holiday is a perfect way to recharge your batteries and focus on yourself. What is so selfish about that?...surely if we are energised, calm and focused we can be a better friend, partner, parent or even employee.
The majority of holiday companies and hotels are still punishing the single traveller with hefty single supplements. The excuse/reason is that the room at a hotel can be filled with 2 people bringing double the income but lets get real - how many hotels are 100% full all year round with couples and families?...If the travel industry wants to take this sizeable sector of the market seriously they need to start catering to their needs. We work very hard to get lots of no single supplement deals for our clients as we don't see why they should be hit with extra costs for the room, especially since they are spending more on treatment packages than most clients. Long live the Single Traveller!
Stella
This is largely about women driving the trend. We are talking about confident,professional and independent women who unlike previous generations don't think twice about going off to do their own thing and get what they want out of a holiday. Busy schedules and the desire not to have to satisfy other people's needs on holiday are a main factor - many of our clients have partners, and some even families but choose to have at least one holiday on their own. Some may call this selfish (my mother just can't understand why I would go away without my family!) but a wellbeing holiday is a perfect way to recharge your batteries and focus on yourself. What is so selfish about that?...surely if we are energised, calm and focused we can be a better friend, partner, parent or even employee.
The majority of holiday companies and hotels are still punishing the single traveller with hefty single supplements. The excuse/reason is that the room at a hotel can be filled with 2 people bringing double the income but lets get real - how many hotels are 100% full all year round with couples and families?...If the travel industry wants to take this sizeable sector of the market seriously they need to start catering to their needs. We work very hard to get lots of no single supplement deals for our clients as we don't see why they should be hit with extra costs for the room, especially since they are spending more on treatment packages than most clients. Long live the Single Traveller!
Stella
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