Spa and Costa Rica – The Spa Destination Experience
Enhance your health and mood with tropical treasures.Imagine if the delicious cup of coffee, the freshly made piña colada, the exotic fragrance of wild orchids, or the rich rainforest chocolate could be part of your spa experience. By featuring these, and many other ingredients, within various health, relaxation and beauty treatments, the spa pampering that you will receive here will give you a unique, personal connection to the local environment here in lush Costa Rica. Many of the products can be purchased to take home with you so you can rejuvenate when back home as well, while being reminded of your exotic journey to Costa Rica.Costa Rica is one of the most biologically diverse and intense places on the entire planet. Each region has its own microclimates with specific representative flora and fauna to dazzle you. It is amazing how many things grow and flourish here, providing an incredible array of fruits, nuts, spices and oils which end up in hand-made organic spa products. Many spas offer a holistic or integral service of international quality, in a warm and personalized manner characteristic of the Costa Rican people. Add the wondrous source of natural, local ingredients such as coffee, brown sugar, coconut, papaya, mango, sea salt, organic rainforest chocolate and the result is magical; a small taste of the treasures in store for you here. These local gems in the able hands of soothing local practitioners will put you into relaxed bliss, leaving you thinking about your time here long after you leave. What a way to enhance your trip- this is Pura Vida!One of my favorite places is Hotel Punta Islita in the Nicoya Peninsula, home to the Casa Spa which artfully incorporates herbalist wisdom from the local Chorotega tribe into their treatments. Punta Islita’s own organic garden provides the ingredients for many of the spa’s treatments. According to Dorelia Mulca, director of the Casa Spa, the current trend is to return to our origins, where great value is placed on the natural. “We must not forget that the ancestral indigenous shamans would heal with herbs and rituals,” she points out. Choose from an array of wonderful treatments for him or her, families, athletes, kids, teens even special treatments for women that are pregnant. The Punta Islita Ritual massage is amazing, featuring heated river stones, herbal oil-infused compress ball, and a Guaro Cacique (local Costa Rican sugar cane spirits) drizzle. The Guanacaste Traditions body treatment and massage uses papaya, mango, banana and pineapple which smells and feels great, and leaves your skin super smooth. The Cappuccino Massage with almond oil and chocolate or the Green Coffee Pick-Me-Up (detoxifying with organic coffee beans) are to die for. There are so many to choose from using ingredients such as cucumber, mint, aloe, orange, honey, volcanic mud, avocado, sesame oil, rosemary, vanilla, honeysuckle, golden algae; the list goes on! Dorelia has done a terrific job. The hotel is also stunning and has a great mix of nature, art and community in a stunning setting. Check out the local church and school built with the design and funding of the architect and his wife Ronald Zurcher. The infinity pool at the top of the resort is great, but you can also enjoy a pool lower at the seaside, and dine there also to the sounds of the sea.Another great spot is the Neidín Spa at Arenal Kioro Suites & Spa in the basin of the majestic Arenal Volcano in the Inland Volcano area. In Bribri indigenous dialect, the word neidín means small nest or point of rest to recover lost energy. Thanks to amazing views, excellent service, and top quality treatments, you can’t help but leave the spa with a sense of complete luxury and well-being. Tocando El Cielo is a great pampering and includes a grape pulp wrap, followed by an orange and honey polish, a “wave” massage (two therapists and four hands), an exotic herb and flower bath and a glass of sparkling wine to finish; scrumptious! The Chocolate Fantasy is the ultimate; starting with the chocolate and sugar glow, followed by the sweet chocolate body wrap and finishing with a super aromatic mint and chocolate bath. This is the nicest hotel in Arenal, with stunning views of the volcano. Don’t miss the trails surrounding the property that are gorgeous with the species of fauna marked for you.The newest destination by Grupo Islita of Hotel Punta Islita is El Silencio Lodge & Spa nestled within the cloud forest of Los Bajos del Toro. Located just an hour and a half away from San Jose in the inland central volcanic region, treatments at The Wellness Spa are just as natural as the sounds of nature surrounding it. It offers a menu designed to rejuvenate the mind, body and spirit. Recommendations: El Silencio Purifying Revival Massage in the cone room. This is an aromatherapy massage treatment utilizing hot oil compress ball with herbs like thyme, oregano and mint meant to increase relaxation. The cone-shaped room was specifically designed to capture positive energy from the forest that surrounds it, with the intent of enhancing the effectiveness of the treatments. Also offered are packages that combine wraps, exfoliating treatments, facials and aromatherapy using more fabulous ingredients: lime, honey, volcanic clay, coconut, carrot, and so on. The hotel’s organic orchard on property supplies fruits and vegetables to be used in the treatments. For couples the Meditation Duet is amazing. It starts with an organic herbal massage, followed by the brown sugar, vanilla and coconut body polish accompanied by organic wild blackberries and sparkling wine, such bliss! You can hike in splendor, visit nearby canopy zip-lines, river rafting trips and horseback riding. This place is heaven in the cloud forest.Next is the place with my favorite view in all of the Quepos area: Hotel El Parador Boutique Resort & Spa. Located on the Central Pacific Coast in a region of great beauty, El Parador boasts gorgeous, panoramic ocean views. This gem is close to the Manuel Antonio National Park where you can hike through the park to pristine white sand beaches, viewing a myriad of wildlife along the way. Back at the hotel, the Pacífica Spa offers all kinds of natural treatments, including special day packages. Highlights include sand exfoliation, aloe vera relief wrap (if you have had too much sun), and the papaya and honey facial. The ginger-orange body mask is invigorating and super aromatic. The ylang-ylang milk bath is especially soothing. For men the Naturally for Him is excellent which includes a relaxing exfoliating cappuccino bath, a volcanic mud wrap with a hydrotherapeutic massage, a facial and a hot stone massage. Also offered are yoga lessons and a special place designed for couple’s massages with a spectacular ocean view. All spa visitors receive a plate of fruits. The spa also has its own line of products.Another option near Manuel Antonio National Park is the only 5 star hotel in the area: Gaia Hotel & Reserve featuring the Terra Spa. The surrounding forest reserve is a perfect backdrop for the spa with great sounds and sensations. This hotel is very modern and elegant with clean long lines and great light. Terra Spa offers an array of treatments and therapies that use organic natural products, many of which are certified and produced by locals that also follow the sustainable concept adopted by the hotel. Terra Tuning is one of the most popular and holistic packages. This 4 hour splurge includes a sauna session, Reiki chakra balancing, Thai massage, and organic facial treatment using all local hand-made products. The organic facial is called the Arco Iris and includes Papaya Exfoliation Polish, Citrus Cleansing Lemon Meringue Mask, and Mango Dream Hydrating Cream. Part of the facial is a sumptuous acupressure scalp and foot massage. Also available is the “Vichy Rain Shower,” which consists of a hydrotherapeutic massage of a warm rain shower in the tropical forest where you select your desired temperature and which is recommended to follow with an exfoliation. Elegance and sophistication in the rainforest!Last but not least is another all-time favorite, Xandari Resort & Spa. Located in tropical paradise some 1,200 meters above sea level and boasting a beautiful view of the Central Valley, the Xandari Spa is located at only 20 minutes away from Juan Santamaría International Airport in Alajuela. This is fabulous on your way in and out of San Jose traveling internationally, you can do fabulous day trips or half-day trips very easily from Xandari to Poas Volcano, Doka Coffee Tour, Sarchi, La Paz Waterfall Gardens, Sarapiqui, Reventazon, or Pacuare River Rafting, Villa Blanca Canopy Tour and many others. One of the Xandari Spa’s outstanding feature is that each spa treatment provides you your own palm-thatched jalapa with its own Jacuzzi. There you may experience the feeling of mind, body and soul melting into nature in complete privacy. One of the big treats is Xandari Heaven, which involves three hours of enjoyment in your private jalapa: Jacuzzi jets, followed by an aromatherapy treatments for your hair, exfoliation for your entire body and a soft or deep massage of your choice. Some of the key special treatments that focus on local ingredients include: Selva de Osa mud wrap using 100% natural sediment from the Osa Peninsula, Coffee and Macademia Buff to polish and hydrate your skin, or Papaya Body Polish. The views, service, architecture, art all come together for a unique and special Costa Rica experience only 20 minutes from San Jose’s International Airport. Those of us that live here in the central valley can escape to Xandari in minutes and feel we are a world away with all the amenities you could ever hope for.
Mind, Body, Spirit Is Not A Cliche
It is often suggested that the term “Mind, Body, Spirit” is an overused cliché in a field that tries to deceive people for money. As I worker in this field I strongly disagree with that idea.Because I had no idea that I was a Medium until I was 34 years old I know what it feels like to hope that the Spirit World (or Heaven) exists but have nothing to base that hope on. However, even though I felt like that I never dismissed the feelings or beliefs of others if they told me that they were sure that Heaven existed.I hadn’t followed the Psychic field, nor was I into Mediumship in a big way. I’d seen Doris Stokes once and a local Medium once and thought they were both incredible, but it never occurred to me to go again. Except for Doris Stokes’ books I didn’t have anything else in the house, nor did I think about Spirituality day in and day out. I worked, I saw our families, I kept a house and I loved my cats. That’s it.Then I became a Medium half way through a telephone conversation with a friend. I’ve never forgotten the moment, in fact it’s imprinted in my memory in minute detail.First I had a strange feeling that I wasn’t alone. Then a picture jumped into my mind’s eye of two crystal pots, one of which held jam and one marmalade, along with an impression that someone was telling me “never the twain would meet.”I tried to ignore the picture but it kept coming back more insistently each time, and I began to lose the thread of my conversation with my friend. She asked me what was wrong and I told her. She surprised me by saying “I know exactly what that means. Anything else?” As she said that I saw a single pink rose laid down in front of the two pots, so I told her.It transpired that her late parents’ wish for their retirement was to be able to have their condiments in crystal pots, dad liked marmalade and mum liked jam, and never the twain would meet (as they said often apparently). My friend was as sure as she could be that I’d heard her mother called “my Mum” or “Lesley’s Mum”, but it transpired that her name was rose.I then got other information through that Lesley told me was for a friend of hers that I knew of but had never met. Lesley arranged for me to go and see Rosemary, which I did. Rosemary sat me down in her living room and said “start talking.” I asked what about and she said “Whatever comes into your mind.” So I did.At the end of the session Rosemary told me that she had no doubt that I had contact with her late husband, Esmond, and I should ask him why he’d come. I asked how and she said “In your mind.” I asked and he told me it was to introduce me to my Guide – Eduoard Fouchard.When they both pulled back Rosemary asked me if I had any questions and I said “Yes, what’s a Guide?”That was my introduction to the presence of the Spirit World, to be able to feel a being with me so real that I honestly thought if I turned round a living person would be there, and for me as a person who couldn’t claim to have seen or spoken to Spirit all her life it was and is real.Obviously I can’t give anyone that experience, believe me I would if I could because it’s an amazing thing to have in your life, but I can tell you why the of a Spirit World and the knowledge that somehow disincarnate beings can contact me, works for me as a completely logical belief.Firstly, it isn’t just Mediums who sense the Spirit World, when I do a talk or workshop I will discover that 2 out of 3 people have had an experience in their life or reported in their family that cannot be explained any other way than paranormal. Like me these weren’t people expecting it or necessarily believing in the field, it just happened and they can’t explain it in any other way.Secondly, most cultures in recorded history had a strong belief system that there was some kind of Spirit World, and they had that belief for a reason. Some would say it was a method of controlling the populace, some would say it was a joint delusion caused by fear of death. Yet people have been prepared to die for those beliefs and I would suggest that you wouldn’t die for something that didn’t feel extremely real to you.Lastly, my experience (and that of my friends and co-trainees on courses) tells me that when I’m channeling Spirit there is someone else with me. I can feel them there and if I can’t feel them then I can’t work, it’s as simple as that.They feel absolutely real. They are capable of communicating factual information in the form of dates, events, names, passing conditions, etcetera, that can be verified by the people receiving the messages.The people receiving the messages are the public and believe me they’re not the pushovers that the cynics would have you believe. They come for proof and by and large they expect proof. You do get the odd person who would take anything you gave them, but they are few and far between. Most clients are discerning, determined, and the know exactly what they want – facts!My own personal feeling is that it would be ridiculous to conclude that we are the result of an accidental collision between a sperm and an egg. There is too much evidence of past lives – again from people who didn’t expect to be talking about previous lives – for my historical training to dismiss it easily.Therefore the only thing that makes sense to me is that we come from and return to the Spirit World. As I told my brother when he asked me what made me believe in Heaven – I’ve never questioned it, never once in my life, to do so would feel ridiculous. Don’t ask me to explain it better than that, I’ve just felt that there was something else for as long as I can remember. I also had some interesting dreams for most of my childhood that would need an entire other article to explain, but they can’t be explained any other way than paranormal. Although it took me nearly 20 years more to realise that.In which case, we are mind (thinking/logic), body (you can see it), and Spirit (gut instinct/intuition/psychic ability). That’s a fact and we should embrace every ability we have within our own beings to maintain a balanced and harmonious outlook and to guide our lives sensibly, practically, and with reference to our true and honest desires. It isn’t all about being a Psychic Medium – it’s all about being all of you.Wishing you happy days and peaceful nightsDeb
Loyalty Programs in Travel and Hospitality Sector and Key Role of E-CRM
SECTION ONE: TRAVEL LOYALTYINTRODUCTIONThe travel sector offers quite a few loyalty programs – some of which are quite well-known, and successful as well. Within this sector, the sub-vertical that definitively takes the lead in loyalty program adoption and innovation is the Airlines sector.Airlines were among the first businesses to introduce loyalty programs to their customers. Frequent-flyer programs date back to early 1980s when American Airlines started the now iconic American Advantage (AAdvantage) program. Through the Sabre computer reservations system, American Airlines had amassed a database of around 150,000 of its best customers.SOME THE INDUSTRY’S BEST CONTEMPORARY LOYALTY PROGRAMSThe Star Alliance Network is a partnership where frequent flyers can accumulate and redeem miles on the following airlines: United Airlines; Lufthansa; Air Canada; SAS; British Midland; Varig; ANA; Singapore Airlines; Austrian Airlines; Thai Airways; Air New Zealand; and Mexicana.VARIG’s Smiles Program is the most popular frequent flyer loyalty program in Latin America. With Smiles, passengers can earn miles on every VARIG flight, as well as regional, domestic and international flights on Rio Sul, Nordeste, Pluna, South African Airways, Spanair, Alitalia and participating airlines of the Star Alliance. Miles earned can be exchanged for free tickets, upgrades and other benefits.US Airways offers its members greater privileges through additional offers by its Dividend Miles program on travel on US Airways and its partners. The features differ for its three membership types – Silver Preferred, Gold Preferred and Chairman’s Preferred.SECTION TWO: HOSPITALITY LOYALTY
INTRODUCTIONIn the days of inception, the hospitality industry offered loyalty programs together with the travel industry. With time, as the airlines stated their own Frequent Flier Programs, the hospitality industry launched independent frequent guest programs as well. Holiday Inn was amongst the first to launch its own loyalty program, in January 1983 followed by Marriott with its Honored Guest Awards program in the same year.SOME THE INDUSTRY’S BEST CONTEMPORARY LOYALTY PROGRAMSThe recent launch of “Any hotel, Any where” card by the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), the world’s largest and most global hotel company, is one of the best initiatives in the context of new age loyalty programs in the hospitality industry. IHG has recently added a new feature to its customer loyalty program: Priority Club Rewards.Starwood Preferred Guest is another of the best loyalty programs in the Industry. The program made headlines when it launched in 1999 with a breakthrough policy of no blackout dates and no capacity controls, meaning members can redeem free nights anytime, anywhere.Park Hospitality, part of Minneapolis-based Carlson Hospitality Worldwide, consists of Park Plaza and Park Inn hotels in North America. The hospitality group primarily offers services to a range of guests in suburban and leisure destinations. Park Rewards, part of the Gold Points Rewards guest loyalty program, is based on a point system awarding 10 points for each U.S. dollar spent on accommodations at Park Plaza and Park Inn hotels in North America.Radisson Hotels and Resorts’ channel-based Relationship Building Loyalty Program, called ‘Look To Book’, has been very successful as well. Radisson is the only hotel company to offer a patented on-line loyalty program for travel agents, which allows them to automatically earn points towards valuable merchandise and incentive awards in return for booking Radisson hotels.Hyatt offers a global loyalty program – Hyatt Gold Passport. Hyatt Gold passport offers features like earning points towards free nights with no blackout dates, selecting in-hotel services and special offers, beginning with the very first stay. The benefits offered are based on the type of membership the guest holds. The three memberships offered by Hyatt Gold Passport are Gold, Platinum and Silver, based on the frequency/ number of visits.Hospitality industry in developing economies such as in India are not left behind either The Welcom Award program recognises the needs of a business traveller and through its strategic alliances with travel partners, endeavors to build rewarding relationships.SECTION THREE: COMMON PROBLEMS WITH LOYALTY PROGRAMS, AND THEIR MITIGATION BEST-PRACTICESWhile the consumer awareness of loyalty programs as well as the business priority accorded to them are both growing in tandem, the effectiveness of such programs, and the consequent ROI that a business generates out of them continue to be significant challenges. Here below are a few key areas that deserve focused attention of enterprises that are implementing or running such programs:”7 out of 10 loyalty card owners own more than one loyalty card,” avers a recent Frost & Sullivan research. The problem out of this rampant loyalty card and loyalty program proliferation, researchers say, is that surprisingly few consumers know which hotels are covered by their frequent-stay cards, thereby missing out on earning hundreds, even thousands, of points. Blame it on poor communication by the companies or the sheer numbers of brands, say the experts.Traditionally, customer relationship management focus in hospitality has always began and ended in one phrase: “customer satisfaction.” The presumption is very simple: Customers will appreciate good service so much that they would not go to your competitor. In other words: Customer satisfaction plus quality of services equals customer loyalty.The truth is that customer satisfaction does not always equal customer loyalty.Research shows:
• 40% of satisfied customers switch hotels without hesitation (Forum Corp.)
• 65% to 85% of customers who choose a new hotel claim to be satisfied and very satisfied with the
former one (Harvard Business Review)
• 85% of customers claim to be satisfied, yet willing to switch to other hotels (University of Texas).These are compelling numbers, clearly indicating that even for the best-of-class service provider hotels there is a crying need for focused and ongoing relationship building and relationship deepening exercises with their key clientele.Electronic customer relationship management (e-CRM), in the context of the exploding Internet distribution and marketing in hospitality, is a business strategy supported by Web technologies allowing hoteliers to engage customers in strong, personalized and mutually beneficial interactive relationships, increase conversions and sell more efficiently.This means that almost every time an Internet user lands on a hotel Web site a branding interaction occurs, thereby creating either an opportunity, or a threat, for the hotel. This branding interaction can be positive (brandbuilding) or negative (brand-eroding).A. Customer KnowledgeKnowing your Web site visitors is an extremely important consideration when conceptualizing and designing your hotel Web site and your e-CRM strategy.The 2004 RUSH Report shows:• 56% of all visitors on hotel branded Web sites are leisure travelers and 32% are business travelers. Approximately 3% of hotel Web site visitors are involved in meeting or event planning.
• 34% of all visitors on hotel branded Web sites seek information about the hotel, while 30% of the visitors come to make or change a reservation.
• Business travelers look for directions and high speed Internet.
• Meeting planners look for function room floor plans and capacity charts.The benefits:
• Identifies your most valuable customers with best lifetime value perspective (20:80 principle)
• Allows guest-centric data mining: Guest history, guest profiles, past bookings, preferences, etc.
• Enables informed decisions in real time
• Allows fast response times
• Offers real-time guest lifetime value
• Delivers business insight to executives, marketers, salesB. Personalization
Personalizing the customer experience on the hotel Web site is a powerful conversion and retention tool. Customizing your interaction with your most valuable customers (those 20% who generate 80% of your business) will provide significant long-term rewards.
Personalization at the property level should start by:
• Identifying all “electronic touch points” with your customers (hotel guests, meeting planners, travel professionals, etc.) and creating an action plan.
• Personalize all electronic communications with your customers. Adopt a policy on how to address your guests via e-mail (first name only, Mr./Mrs. plus last name, etc.).C. Customer SupportIt is important to understand that customer service is only one aspect of e-CRM and is primarily a reactive function aiming to improve performance and efficiency, while e-CRM as a whole is a proactive long-term strategy.Customer support in the Internet age relies on a wide range of tools and techniques. Here are some to consider:
• Web Self-Service Tools: Intelligent service channel management and natural language search engines; directing customer requests to most appropriate support information and services; FAQs; “Ask the experts” self-service chat rooms; interactive maps, directions and business locators.
• Live Service Tools: Push-to-talk functionality and real-time interaction with live agent; instant messaging and chat-room type assistance; Voice-over-Internet Protocols applications; and automation to pre-screen live support (selective approach).
• E-Mail Service Tools: Inbound e-mail management; and automated e-mail response systems capable of automating 80%-90% of e-mail volume with 98% accuracy, dramatically improving service and reducing support staff by up to 40%.