Why the Hot Springs Movement is Gaining Steam in the United States

The ancient Greeks did it. So did the ancient and not-so-ancient Romans, Japanese, and Chinese. Heck, even some of the founding fathers of the United States did it too. But despite its illustrious past, the idea of taking the waters has never really caught on in the United States, until now. Hot springs could be on the verge of a major wellness moment.

Glenwood Hot Springs

For centuries, many European and Asian cultures have viewed mineral-fed hot springs as a source of health, wellness, and healing. But according to the Global Wellness Institute, the sector is quite underdeveloped in North America, due to a lack of a historic bathing culture that is prevalent elsewhere. The times are changing, however, as more Americans are looking to nature for its power to calm and rejuvenate.

In the United States, hot springs have traditionally been seen in recreational terms rather than as a wellness endeavor, according to Vicky Nash, a tourism consultant who is dedicated to professionalizing the hot springs industry. Thanks to the efforts of Nash and a former U.S. senator, among others, hot springs are suddenly being reframed as wellness destinations across the country.

MOM-AND-POP OPERATIONS IN TRANSITION

According to Nash, about 28 states have hot springs in one form or another, although the majority are in the West and Southwest. Many of these waters are on public land, and a few are contained within fancy resort complexes. But for the most part, hot springs facilities are rustic mom-and-pop operations, solely offering a soak in the forms of mineral bathing and swimming. Some are a little more tricked-out, with extras like massage rooms and dining outlets.

Many of these smaller operations, long in need of a facelift, are in the process of changing hands. According to Nash, “A lot of the smaller hot springs facilities were established in the 1970s. Now those owners are selling, and new owners, including investment groups, are coming in with an interest of revamping them and getting them up to speed” for the growing wellness market.

That’s why many facilities, shuttered for years, are reopening, some with multimillion dollar investments. For example, a Phoenix-based couple, Mike and Cindy Watts, purchased the ailing Arizona Castle Hot Springs in 2014. The original facility was built at the end of the 19th century, but it was abandoned during the 1970s. Earlier this year, it reopened as a luxury healing center for the well-heeled. Some of the bungalows, complete with private outdoor tubs, list at $1,600 per night.

Mark Begich is another person betting on the business. The Alaskan businessman purchased Carson Hot Springs in the late 1990s. His company refurbished the property’s historic buildings, located just a few miles from Nevada’s state capitol. Also added were a restaurant and brewpub, making the facility more of a destination versus a pass-through. He, along with a group of investors, also owns Jemez Hot Springs and Cañon Del Rio Inn and Spa in Jemez Springs, New Mexico.

BUILDING A NETWORK

Begich, by the by, is not just your run-of-the-mill developer. He heads up Northern Compass Group, a business and strategic communications consultancy. And he happens to be a former U.S. senator (D-Alaska). After leaving the swamp in 2014, he jumped back into the hot springs arena. First, he purchased those New Mexico properties and now, he’s become the force behind the development of the brand-new (as of October 2019) Hot Springs Association.

Begich pointed out, “In rural areas, local-level mom-and-pop businesses are critical to the economy. In remote areas, developing these facilities brings in money from outside the community and creates jobs.” But for the most part, they have been left to their own devices  By creating an association, individual operators will experience strength in numbers.

“There are so many layers of the business, but no one is coordinating information,” said Begich. Having an association to bring together hot springs operators across the United States “means these small businesses can pool resources, joining together to have purchasing and marketing power.”

Schawna Thoma is vice president of Begich’s Northern Compass Group. “Most hot springs are family-run, and people often feel isolated or intimidated about reaching out. We will serve as a network for these people, and offer tools and serve as an information resource.” The organization will allow small properties to band together to build awareness, while also doing less sexy things, like helping to negotiate water rights, share new technology, and develop affordable insurance programs. It will also start tracking visitor numbers and economic impact.

LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR GROWTH

The latter, said Begich, will be of immense help to operators seeking loans. “Right now, hot springs are difficult to finance,” according to Begich, “because the classification is difficult. That’s why the data is critical; it’s for financiers to understand the business.” That understanding may lead to a simpler lending process.

Vicky Nash is another person bringing together resources for the hot springs community. She helped develop the Colorado Historic Hot Springs Loop, which links five hot springs destinations in the western part of the state. During its five years in existence, each of the five communities has experienced an increase in tourism.

Nash last year launched the Hot Springs Connection. It’s the first conference in the United States dedicated solely to the needs of hot springs operators. The conference, the second of which is scheduled for November, allow operators to exchange ideas and get educated on topics ranging from water sanitation to tourism marketing.

Now that the industry has its own trade association, its own annual conference, and, to a certain degree, a new generation of owners, hot springs may be destined to become the next hot thing in wellness tourism.

This article originally appeared on Skift. I am Skift's luxury editor and wellness correspondent.

Bright, Shiny Objects: The Man Who Puts the Sparkle in the Baccarat Hotel

When your brand is all about high-quality, custom-crafted crystal, you’d better be sure that the message shines throughout any product extensions. To uphold and safeguard Baccarat’s identity, enter the glass attendant.

When famed crystal company Baccarat decided to lend its name to the hotel business in 2015, it had to ensure that its primary product was the star of the show. And that is why one of the most important positions at the Baccarat Hotel New York is glass attendant.

First, a little history. Baccarat was established in 1764, during the reign of King Louis XV of France. Since that time, artisans have been crafting glassware, decorative objects, and lighting fixtures purchased by many of the world’s most discriminating connoisseurs. Baccarat chandeliers and decorative objects adorn many a palace, and Baccarat crystal stemware graces the tables of royalty and heads of state.

According to Hermann W. Elger, managing director at Baccarat Hotel New York and chief operating officer of Baccarat Hotels and Resorts, when there was “an opportunity to bring [the] 250-year-old brand to life in the form of the hotel, we had to make sure perfection of craftsmanship was incorporated in all aspects of the hotel. It’s brought to life throughout the hotel through decorative items, lighting, and the glassware.”  Seventeen custom chandeliers dot the property, while items like caviar sets, candle holders, and decorative pieces are also made of crystal. And there are hundreds of pieces of stemware.

MAINTAINING A TEMPLE TO GLASS

That’s a lot of glass. Hence the need for a glass attendant, a person charged full-time with making sure that every piece of crystal, from the barware to the chandeliers, is looking good.

The hotel employs three attendants. Anthony Benitez, a 31-year-old first-generation New Yorker whose family hails from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, has been on the job for two years. Prior to coming to the hotel, he had never worked in hospitality. Instead, for 10 years, he had worked in moving and storage, which, he says, was perfect training for the glass attendant job. “In the moving business, it’s about taking care of things, making sure they get to where they need to go in one piece.”

A few years back, Benitez was poking around the internet looking for “something different, something a bit more grounded,” since he was starting a family. He first applied for a position when the hotel opened, but nothing came through.  However, a couple of years later, the food and beverage director called and suggested that the glass attendant role was “a position I would shine in.”

When asked to describe the job, Benitez said, “It’s hard to say. You could compare it to a dishwasher, you could…but you are washing God’s glasses,” along with immense vases, decorative pieces, and small chandeliers. Basically, he notes, “Anything that shines.”

UTMOST RESPECT AND ATTENTION

Cleaning the stemware from the bar, restaurant, and rooms is the principal part of Benitez’ mission, since, he says, between 10,000 to 12,000 glasses may get washed on a typical day. “When I arrive at 9 a.m.,” he says, “the first thing I do is look for chipped glasses. I log in the glasses that are chipped and then they are sent to a special place to be resurfaced.” When glasses can’t be salvaged, the hotel has been known to re-purpose them by creating broken art pieces sometimes displayed in the lobby.

After chips are noted, Benitez polishes silver and then gets to work on the glassware collected overnight from in-room dining and from breakfast service. Caring for the crystal requires a high-alkaline liquid detergent, and a dishwasher set at 138 degrees for washing and 183 degrees for rinsing. After that the attendant has to polish each piece by hand with a 100-percent cotton cloth specially made for Baccarat.

According to Elger, “The glass attendant is one of the most unique jobs there is. It requires patience and a passion for caring for something truly special. The crystal must be respected, as it is the unique identifier of the hotel. It must be cared for, washed by hand, and treated with great respect.”

When Benitez got the gig, he knew that it was one “not to be taken lightly. I did extensive research to understand what I was getting into. After all, I am responsible for the thing that draws everyone here. The crystal is what this place is built on, so the training is extensive. I had to learn every name of every type of glass — there are nearly 40 different types of stemware alone — how it’s made, the colors, and all of the ins and outs.” He spent two intensive days training in Baccarat’s Manhattan store, learning about the art of crystal-making and the care that is required to maintain each piece. Further education was provided by the hotel’s existing glass attendants.

CRYSTAL CULTURE

After two years, “Crystal is part of me now,” says Benitez. “I have an intimate relationship with the glass — I appreciate the glasses more.” Not only that, but he feels a certain ownership of the crystal. “The biggest challenge I face here is not having full control of the crystal. I wish I could make the drink, serve the drink to the customer, eat with the person using it, and then take it back to clean.”

In trying to maintain control, he does attempt “to keep everyone in line with the crystal.” That’s why, when a fellow employee brings him a chipped glass, he says (only half-kiddingly), “They get very nervous. They know I will ask who, what, where, and why?”

That’s because he has grown to fully appreciate the craftwork that graces his hands every day. “I knew nothing about Baccarat crystal before I got here,” Benitez says, “and I feel like I’ve learned so much. I learned the history and the work that goes into it and how the crystal ties everything together…literally, the hotel is a crystal palace. There is beauty everywhere you look, and I am responsible for keeping it beautiful. I love that, and makes me feel good every day I come here.”

Elger calls the job “a stepping stone to other positions.” That said, Benitez is “quite comfortable” with his current role. But at some point, he says “I would love to become a Baccarat ambassador of crystal or go somewhere else when they open another hotel and teach new attendants how to care for the glass."

Cincinnati Courts Luxury Travelers Through Tennis

Most major sporting events take place in cities that already attract large numbers of high-end tourists. But for one small Midwestern city, hosting a professional tennis tournament is a way to attract luxury travelers who might otherwise not consider a visit.

Monte Carlo, Rome, Miami, Paris, Shanghai, Cincinnati. Which of these is not like the others?

Tennis is a sport of glamour and luxury, attracting jet-setting spectators who travel the world’s sumptuous cities for Grand Slam events — the Australian Open, The French Open, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open — and other tournaments considered mandatory for top-tier players. Particularly attractive for fans are the rare events outside of the Grand Slams that feature both men’s and women’s draws.

Center Court by Vince Kincer

The Western & Southern Open brings the world’s top male and female players to the Cincinnati, Ohio, area every August. Held at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, 20 miles north of Cincinnati in Mason, the W & S Open is the largest annual summer sporting event in the Midwest. On the Association for Tennis Professionals (ATP) men’s tour, it’s a Masters 1000 event, ranked just below the Grand Slams and ATP Finals. For the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), it’s a Premier 5 event.

Because of the prestige, the prize money, and the fact that it’s the last major tournament before the U.S. Open (and played on the same surface), the tournament is a big draw for the world’s top players. That means the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, and Naomi Osaka are courting tennis fans from around the world who are willing and able to spend top dollar to see these aces in action.

Another reason this tournament is a big attraction for fans is that it’s the only major tennis tournament held in the Midwest. And, as Shawn Leibold, director of business development for the Western & Southern Open points out, “It’s easily accessible from a distance perspective, and it’s really the U.S. Open at Midwest prices.”

Mind you, even though both admission and items like lodging and food are less pricey in Ohio than in New York, the Western & Southern Open is still not a cheap ticket. But judging from recent event sellouts, the cost doesn’t appear to be a problem. Perhaps that’s because tennis fans, in general, are big spenders. That W & S Open fans are well-heeled is borne out by the statistics that the average ticket holder has a household income of $150,000.

“Tennis historically, looking at the data from high-level professional tournaments — first of all, fans travel from all over to go. They tend to travel greater distances [than spectators for most other events]. Two, they spend more than most sports fans do at any other kind of sporting event. They stay at the nicer hotels, they eat at the fine restaurants. They typically would spend more than someone who might be coming [to Cincinnati] for a Reds games,” said Gordon Smith, CEO and executive director of the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA).

Novak Djokovic by Ben Solomon

Naturally, the tournament is a vast economic contributor to the Greater Cincinnati region. According to a 2017 tournament economic impact study, tournament operations and non-local visitor spending generated a total economic impact of $46.3 million that year. The greatest impact was spending by non-local attendees. Sixty-seven percent of the nearly 200,000 fans were non-local, coming from 4,000 US ZIP codes and 25 countries.

On average, each non-local spent three days at the event, spending approximately $200 per day on hotel stays, food, and retail goods; spending figures do not include tournament tickets. That compares with the $108 daily spend rate for the average leisure visitor to Cincinnati. Aside from revenue earned by local vendors, state sales tax accumulated during the event totaled more than $545,000.

It’s expected that the spend will only increase this year, thanks to the new $25 million South Building, which sits smack dab in the middle of the tournament’s two largest courts. The five-story structure adds more luxury seating, including suites, outside boxes, and 252 indoor, air-conditioned box seats, along with upscale restaurants and concession areas.

ADVANTAGE, CINCINNATI

The tournament’s impact, however, extends far beyond the money it brings in during its run. The Western & Southern Open envelops Cincinnati in an aura of luxury, which can go a long way in place-making efforts.

cincyusa.com

“The build of an annual event of this caliber has a range of incredible value not just as an event, but it also helps hype the value of the place as a destination,” said Candy Lee, a professor of sports marketing at Northwestern University.

For example, event sponsors this year include Emirates, Porsche and Rolex. These companies help spread word about the tournament and the city to their clients throughout the year and bring high-spending guests to the tournament.

“When sponsors bring in their clients from around the world, using it as a hospitality event, it furthers the area of Cincinnati as a destination,” Lee said.

Randie Adam, vice president, marketing and visitor services for Cincinnati USA, the region’s convention and visitors bureau, agrees.

“Professional sports are a top driver for leisure visitation. This is a tent pole event for our region, an event to hang our hat on. The exposure is reputation-driving. It’s a perception issue that we overcome through these events — we can live up to the luxury expectation,” she said.

cincyusa.com

Said Mike Laatsch, former chief operating officer of Cincinnati USA, as quoted in the economic impact study. “You know, when Serena Williams is walking around Cincinnati, it gets people’s attention. It helps underscore the power of the event, but also…one of the key things the Western & Southern Open has done is build credibility, nationally and internationally, that Cincinnati is a major world-class city.”

Susan Lomax is executive director of Source Cincinnati, the city’s marketing arm. She believes the event is crucial in helping to build the region’s reputation.

“The tournament is a very unique forum for the Cincinnati region, drawing thousands of business executives who zero in on high-end sports tourism experiences, global tennis fans who might not otherwise have this part of the Midwest on their radar,” she said.

“For a city of Cincinnati’s size to have a sporting event of this magnitude immediately creates a sense of curiosity around what other surprises this city might have in store. It really opens eyes to the quality of life and experiences offered here to new potential talent, business investors, and visitors.”

This story originally appeared on Skift, for which I am the luxury correspondent.

Going With the Floe: How a Canadian Province Uses Icebergs to Attract Visitors

Prize-winning marketing campaigns can put distant destinations on the map.  In the case of Newfoundland and Labrador, the easternmost province in Canada, “Find Yourself,” an umbrella marketing theme in existence since 2006, has been a launchpad for creative promotions that have won more than 300 domestic and international awards during the past 12 years.

“Find Yourself is about creating an emotional connection. It’s designed to tap into the heart and ultimately the wallets of the people we are going after,” said Dave Sullivan, part of the creative team behind Find Yourself.

Just this year, the province received six awards at the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International’s Adrian Awards. Top prizes went to iceberg tracking website IcebergFinder.com,  the Symphony of Sound integrated campaign, and a television spot entitled Conductor.

“Tourism as a travel and trade industry is so globally competitive. Award-winning campaigns making waves around the world [can lead] to success…and a competitive edge,” said Catherine Kelly, director of account management at Target Marketing and Communications, which helped create the campaign.

Fogo Island Inn
nscad.ca

Isolation be the newest thing in luxury travel. Still, gaining a competitive edge is not easy for a destination called one of the four corners of the earth by the Flat Earth Society, noted Christopher Mitchelmore, Newfoundland and Labrador’s minister of tourism, culture, industry and innovation.

"We face an exceptional challenge because of our location…the most easterly point in North America in the middle of the ocean,” he said. “It takes a determined effort to come here, in terms of distance, time and cost.”

That said, when visitors arrive, they find a destination “as far away from Disneyland as possible. It’s not a contrived destination. We have whales, icebergs, four UNESCO heritage sites, and unique cultures.”

NewfoundlandandLabrador.com

Highlighting the province’s attributes in original ways is key to the success of the award-winning campaigns, and by extension, to tourism growth.

“Our biggest opportunity group is curious people looking for the unexpected and intriguing. We looked at the marketing landscape and found a lot of the work is so similar and linear, covering places to go and things to do. That created a big opportunity for us to differentiate ourselves,” said Sullivan.

“We look at the province’s inherent creativity from a tourism perspective–its people, its culture, its natural landscape.”

Ah, that landscape. Wild, ancient, craggy coastlines filled with icebergs, which are a top travel motivator.

“Every spring, there’s a parade of 10,000-year-old icebergs waltzing along our 18,000 miles of coastline. But visitors need to know where to look for them. Our solution was launching Iceberg Finder. It was a responsive and interactive way to connect people by plotting icebergs on a live interactive map. Visitors could also upload photos. Iceberg Finder became a unique way to help people hear about the experience,” said Sullivan.

NewfoundlandandLabrador.com

In fact, the site was chiefly designed “to facilitate the visitor experience while icebergs are here,” said Kelly. “The publicity was secondary.”

One of the other elements making the province’s experiences sing is sound.

“Experience here is felt through sounds. For example, there are the creaks and groans and fissures of the icebergs, which tell the story of their journey through the North Atlantic,” said Sullivan.

He adds that natural instruments, like the wind and waves crashing against the shore, along with man-made sounds–from music to the voice of storytellers, “demonstrate how we hear things very differently here.”

Thus, Symphony of Sound, an integrated campaign focusing on sound – both man-made and natural. Among the elements is Sounds from the Edge, a website allowing visitors to scroll through radio frequencies of both natural sounds and the region’s 200 dialects. The site includes a Play It by Ear contest. Visitors to the website were asked to build their own soundtrack, based on indigenous sounds. One composer won an all-expenses-paid trip to the province. The integrated campaign also incorporated a literal symphony inspired by natural sound. The symphony serves as the soundtrack of a seven-minute video.

This year, the focus is on storytelling. “The digital prong will be a website campaign page, a space where people can come and travel through the stories that exist here. There’s also a 90-second TV spot in the form of a long-form poem highlighting the oral traditions that exist here. It all goes back to the emotional connection with place and people, and where they can reconnect with themselves,” said Sullivan.

Will the new campaign win more awards? According to Kelly, that’s not really the point. “Awards won is not the measure. Success comes from visitors and spend and awareness and potential for future visits. Specifically, our job as the destination agency is to get it on the radar and create interest and drive visits to the trip-planning tool. We measure interest and intent to visit. The industry then has to convert interest to action.”

Apparently, it’s working. “Tourism spending is at an all-time high. Moreover, there are now 2,800 tourism-related businesses employing 20,000 people (making tourism the largest non-government employer in the province). Every region is seeing a benefit,” said Mitchelmore.

This article originally appeared on Skift,a publication for which I am the luxury correspondent.

Little-Known California Surf Town Looking to Become the West Coast's Newest Luxury Destination

Dana Point, the starting position of California’s Pacific Coast Highway, is currently known, among outsiders as that place just south of Laguna Beach. But Dana Pointers think their community, which they consider the surfing capital of California and the whale watching capital of the West, deserves greater accolades.

Courtesy Dana Point Chamber

For now, though, while Orange County neighbors like Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, and Laguna Niguel revel in the reputation of the California luxe life, Dana Point is largely anonymous.

The area’s recently-formed destination marketing organization, Visit Dana Point, is looking to change that. The goal, according to executive director Jonny Westom, is to position Dana Point as a competitor to its OC neighbors, along with other upscale California destinations like Palm Springs, Monterey and Santa Barbara.

In the crowded California luxury marketplace, Dana Point has a chance to exploit its under-the-radar status.

“In markets that are oversaturated,” said Daniella Middleton, vice president of destination marketing consulting firm Development Counsellors International, “people are looking for lesser-known nooks and crannies. Luxury travelers are looking for off-the-beaten path destinations, not wanting to go where everyone else goes. An elusive destination that is down to earth is luxurious in itself.”

Courtesy Dana Point Chamber

Dana Point isn’t starting its efforts entirely from the ground up. After all, the town incorporates four major hotel properties: The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, The Monarch Beach Resort, the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa, and the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Doheny Beach. In some ways, these hotels have contributed to Dana Point’s anonymity over the years, although they are now a big part of the solution.

According to Westom, when he started in his position a year ago, he assessed the reasons why Dana Point was not well-known. He observed that “none of the hotels here have ‘Dana Point’ in their name.”

Since “the hotel mega-budgets promoting the area don’t have the name of the destination in their marketing presentations,” there is a gap in consumer recognition of the actual destination.

Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel in Dana Point
ritzcarlton.com

But the quartet of hotels has stepped up to the marketing challenge. Back in 2009, they formed a tourism business improvement district in order to create a unified marketing voice. By mid-2016, the TBID had transitioned into a destination marketing organization, funded by a flat fee room tax.

In 2018, after Westom came on board, MMGY Global was hired to identify the area’s key assets, and to assess the perception of Dana Point among potential consumers. It was the beginning of “a rebranding exercise,” according to Westom, “that would help us identify what separates us from other destinations.”

Stewart Colovin is chief creative officer for MMGY Global and has been the lead on the rebranding project.

visitdanapoint.com

“You have to understand the waters in which you are swimming,” he said. “To find the essence of a place, we first go and talk to everybody we can in a destination. That’s because the brand has to start at home, so that visitors can ultimately connect with locals.”

After speaking with locals, a study of visitors — actual and potential — found that while Dana Point evoked images of beauty and friendliness, some of the descriptors which it scored high on were local and proud, active and healthy, natural and picturesque, and homegrown and distinctive–the area was not necessarily seen as luxurious nor cool.

Compared to its competitors, Westom said, Dana Point rated low on descriptors like “surf-centric and soulful: stylish and chic; artsy and eclectic: and cool and trendy.”

In looking at these perceptions, Colovin said the survey suggested Dana Point could capitalize on offering a more relaxed experience than its competitive set.

“It’s an approachable place. People dress more casually; it’s not pretentious, it’s easy to get around. People here aren’t doing things because they are trying to impress everybody else; they are doing things because it’s what they love to do.”

After sifting through the studies, MMGY developed a brand architecture for Dana Point around brand essence; brand values; brand experiences; and brand voice.

The overall brand promise, which will be conveyed in everything from a new tagline and logo — currently a work in progress — to advertising and marketing campaigns. The promise: “In Dana Point, you are one of us. We make it easy to connect with the ocean and others around you.”

Dana Point's Harbor is Undergoing a Major Overhaul
danapointharbor.com

Branding aside, there has to be some real-life architecture in place to draw tourists. To that end, quite a bit of luxury development is already in progress. The harbor and marina are undergoing a five-year, $400 million renovation. The facelift will incorporate new restaurants and shops, plus a 126-room upscale boutique hotel and a 100-room luxury property (the latter owned by the group behind Newport Beach’s Lido House). 

Westom sees the development as the anchor in plans to become Southern California’s next great luxury destination. In fact, he is hopeful that within a few years, Laguna Beach will be seen as that place just north of Dana Point.

A longer version of this story ran in Skift's New Luxury Newsletter, for which I am a correspondent.