NEW OPENING
Gharieni’s Spa Wave table combines vibrations and light therapy, and is used in several treatments
Âme-azing transformation An iconic Miami resort has reimagined spa and wellness for the 21st century. Lisa Starr visits to find out more
A Spa director Tammy Pahel
I wanted to find a way to add wellnessoriented activities and provide more value for both our members and guests
80 spabusiness.com issue 3 2017
©CYBERTREK 2017
t Miami’s Turnberry Isle Resort, spa director Tammy Pahel has just led a US$2.5m (€2.2m, £1.9m) spa expansion and renovation, adding in functionality and comprehensive, integrative guided wellness programming with the aim of bringing the resort spa to the forefront of the industry. The transformation of the âme Spa & Wellness Collective has upped the game for the 38-year-old Turnberry Isle Resort, which is facing competition from several new and noteworthy area spas. Those include the Carillon Miami Wellness Resort and the Tierra Santa Healing House at the Faena Hotel in Miami Beach, both of which offer wide programming beyond that typical of resort spas. Turnberry Isle Resort, which opened in 1979, is located between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, and includes two 18-hole championship golf courses, tennis courts, and an array of family activities. Its 25,000sq ft (2,323sq m), three-storey spa opened in 2001 and after 15 years, was
due for a renovation. Pahel, who joined the team in 2014, knew she needed to modernise programming and make the spa’s offerings more current. Turnberry does well with corporate events, with 60 per cent of guests coming for conferences. It also has a popular membership option, with 1,100 people signed up as members – 600 of whom are between 30 and 40 years of age. Pahel wanted to offer programming that catered to both of these markets. With 20 years' experience in large resort spas, she felt certain the resort would benefit from a completely new approach to spa. “I wanted to find a way to add wellness-oriented activities and provide more value for both members and guests,” she explains. A strategic visioning session, facilitated by branding firm The Marshall Plan, brought together 19 wellness experts, department heads and practitioners, and the result is âme Spa. The spa’s approach focuses on four pillars – fitness, beauty, body therapy and health – and combines functional medicine with yoga, fitness, aesthetic medicine and therapies.