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By Connie Lewis
Located near the San Diego Conventions Center, a new spa is hoping the center’s shadow will shed a lot of light on its amenities.
The Spa Tiki, a $2 million, full service
spa slates to open in 8,000 square feet of retail in
June 21 of 2003 at the Harbor Club Downtown- directly
across the street from the convention center- expects
to draw most of its business from conventioneers and
their spouses.
“This will be the first full service spa of its size Downtown,” said Katherine Stuart, so-owner and general partner in project’s development with Jerry Dressel, a San Diego-based financial consultant.
Stuart, who owns Restaurant Events, a sales
and event company that promotes Gaslamp District’s restaurants to meeting planners, said the idea for the spa came from client requests.
“People from out of town would always ask if there is a full- service luxury day spa downtown” Stuart says. “I’d tell them that certain hotels have spas. But before now there was nothing on this order.”
Spa Tiki is also expected to draw patrons
from meeting planners wanting to reserve rooms for meetings,
client retreats, or special events, and from leisure travelers
staying in area hotels.
Local clientele is anticipated as well, including
residents if the Harbor Club’s two towers and other Downtown condominiums.
Stuart said a 1960a tiki theme was incorporated
to give spa patrons the feeling of being on a South Seas
vacation.
Giving an impression of island ambiance are
tiki gods hand carved from palm tree trunks. Furniture,
including tables and steamer chairs are golden-hued teak.
Aside from the fountain, settees in two separate lounges,
as well as walkways, are constructed of bamboo. Live tropical
plants and flowers will be used throughout. Upholstery coverings
consist of Hawaiian and Polynesian prints.
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