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By Cynthia Beisiegel
Downtown welcomed Spa Tiki, it’s newest addition to it’s up-and –coming retail district at the tail end of the Gaslamp Quarter, June 23. Now locals and tourists alike can retreat to the serenity of the spa, which combines the ambiance of the tropics and the traditional spa treatments that transports guests to paradise.
Spa owner and creator
Katherine Stuart came up with the idea after feeling
the devastating effects of September 11 on her restaurant
catering business, which was driven by the convention
industry. Realizing that she wanted to do something
different involving more diverse clientele, Stuart
partnered with businessman and retailer Jerry Dressel
to develop the concept for Spa Tiki.
“I just love absolutely anything tropical” Stuart said. “Being in the hospitality industry, people work around the clock 24 hours a day, and just don’t have time to go on vacation. So, I wanted to create within the spa almost the feeling of being on vacation. And that’s how the whole concept came up, as mini-vacation for locals, but a fun, unique spa with a theme for the incoming visitors, too.”
Stuart succeeded.
Tropical tunes radiate from all corners of the spa,
and in the course of the afternoon, guests will truly
escape into an island getaway. She maintains the
façade with authentic-and token- décor of the islands. Guests check in at the registration desk, which is modeled after a traditional Polynesian palapa (bungalow) and instantly sets the theme. The treatment areas and lounge depicts a tropical getaway with colorful, exotic linens, bamboo-style furnishings and Tiki décor.
“We built it from scratch.” Stuart said. “So, we had the opportunity to do exactly what we wanted to do.” She relied on advise from her trusted friends and colleagues to deliver the finished product.
The result? A bi-level
spa accommodating both individual and groups of patrons.
 Katherine
Stuart and Jerry Dressel partnered to create Spa
Tiki in the Harbor Club, 200 Harbor Drive, directly
across from the Conventions Center. For more information
and reservations, call (619) 231-4363 or visit www.spatiki.com
Stuart
who works heavily with meeting planners
for upcoming conventions, was often asked where groups
of attendees could go for a day at the spa. “I never really felt
that there was a place that you could go with a group,” she
said.
Spa Tiki provides
an answer: groups can get together for whatever reason.
Bachelorette parties, birthday parties, or convention
groups can head into the Hula Hut, a specialized
room designed for accommodating private parties.
Or groups can line up on the nail couch for manicures
and pedicures.
 Those wishing for
a more sublime experience can relax in the Lanai
before heading to individual treatment rooms for
a Thai Fruit and Flower Facial, Hawaiian Fruits of
Paradise, or Spa Tiki signature massage. The spa
also features two custom-built bamboo thrones draped
with gauze for a private experience.
Unique to Spa Tiki
are the ritual treatments, based on ancient treatments
of the Polynesian cultures. The Island Romance ritual
combines a full body massage with fragrant frangipani
lotion, followed by a body polish of turmeric, jasmine
and rice, and then a cool yogurt splash to hydrate
the skin. The ritual is topped of with an exotic
flower bath. This ritual is actually a cleansing
ceremony customary to Javanese culture, preparing
royalty to wed.
Each treatment presents
its own distinctive experience, Stuart explained. “each
of our treatment rooms has its own sound system”, she said. “So, if someone’s
doing the Fijian Stone Ritual, we have Fijian music playing, we have Fijian candle
scents, and flowers to reflect that.” Any other treatment would present a completely
different experience, Stuart said.
Also unique to Spa
Tiki is its impressive line of retail products, including
lotions, candles and bath products from companies such as
Pure Fiji and Ytsara, based in Fiji and Bali. Stuart
teamed up with Collier and Collier, an international
spa management company credited with creating Asia’s finest luxury
spas. Collier consulted with Stuart in keeping with the tropical theme,
and connected her to the exclusive suppliers. Spa Tiki is now the first
day spa in Colliers expansive portfolio.
Spa Tiki is located
in the Harbor Club, 200 Harbor Drive, Suite 200,
directly across from the Convention Center. For more
information or reservations, call (619) 231-4363
or visit www.spatiki.com
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