Clever how a negative has turned into a cash cow positive in the resort world.

An article appeared in the June 15, 2014 Sunday New York Times to tell of the new trend to create spaces for spa treatments outside the box, or in this case, outside spa treatment rooms.  Traditionally, treatment rooms, with few exceptions, do not have views and are remarkably alike.  Mostly all have variations on the degree of soft lighting replete with candles and a hint of Native American flute music echoing in the canyons of the American West. But all pretty much possess a cushy table, the cleanest, largest white linen coverings ever created, and the donut- shaped place for your face that leaves a large ring from your nose to your jaw.  But who cares about that after you have experienced a honey, lavender and almond exfoliation?

So, spa treatments can now be experienced for an additional fee in the privacy of your own room at a resort. Ironically, "in room spa treatments" used to be offered when a hotel could not afford to create a 20,000 sq ft spa, just didn't have the land to build one, the builder or owner's ego to create one, or the number of guest rooms to justify even a small "spa."  What is truly amazing is that forward thinking approach has put an additional financial onus on the guest, with a minimum of approximately $50.00 to boot.  And this, for the privilege of setting up a massage table between the king size bed and the ubiquitous single chair with one lamp.

And then there is the St. Regis Bahia Beach in Puerto Rico, which charges $75 for its Spa Without Walls offering.  It allows guests to have a treatment at certain locations on its grounds, in addition to the bedroom option. That's a fine, creative marketing ploy. Ocean breeze, sound of soft waves in the distance, and a canopy protection from the sun. Just one thing.  If I choose a spot outside, I just need to know if children are allowed within a three mile radius of my treatment table, or it's back to the flute-filled, dark rectangular room where church-like whispers are serenely heard.

Swept Up in the Glamour of the Toronto Film Festival

I have discovered a wonderful new way to combine business with pleasure, which was evidenced quite by accident when I visited Toronto last week.  As I was setting up sales presentations for my resort marketing of our portfolio, I learned that the Toronto Film Festival was unfolding at the same time as my visit. Voila!

It seemed that I would be joining Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Scarlett Johansson, Taylor Swift and a host of other A-list actors and producers for their red carpet arrivals, except mine would be minus the red carpet and more of a stand in line approach.

I did get one precious ticket to the best movie I have seen in a long time, and which held the buzz the entire week, "August: Osage County".  Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, and a ton of terrific character actors.  What a beautifully written script and how exquisitely acted!   Meryl Streep will win an academy award for this film. That is my prediction.  She is the best actress we have known in my lifetime and yours, and we never think she can outdo herself in her next role, but she does.

 This was the first time the performance was given before an audience.  The director, John Wells introduced the film to us and said he and the editing team had just finished the final cut a few days before it was shipped to Toronto.  He expressed his amazement that it was actually done in time, and was pleased with the outcome. The film was shown to a sold out audience in an exquisite theater, the Elgin, which dates back to 1914.  The glamour and nostalgia that it represents was not lost on me, a lover of all Hollywood-related glitterati when movies and theaters were gilded, grand, and gorgeous.  The Elgin ceiling is just part of the stunning details that were lovingly preserved in this theater that usually houses the opera and ballet.

Also, my dear friend and colleague, Ellie MacPherson from Sunquest Meetings & Incentives, secured two tickets for us to an obscure film named "Tracks."  It turned out to be not about drug addicts, but about a woman who plays the Australian, Robyn Davidson, who treks across the Australian desert in 1977 with her dog and four,often ill-tempered camels.  She does this for the most part alone, especially since we sense at the beginning that her Black Lab will be having a foreshortened life during this 1,700 mile pilgrimage.  She does have an intermittent encounter with the disbelieving Aborigine natives, the kind and irritating National Geographic photographer, and the annoying tourists wanting to take her picture as she became famous as "The Camel Woman," etc.  She completes the journey and makes it clear across the desert to the sea without a hat or sunblock.  Whew! Riveting and fascinating story.

After the film was shown, we were thrilled to meet the real Robyn Davidson and the actress who played Ms. Davidson in the movie, Ms. Wasikowska. During a brief Q & A, Ms. Davidson shared with us that the camels were terrific companions and the Black Lab was a real pain in the hump, as far as I could tell.

TIFF (as we in the know call it) is one of the most dynamic events in the movie industry because obscure films are shown as well as the celebrity films and deals are done there.  The fans are amazingly loyal, dedicated and supportive.  And we got to VOTE for the films that should "go wide" (as we in the know call it). See you at the movies!

The Long and Short of Bermuda Shorts

Tucker's Point in Bermuda has a quietly seductive aura of elegance and sophistication. Since it is what you would expect from a Rosewood resort like others of its caliber, it does not pretend to appeal to the tourist masses. But then, neither does Bermuda. The island conjures up all those images of former British Colonialism, impeccable pastel cottages, and those elegant gentlemen dressed for business in Hamilton in their uniquely Bermudian shorts, jackets and ties. This sartorial splendor helps them do all those offshore banking transactions in style.

The island is not pretentious, just rich in culture and finances. Tucker's Point is equal to the task of accommodating, entertaining even Queen Elizabeth and her entourage, providing an impeccable golf course that rolls its greens to the azure sea, and just providing an amazing indulgence of spirit.

We were greeted by Ray, the doorman clad in a pink pith helmet with matching pink tie. Bermuda shorts, of course. The staff is genuinely gracious and responsive. The accommodations are quite spectacular, with views from the balcony that astound.

Our table at The Point was adjacent to the one where Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip dined when they visited Bermuda last year. We shared the same tea pot. That was enough for me.

It was a memorable escape from city life. I am sure the Queen felt the same.

The Gilded Age

I love the way New York City becomes the Escapism Capital of the World at this time of year.

It really is a tremendous relief to world-weary folks like me, who tire of Middle East mayhem and learning that David Petraeus's "moral compass" seemed to be always pointing South. Many of us blew through Sandy with our survival instincts of urban camping, too. And even more challenging than surviving a hurricane and Nor'easter in one week, we got through the media blowout with Obama vs. Romney.

Unabashedly, I welcome Escapism now as we head to the holidays, which everyone says are too soon upon us. Of course, I wonder myself how we got to another round of commercialism so fast. But I revel in the retreat to cocooning and planning recipes, in pre-Thanksgiving buying of Christmas cards that I will never send, and wondering how anyone can host a Thanksgiving dinner for 20 people when they work 60 hours a week and have a 5'x 5' kitchen.

So, I sallied forth on Saturday to Fifth Avenue to observe tourists laden with shopping bags. I swept into Henri Bendel, credit cardless and curious. Magically, I was transformed from fatigue to fantasy. More like a brownstone than an office building, Henri Bendel is stunning architecturally in any season, and now it was airbrushed with gold decoration creatively dangling from a central elevation, not diminishing the beauty of the domed skylight or the Lalique windows dating back to pre-World War I.

Somehow I straddled the two worlds of exquisite materialism and timeless elegance of the structure itself. I imagined how many shoppers did not even notice the etched Lalique poppies and vines that reach skyward from the second floor windows facing Fifth Avenue. They are enhanced by the sunlight that creates an explosive Art Nouveau design, which reveals the glass maker's affection for the natural world. It is a such a startling contrast between the artifice of holiday escapism, and the subtle beauty of the more enduring structure that brought a sense of peacefulness.

I left Bendel bagless, yet richer by far in more ways than one.

Room With a View

From the cozy confines of our 16th floor apartment last night overlooking Central Park South, the Nor'easter looked amazingly like a page from Jack Finney's Time and Again. As in the scene from the novel that takes place in New York City in 1882, the horses pulling a few carriages transcend time and weather forecasts. There is always silence that attends these unexpected snowfalls, and that is as welcome as the beauty that equally astonishes. For a few moments I forgot the relentless images of this past week of the sadness, frustration and despair that are affecting so many of the people who are suffering after Hurricane Sandy. Now came a storm with a folksy reference..."Nor'easter." This time, it was an anonymous reminder of the kinds of New England wallops that bring destruction, while at the same time creating resilience...a word well-known to New Yorkers. 

Electrified by Energy Glass

How is it that a simple idea can be so elusive? Then, suddenly, WHAM!-- there it is, the obvious solution! Energy from the sun-- NOT solar--from totally transparent glass. It is the patented creation held by one company--here in the United States--by a visionary inventor who is now partnered with a brilliant and incredibly nice guy.

What is truly mind-boggling is that the technology actually exists now in its nascent stage, and will surely revolutionize energy in years to come in the same way Apple reinvented technology. Not to mention job-creation here in the United States. So, in high rise office buildings now (and someday surely available at Home Depot for your home) you can have architecturally stunning buildings that can enjoy equally stunning views--minus ugly solar panels. By the way, did anyone ever answer the question as to what happens to solar panels years from now when they no longer work? Not allowed in landfills. Another problem for your children and grandchildren to deal with twenty years from now. Energy glass? Not a problem.

And now the best part. The collection of energy can keep working 24 hours a day, if you so chose to leave the lights on in your office (LED lighting, of course), because interior lighting also creates a "double shot" of energy production. So, the cleaning lady is actually helping you with the grid, while doing the vacuuming.

Most amazing of all is that the glass is laminated with energy producing nano particles that allow all this to happen. I will not get too technical here. Suffice it to say that I saw the process at the plant in Florida and stood in amazement as I watched the light coming in from the parking lot being transmitted to a battery, proving to the simplest mind (mine) that this actually works!

Since hotels and real estate are my worlds, this seemed like a natural extension of interest. With unbounded zeal, I am spreading the word to all hotels and real estate companies to take up the cry. And, by the way, the glass also meets certifications for hurricane, typhoon, tornado, forced-entry, bullet resistance, fire protection and terrorism-proof. I will keep you updated on these wonder-windows.

One last thing, for the moment. The owner of the company, Art, has a test case use for the glass to charge his cell phone. It is the only one of its kind right now, but I think, had he had time, Steve Jobs's next project would have been an I-Energy Apple.