Restaurants & Hospitality With medical and relaxation tourism growing in Georgia, a new Midtown retreat is hoping to capture several unique audiences. On Sept. 29 Blue MedSpa in Midtown will celebrate its grand opening, hoping to lure cancer patients, bachelorette parties, couples and guests from nearby exclusive hotels. Large parties can be accommodated in a large, posh "relaxation" room, but owner John Stupka said his spa will cater to people who are fighting cancer or have had surgery and want privacy when receiving spa services. Clients can receive all spa services without ever leaving one of 11 private rooms equipped with showers, and some which are outfitted for couples and the handicapped. Stupka, who's been selling medical supplies to doctors for years, hopes the day spa will become a sought-after, one-stop luxury retreat, where one can go from a manicure and pedicure to a waxing, botox injection, massage and haircut. Blue MedSpa is at 10th Street and Piedmont Avenue and set in a three-story, 6,000-square-foot Midtown brick building that's undergone $1.3 million in renovations. Medical spas have been catching on: SpaFinder magazine reports that 45 million Americans frequent spas annually. Spas in the United States are approaching $16 billion in annual revenue, representing the fourth-largest leisure industry. In Atlanta, Aesthetic Specialists of Atlanta and the InterContinental Buckhead hotel joined forces in March to offer patients discounted rooms and in-room physician visits while they recuperate from surgical procedures. The InterContinental also could expand its Jurlique day spa in the next year if the pace of bookings continues, said Ronen Nissenbaum, the hotel general manager. "If you're a 5-star luxury property, a spa is almost a must-have," Nissenbaum said. He added that spas could be the fitness centers of the future: something that travelers expect hotels to have. On weekends, he said, his hotel is a resort destination that people come to for shopping and dining weekends in Atlanta. Having a spa gives him one more activity to offer, even if every guest doesn't use it. "It's just another feather in my cap," he said. At Blue MedSpa, Stupka said a plastic surgeon will be on duty at least once a week. His spa services will include cellulite reduction, laser hair removal and microdermabrasion, plus permanent makeup, photorejuvenation and chemical peels. Plus there's a retail beauty products bar and hair salon run by Richie Arpino. |