New spa on the block
Massages, manicures and Botox injections on the menu at Blue MedSpa
By TIFFANY DAVIS

"“I call it results wrapped in luxury,” says John Stupka, BlueMedSpa President. (photo Denis Reggie)

BLUE MED'S SPECIALITIES 
 
The "One-room Experience." If possible, clients are permitted to have multiple treatments in one room, with therapists, masseuses and manicurists coming to them.

No tips, please. Blue Med adheres to a no-gratuity policy*. (But bring some cash for the valet.)

Immuno-friendly rooms. “Many of our patients come in for pre- or post-operative treatments or are on active chemotherapy rounds,” says Melissa Grill, spa director. “Blue Med offers them the best—immuno-friendly rooms and topical nutrient treatments."

THE DETAILS
Blue Med Spa
190 10th St., Atlanta, GA 30309
 (404) 815-8880
www.bluemedspa.com
“I call it results wrapped in luxury,” he explains. “Sure, you want to feel good about going to any spa, but here you’re going to feel or see a physical result when you leave this one.”
Midtowners, you weren’t alone in wondering about the white-and-blue glass building springing up at 10th and Piedmont over the summer. Was it Aegean-inspired loft, perhaps? An art deco sushi-fusion art hangout geared for the neighborhood's trendy residents?

Actually, none of the above. It is a 6,000-square-foot full-service medical spa offering everything from facials to photorejuvenation from licensed doctors and the best in the Atlanta beauty business. And it's called Blue MedSpa

“We’re a local spa with the best elements of a destination one,” says John Stupka, Blue Med's president. Stupka’s background is in marketing and medical cosmetic sales—a job that took him all over the world and to some of the world’s top spas and salons. The experience eventually led to Blue MedSpa. The best spas, Stupka says, always have two things in common, and they’re the foundation of Blue MedSpa.

If the names behind it are any indication, Blue MedSpa is poised to deliver on that promise.

The staff brings equal parts skill and celeb status. Richie Arpino, the spa's artistic director for hair and makeup, is best known for the phenom that is the Richie Arpino Salon in Buckhead.  (He’s also worked with celebrities and with such magazines as Elle, Cosmo and Allure.) Arpino works out of the spa two days a week, and anyone receiving a treatment is guaranteed service from the master himself.

Dr. Amy Simon, Blue MedSpa's medical director (known to Atlantans for her star turn on WE's “Single in the City: Atlanta”) oversees injectables, cosmetic surgery consults and the latest techniques in anti-aging care, including fillers and Botox.

The “traditional spa” is located on the top floor, featuring massage tables and relaxation rooms. A water feature plunges from this floor down throughout the rest of the spa.

The first and second floors are where Blue Med sets itself apart from the day-spa pack. For one thing, you can get Botox on your lunch break. Consults take about 45 minutes, with the actual procedure averaging 15.

“Walk-ins are welcome, but we’re always booked at least one week out,” says Melissa Grill, spa director and a chiropractor. “Convenient service usually equals more people wanting to schedule more appointments in one stay, not less.”

As the new kid on the block, Blue Med also is focusing on “getting to know the neighborhood," Grill adds. There's even a men’s night with Star 94.1 FM’s Tom Sullivan in the works.

*Our policy has changed. Tipping is at the discretion of the guest.