RETREAT
The seasonal retreat in Mallorca (all pictures above) opened in 2004. But Hedburg is adamant she won’t launch more, as her real love lies in having a close connection with guests
STAR TREATMENT Te Ashram Calabasas is now so successful that guests are advised to book six to eight months in advance to be sure of a space, and 70 per cent of the intake is repeat business. Sixty per cent of guests are women, the aver- age age is 40 and most people come alone
– which Hedberg likes. “We say come and do this by yourself, because you deserve to concentrate on yourself for a week.” As for celebrities, Hedberg is quick to stress that no one gets any special treatment.
“Te ones that are divas, I won’t take,” she says. “Tey have to be nice! If they want a private room and there’s not one available, then they can’t come. And they have to be fine with sharing bathrooms.” Te advantage of the Ashram being so
small is that it enables all guests to be treated as if they are special, and this is the main
ASHRAM ALUMNI:
• Dan Aykroyd • Cindy Crawford • Faye Dunaway • Jane Fonda • Ashley Judd • Queen Latifah • Shirley MacLaine • Gwyneth Paltrow • Amber Valletta • Oprah Winfrey • Rene Zellweger
reason they’ve never expanded. According to Hedberg, it’s this exclusivity combined with the high staff-to-guest ratio – there are around 30 employees – which justifies the us$4,500 (€3,100, £2,750) a week charge.
“Because we’re small, it needs to be that kind of price for the whole ship to float. But eve- rything is included in that, and it’s still a pretty low ballpark compared to other places [such as destination spas].”
JUST FOR FUN Not only have Hedberg and Bennstrom never had any interest in expanding the Ashram, they’ve also never had any serious interest in rolling it out. Hedberg says: “It’s a pleasure to connect with the guests, and if I had four or five places that wouldn’t do it for me.” Despite this, about 10 years ago, Hedberg
launched a seasonal version of the retreat on a Brazilian island. Te programme was well received, but aſter 9/11 Hedberg decided the time wasn’t right and closed it aſter just one season. Ten, in 2004, she revisited the idea of a seasonal retreat – but this time plumped for Mallorca, on the basis that it was easier for both Europeans and Americans to travel there. “Te mountains in Mallorca are gor- geous,” she says. “And I happen to love Spain so it was also a selfish proposition!”
38 Read Spa Business online
spabusiness.com / digital For six weeks in the spring, and four
weeks in the autumn, the company now rents a beautifully restored 17th-century olive farm near Porto Soller. Te house can accommodate 15 guests in en-suite rooms
– though as in California, most rooms are shared – and there’s also a chlorine-free pool on-site. Overall, it’s larger and a little more luxurious, but the programme and philos- ophy are exactly the same. Despite having no marketing budget,
the programme was an instant success and now gets booked out as soon as the dates are released. Around 60 per cent of guests are Americans, with the remaining 40 per cent coming from the UK, Sweden, Norway, Germany and Switzerland. Yet Hedberg is not tempted to extend the programme and is adamant she won’t be launching any more.
“Mallorca is for fun,” she says. “But the heart of the operation is here in California.” Over the last four decades, Hedberg has
watched the evolution of the wellness indus- try with interest. “A lot of spas have started to copy our formula – it’s fun to see how they’ve tried to do the same thing in another format,” she says. “Tere’s room for all of us. Let it spread, so people become healthier!” l Turn to p40 to read about a first-person experience at the Ashram in California.
SPA BUSINESS 2 2011 ©Cybertrek 2011
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