Spa People in the News

Melinda K. Milner to Lead Opening Team at the Spa at Terranea

Unrivaled Spa Vision Will Come Alive With Seasoned, Passionate and Creative Professional

Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. – December 2, 2008 – Opening June 2009, Terranea will be California’s newest destination resort. Managed by Destination Hotels & Resorts, this nearly $500 million oceanfront development in Rancho Palos Verdes will include The Spa at Terranea, a 25,000 square-foot, oceanfront destination spa. Leading the opening team as spa director is Melinda K. Milner, a seasoned spa professional with more than 15 years of experience.

“The exciting part about this opening is that it is a blank slate on which to create exciting, one-of-a-kind programs that complement the spectacular setting,” said Terri A. Haack, vice president and managing director. “Melinda’s passion and enthusiasm for the spa industry, her creativity and her proven leadership skills will all play an integral role in bringing the unique vision of The Spa at Terranea to life.”

Milner most recently served as executive spa director at The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, Calif. where she oversaw the spa, salon, fitness, recreation and Ritz Kids departments. A member of The Ritz-Carlton Corporate Spa Advisory Council, she served as liaison between the vice president of spa operations and spa directors at six of the company’s western region properties. During her time with Ritz-Carlton, Milner also oversaw the organization and execution of the SpaSoft systems conversion for the entire company.

Prior to Ritz-Carlton, Milner worked for Baylor Health Enterprises in Dallas, Texas as a corporate health program coordinator. She is a graduate of The University of Alabama where she majored in Sports Fitness Management and was a member of the women’s golf team.

“Her first step upon joining the team was presenting the spa vision, but she did so in Melinda style by creating a spa experience in one of the office meeting rooms, transforming it with candles, lighting and music to emulate the vision of what is to come,” said Haack. “It was very powerful.”

About The Spa at Terranea

Relaxed and stylishly elegant, The Spa at Terranea is nestled in a secluded, unrivaled setting with sweeping views of the Pacific and Catalina Island. Designed by BAMO of San Francisco, the spa embraces classic Mediterranean style architecture in creating a distinctly California-style "sanctuary of the senses." The spa includes 24 luxury treatment rooms, separate indoor/outdoor lounge retreats for men and women, lush garden areas with cozy fire pits, an oceanfront lap pool, 5,000 square foot Fitness and Wellness Center, full-service salon and spa café.

Inspired by the resort’s pristine natural environment, The Spa at Terranea worked with renowned spa consultants Anne Bramham and Barbara Schultz to develop programs and treatments that mirror nature’s rhythms so that guests can re-awaken their own natural bio-rhythms. When the day is young and full of promise, treatments and activities correspond to the body’s ‘active, energetic nature.’ In the afternoon and evening, treatments and activities become less energetic, more calming and contemplative in nature.

About Terranea Resort

Just 20 miles from Los Angeles International Airport, Terranea is magnificently poised above the Pacific Ocean on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The property boasts a 582-room resort including a 360-room hotel with 20 bungalows and 32 suites. Also available are 50 oceanfront casitas and 32 ocean view villas tailored specifically to individuals looking for a more intimate setting.

In addition to The Spa, Terranea Resort will include a nine-hole par three golf course and three unique swimming pools, one with children’s play area and a 140-foot waterslide. Three ocean view restaurants will offer a variety of food and beverage experiences including a casual, all-day dining restaurant, a free-standing signature restaurant and a cliff-side bar with spectacular vantage points for whale watching. Other amenities include a children’s center with interactive programs and several miles of on-property scenic bluff-top trails that connect miles of coastal trails. A secluded beach cove also adds to the unique experiences at Terranea Resort. For more information visit www.terranea.com.