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 Californias 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. Melindas 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 companys 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 womens 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 resorts pristine natural environment,
The Spa at Terranea worked with renowned spa consultants Anne Bramham and Barbara
Schultz to develop programs and treatments that mirror natures 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 bodys 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 childrens 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 childrens 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.