When times are tough, sometimes a little R&R is just what the doctor ordered to get your spirits up and your mojo flowing again.
But it needn’t cost you a bundle.
Find out how travelers in need, from cancer survivors to uninsured individuals, can take advantage of promotions being offered throughout the U.S.
Across the country, more and more spas, salons and hotels are trying to meet the needs of travelers who want to go away to re-charge, without draining their bank accounts.
The owners of the Forty Putney Road Bed and Breakfast in Brattleboro, Vermont, are giving away one healthy getaway each month—complete with an apple a day—to an uninsured couple in need of some stress relief.
Dealing with health problems is hard enough, but when you pile insurance woes on top of it, it can become truly exhausting. Tim and Amy Brady recognize this, which is why they decided to offer an opportunity for people to rest and get healthy—or stay healthy, regardless of their healthcare opportunities.
The Bradys understand the unique challenges faced by those who struggle to stay well despite being under- or uninsured. In 2007, when they left their corporate jobs to start their B&B, they struggled to find a healthcare coverage option that would be affordable and not exclude existing conditions. Though they eventually found a solution to their own dilemma, they understand that their guests may be going through their own struggles, and hence the free giveaway was born.
Dubbed the “B&B Public Option Getaway,” the promotion will run until Congress successfully adopts a health care reform bill with a public option—or until June 2010—whichever comes first.
It includes two nights’ lodging for two people in one room (Sunday – Thursday, holidays excluded), a gourmet two-course breakfast, afternoon tea and healthy snacks daily, an outdoor adventure such as hiking, snowshoeing, kayaking, and a fresh Vermont apple each day.
Want to learn more about how to stretch your travel budget? Check out these tips on How to Find Deals at Luxury Destination Spas.
Visit their Web site and click on the “Public Health Care Option” logo for more details or to enter to win a getaway. You can also mail your entry to Forty Putney Road B&B Giveaway, 192 Putney Road, Brattleboro, VT 05301.
Also in New England, the four Historic Inns of Rockland, Maine have banded together to provide a low-cost “healthcare reform package” for those in need of rest and rejuvenation. At this group of historically preserved inns, which includes the Lime Rock Inn, the Captain Lindsey House, the Granite Inn and the Berry Manor Inn, all pre-existing conditions will be accepted, and affordability is guaranteed.
Packages start at $510 per couple and are available through May 15, 2010. This represents 10 percent off the regular rate. “Wellness coverage” includes two nights accommodation in a luxury room, a multi-course cardio-healthy breakfast (which includes antioxidants, vitamins, fiber and protein), a couples massage at a local day spa, 10 percent off additional spa treatments at RHeal Wellness Center and Day Spa, a complimentary stress ball, a welcome basket with locally made cheeses and chocolates, and a gift certificate to the Wine Seller, Rockland’s premier wine store for a choice red or white wine or non-alcoholic beverage.
There’s more to spa resorts than just massages. Check out this article to find out what other hands on activities spas can offer.
There is no group more in need of pampering than those who have survived the ordeal of cancer, but often they are least able to afford it. Which is why Barbara Paget created Cancer Survivor Beauty and Support Day, which takes place tomorrow, December 1.
On this day, salons, spas and beauty schools across the country open their doors to cancer survivors and offer haircuts, manicures, massages, and other services for free. More than 350 sites are participating, from California to Connecticut, and everywhere in between.
Paget says she was inspired to start the annual event after seeing our own Peter Greenberg on TV talking about a spa that opened its doors to cancer survivors. Since the inception of Cancer Survivor Beauty and Support Day seven years ago it has grown from a small smattering of salons in the Chicago area, to hundreds nationwide.
Paget attributes this growth to the fact that the demand is ever-present. “There are 10 million cancer survivors in the U.S,” she says. “Cancer is expensive. This is one day where people can feel better about themselves. They are made to feel good, feel beautiful, without worrying about the cost.”
To see a list of the salons and schools involved, go to Pivot-Point.com and click on “Community & Events,” then “Cancer Survivor Day,” then “Participant List.” In addition to several independent spas and salons, virtually all the Great Clips salons and Paul Mitchell Beauty Schools are part of the effort.
If you can’t find a salon near where you are headed on vacation (or near your hometown), there are many other spas around the U.S. that offer free or reduced services to cancer survivors or patients.
Spa Gregories in Newport Beach and Rancho Santa Margarita, California, is the one that first inspired Barbara Paget. People undergoing cancer treatment at area clinics are entitled to free treatments through the spa’s “Greet the Day” program, if they are referred by participating doctors. Programs include “Chemo Comfort,” where the therapist goes directly to the hospital and performs hand and foot massage while the patient is receiving their chemotherapy drip, and “Spa Day,” where they offer a complimentary spa day at multiple locations
In Jackson, Mississippi, the Spa at St. Dominic Hospital offers oncology patients a 25 percent discount on spa services to assist them in their healing process. They also have many natural products that assist cancer patients with skin care, relaxation, and guided imagery for healing.
By Karen Elowitt for PeterGreenberg.com.
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