Episode 59
Spa and Wellness Secrets - 5 Questions with Mary Bemis, founder of Insiders Guide to Spaswith Mary Bemis
In this episode of “5 Questions With…”, Kristin Moller, senior vice president of our Toronto office connects with Mary Bemis, founder of Insiders Guide to Spas and one of the most recognized names in spa and wellness journalism. She was one of the first reporters to focus on spas and wellness in the 1990s and forged a vocabulary for spa reportage that is widely used by those who cover the issues today. Recently honored as a Top 30 Influential Voice Transforming Wellness in 2023 by Medika Life, Mary is an inaugural honoree of Folio’s Top Women in Media Award.
In 1997, she launched American Spa magazine, in 2007, she co-founded Organic Spa magazine, and in between serving on the ISPA and NYSPA Board of Directors, she was on the launch teams of Luxury SpaFinder and New Beauty magazines. She is a Founding Board Member and Symposium Chair Emeritus of the Washington Spa Alliance (WSPA). Mary has visited and written about thousands of spas in her career and she has worked to build awareness for the industry that she loves through her leadership and mentoring.
Listen in as Mary shares how she got her start in spa journalism, what she sees as the best and in some cases most underrated spa treatments to book, how AI technology may be coming soon to a spa near you, which retro spa experiences are reemerging in today’s spa landscape and what are some of her most favorite spas to visit.
