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www.bluspasinc.com
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ZENMASTERS: A TEXAS COWBOY AND A LAWYER FROM THE OC
Spa Designers & Wellness Pioneers, Cary Collier and Doug Chambers,
Create “Sensory Sanctuaries,” with Upcoming Resort Openings around the World and
Innovative Wellness Creations in Development for Consumers & Business Whitefish, Montana -- Who would expect that a cowboy from Texas and a lawyer from
Orange County would be the masterminds behind some of the most exotic and luxurious spas
in the world? But Cary Collier and Doug Chambers -- the founders of Blu Spas, Inc. -- are
exactly that and together they have designed what they call “sensory sanctuaries” around
the world for Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, Fairmont, Raffles, Waldorf Astoria, Hilton,
Destination Hotels and Resorts, Starwood, Marriott, Rosewood, Hyatt, The Dorchester
Collection, Kimpton, Auberge, Relais & Chateaux, Nobu, Hard Rock, DMB Associates – a total
of more than 400 projects in 38 countries.
Features that today’s spa goers consider de rigueur – spa suites with private gardens for
pools, baths and showers; orchestrated indoor and outdoor spa experiences; and
incorporating indigenous healing traditions and local culture – were all pioneered by Blu
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Spas. “We’ve learned to honor and celebrate the place, the culture, the heritage … be
authentic,” says Collier. “Anything else is contrived.”
Always in innovation mode, Blu Spas is currently launching a new modular water playground
concept for resorts and residential communities, featuring contrast bathing and a variety of
thermal experiences, all with a strong emphasis on sustainable water usage and energy
systems. Another exciting development in the pipeline: options for portable, residential
wellness spaces. And, as part of its commitment to sustainable water usage, Blu has also
aligned with a firm to advance a high-tech water purification system for pools and other
water experiences – fitting, since globally there’s a long tradition of water rituals playing a
key role in wellness.
Since launching Blu Spas in 1999, Cary Collier, Doug Chambers and their team have
provided consulting, advisory and operating solutions for over 400 different projects -including hotels, resorts, clubs and residential properties, in over 38 countries, including
Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Caribbean, French Polynesia and North
America. Spanning the wellness, spa, salon and fitness industries, their experience includes
distinctive design, operations, business analysis, treatment development, product
designation and training. Chambers says he first saw his business partner at an ISPA Conference in Banff Springs,
Canada in 1997 when Collier strolled into a cocktail party wearing a sarong and cowboy
boots. “That’s when I knew I had to meet this character,” he explains. And then the Zen
began.
“One of our mantras has been to create a sensory sanctuary,” explains Collier, “which
means giving thoughtful consideration to each nuance impacting the guests’ experience,
including the visuals and texture from design, water, landscape, aromas and sound.”
The team discourages what they refer to as the dour, isolated, monastic somberness of
earlier generations’ spas. “We really feel that spas today should be more accessible, fun
and social; they should deliver memorable moments,” explains Chambers, “and that there
should be a good balance between communal and private experiences.”
Current projects include: Four Seasons Hotel spas in Mexico, Dominican Republic, Greece
and Saudi Arabia; Josie Spa in British Columbia; Nobu Hotel Los Cabos and Hard Rock Los
Cabos in Cabos San Lucas, Mexico; The Hotel Talisa in Vail, Colorado; Yellowstone Hot Springs
in Montana; Sun Baths in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Le Meridien in Bora Bora, French Polynesia;
Away Spa at the W Philadelphia; Grand Mariana Casino Resort & Spa in Garapan, Saipan; Lido
House Hotel in Newport Beach, California and more. Recently completed projects include:
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Four Seasons Hotel spas in Kyoto, Kuwait and Tunisia; Loma De Vida at La Cantera Resort &
Spa in San Antonio, Texas; Cliff House Resort & Spa in Cape Neddick, Maine; Red Rock Resort,
Casino and Spa in Las Vegas, Nevada and The Adolphus in Dallas, Texas.
What others say: "In the seven spas developed with Blu Spas,” says Shirli Sensebrenner, SrVP,
Two Roads Hospitality / Destination Hotels, “they were vital in creating truly local, authentic
experiences that define our spas. Easy to work with while still demanding excellence, they
blow me away with their innovative, creative solutions. We won’t work with anyone else."
“Over the last 25 years, the spa industry has evolved from infancy to a $16B enterprise in
the United States with enormous demand for strong, developmental expertise,” explains Mia
Kyricos, President of Kyricos & Associates, LLC, strategic advisors to wellness and hospitality
brands worldwide, and whose personal experience includes serving as Director of Global Spa
Brands at Starwood Hotels & Resorts worldwide, and Chief Brand Officer of Spafinder
Wellness, Inc. “Cary and Doug are definitely among the industry’s long-standing
pioneers. They’re known for integrating healing traditions of local cultures along with
spatial and conceptual innovations – all while meeting the budget and expectations of
ownership. Most importantly, they seemingly do so with ease and grace which makes them
truly enjoyable to work with.”
Backgrounds: A native Texan with a degree in Marketing, Collier began his wellness career
as a health club owner and since 1984 has held positions as Managing Director, Director of
Projects, and Spa Designer for spa projects around the world. He is convinced that the
diverse places he has lived -- Dallas, Aspen, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Bali, Carmel and now
Whitefish, Montana – have greatly inspired and informed his designs.
Collier with his wife, Kim – co-founded Collier Concepts and a spa therapy company, JAMU &
Organic Spa Rituals in 1993 – both are credited with being a part of the original pioneers of
the spa industry in Asia. Cary was one of the founders of the ISPA Asia Pacific, Collier has
been a conference speaker for Global Spa & Wellness Summit, International Spa Association,
Green Spa Network, Cornell University and the Urban Land Institute. He served on the
Editorial Advisory Board for Organic Spa Magazine in his home community of Whitefish,
Montana, he has served on the City Planning Board, Whitefish High School Planning &
Building Committees, and currently volunteers on the Built Environment Committee for
Climate Smart Glacier Country.
Chambers is a native Oklahoman, currently living in Southern California and is a business
and real estate lawyer by training. His specialties lie in project planning, with special
emphasis on feasibility analysis and concept development, and all phases of operations,
including pre-opening, lease negotiations, financial planning, fiscal overview, employment
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matters, compensation schedules, litigation liaison, marketing, advertising and public
relations.
Tapping into one of the most expansive and profitable sectors of the beauty industry,
Chambers has extensive experience with product branding, having spearheaded the design,
development, manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of the Billy Yamaguchi line of hair,
spa and skin products. He also was an advisor for Yamaguchi’s successful 2004 book, Billy
Yamaguchi Feng Shui Beauty. He has parlayed that experience into serving as a creative
consultant for various brands and has been a speaker or panelist for spa conferences on
topics including technical innovation for the spa industry (Global Spa Summit) and spas as
amenities for gaming and casino resorts (Gaming and Casino Conference). Chambers has also
authored or contributed to several articles for spa and salon industry publications.
Best in Class: Collier says his best spa experience is a toss-up between a Balinese Massage
from his wife and a massage from a villager on the small island of Gili Air near Lombok in
Indonesia that seemed a mix of Thai, Ashiatsu and Deep Tissue. Chambers says a $15 foot &
calf massage in a hole-in-the-wall spa in Hong Kong he stumbled upon was hallucination
worthy.
Practice What They Preach: Collier enjoys a smorgasbord approach to fitness. He starts
each day with 60 push-ups and jumping jacks, meditation and 15 minutes of stretch, balance
and mobility, followed up by 15 minutes on the trampoline or outdoor climbing wall. His
weekly visits to the gym include functional fitness workouts, Spin classes and occasional
squash games. He began Krav Maga private classes in 2015 and now takes sporadic training
sessions or practices with a fighting bag at home.
He makes use of his home spa, with time between sauna, steam and a cool down – an
outdoor shower or flailing in the snow during winter months. His wife, Kim, is a massage
therapist and spa/wellness educator, so massage has always been a part of their and their
daughter’s lives. Taking advantage of his Montana locale, he is also a hiking, fly fishing and
snow skiing enthusiast.
Chambers looks forward to daily CrossFit WODs with his daughter. An avid runner, he’s also
started doing triathlons again after a 20+ year hibernation. In summer months, he enjoys
stand up paddle boarding and swimming in the ocean near the Seal Beach pier. And lately,
he’s been dabbling with the regimens in Tim Ferris’ book, Tools of Titans, and the mobility
and strength drills touted by Chris Sommer, the former U.S. National Team gymnastics coach
and founder of GymnasticBodies.
He enjoys exploring vegan restaurants around Southern California, hiking and taking his dog
to the beach.
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