Things are heating up at this historic hot springs. The Homestead, purchased from KSL by Omni Hotels & Resorts omnihotels.com last July, has decided to part ways with iconic spa brand Canyon Ranch canyonranch.com and rebrand its gleaming new spa. Why is this news? Because just last June, the Canyon Ranch SpaClub at The Homestead opened its big beautiful doors to unveil a noteworthy new spa that was part of the historic hotel’s $25 million renovation. The unusual partnership was an attempt at combining the “finest attributes of the birthplace of southern hospitality and the pioneer of the wellness lifestyle.” Well, it apparently didn’t work.
This morning, I received a brief press release from Canyon Ranch simply stating that the management agreement of the spa will be terminated as of December 1st. This was just after I had received the December issue of Robb Report, which features my story about Canyon Ranch SpaClub at the Omni Homestead Virginia Is For Spa Lovers. Talk about timing. But why should you care? Because the Homestead is a lovely historic property long renowned for its natural springs. Built in 1766, it has undergone enormous change—and changes of hand—throughout the centuries. And because it housed the first Canyon Ranch SpaClub to introduce family spa services when it debuted last June. This was an interesting move for many reasons, but mostly a smart one, because The Homestead has been catering to families for generations.
Canyon Ranch, founded in 1979, has a tried-and-true wellness lifestyle concept, including its ever-popular signature feature, the Aquavana experience, a thermal oasis that offers a hot-and-cold journey of sorts. Of course there was one built at The Homestead, which makes me wonder just what will happen to it in the rebranding of the spa. Stay tuned.