The NPD Group, Inc., a leading market research company, recently released the report The Makeup In-depth Consumer Report that found as a woman ages, there is a critical shift in her makeup useage and buying habits. The key age group where the shift starts is 35-44 years old, when women begin to use color more on their face and lips, and less color on their eyes. By the time a woman is 35 years old, she has flipped her preferences from lip gloss to lipstick and from foundation to blush.

Concerns about aging play a key tole because as women approach 40, there is more attention placed on anti-aging. In the eye category, women start using less eye shadow and eye liner when they hit 45 . This may be attributable to concerns about eye wrinkling. Mascara useage remains high no matter the age; nearly nine in 10 women 18-54 use mascara.

“Consumers are increasingly independent in their product and brand choices. Less than one out of five makeup users say that they usually buy all from the same brand. But, if they believe a brand or product works for them, almost 60% say they will stick with that brand or product. That tells us that the consumer is not as fickle as we sometimes think. They will buy and even come back, but we have to earn the right to their dollar,” says Karen Grant, vice president and global beauty industry analyst.

By 35, women have a more involved daily regimen, and younger women wear fewer makeup products daily. “Additionally there is an opportunity to convert a significant number of women into heavier makeup useage. This speaks to the need to educate, excite and engage consumers into this category. During tough economic times, consumers want affordable items, but they still want and need things that make them feel good. On both fronts, makeup works. As the most economically priced beauty category, makeup is the arena women can come to play and invest in themselves for little more than the price of a good lunch,” says Grant.

Affordable Spa, Cosmecueticals, Cosmetology

Antioxidants May Not Play a Role in Age Prevention

According to a new study by researchers at University College London’s (UCL) Institute of Healthy Ageing, diets and beauty products that claim to have antioxidant properties may not prevent aging. Superoxide free radicals, oxygen molecules that have an imbalance of electrons to protons, are generated in the body through natural processes such as metabolism. These free radicals can cause oxidation in the body, analogous to rust when iron is exposed to oxygen. Biological systems, such as the human body, are usually able to restrict or repair this damage.

In 1956, Denham Harman proposed the theory that aging is caused by an accumulation of molecular damage caused by oxidative stress, the action of reactive forms of oxygen, such as superoxide, on cells. This theory has dominated the field of aging research for more than 50 years. But now, a study published on Nov. 30, 2008, in the journal Genes & Development suggests that this theory might be incorrect and that superoxide is not a major cause of aging.

“The fact is that we don’t understand much about the fundamental mechanisms of aging,” says David Gems, PhD, from UCL. “The free radical theory of aging has filled a knowledge vacuum for more than 50 years now, but it just doesn’t stand up to the evidence.”

Gems and colleagues at the UCL Institute of Healthy Ageing studied the action of key genes involved in removing superoxide from the bodies of the nematode worm C elegans, a commonly used model for research into aging. By manipulating these genes, they were able to control the worm’s ability to “mop up” surplus superoxide and limit potential damage caused by oxidation.

Contrary to the result predicted by the free radical theory of aging, the researchers found that the life span of the worm was relatively unaffected by its ability to tackle the surplus superoxide. The findings, combined with similar recent findings from the University of Texas using mice, imply that this theory is incorrect.

“One of the hallmarks of aging is the accumulation of molecular damage, but what causes this damage?” says Gems. “It’s clear that if superoxide is involved, it only plays a small part in the story. Oxidative damage is clearly not a universal, major driver of the aging process. Other factors, such as chemical reactions involving sugars in our body, clearly play a role.”

“A healthy, balanced diet is very important for reducing the risk of developing many diseases associated with old age, such as cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis,” he says. “But there is no clear evidence that dietary antioxidants can slow or prevent aging. There is even less evidence to support the claims of most anti-aging products.”

The research was welcomed by Alan Schafer, PhD, head of molecular and physiological sciences at the Wellcome Trust.

“With increasing life span comes greater exposure and vulnerability to the aging process,” comments Schafer. “Research such as this points to how much we have to learn about aging, and the importance of understanding the mechanisms behind this process. This new study will encourage researchers to explore new avenues in aging research.”

Anti Aging, Beauty products, Health

(PressRelease)  As part of their very successful Symposium series, the IAPAM has created a one day program to help new entrants into the medispa industry navigate “the often confusing process of creating a successful business plan” for their new venture. “This workshop is expertly designed for physicians, business managers, and key staff empowered to launch aesthetic medicine offerings within medical practices, comments Jeff Russell, Executive Director of the IAPAM. By translating the workshop facilitator’s extensive knowledge into a suite of tools and techniques for success, registrants will learn how to avoid the most common pitfalls experienced by many new entrants in aesthetic medicine.

After completing this workshop, participants will leave with a comprehensive business plan for their aesthetic medicine practice. This program will cover all aspects of creating a business plan for a profitable medical spa, including:

• Financing options for physicians;
• Target demographics for tailored aesthetic procedures;
• Developing a menu of treatments and pricing strategies;
• Establishing aesthetic practice protocols and HR for aesthetic practitioners;
• Creating an effective marketing plan;
• Finding the right location;
• Staffing;
• Federal and state legal and regulatory issues; and
• Startup costs and reading financials.

Financing Options for Physicians: The workshop addresses the opportunities associated with leasing vs. owning equipment, as well as discussing Small Business Administration (SBA) loans vs. regular loan options.

Target Demographics for Aesthetic Procedures: Based on each attendee’s current or proposed patient base, instructors will create a targeted demographic profile for said business, including specific patient profiles: age, sex, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity.

Developing a Menu of Treatments and Pricing Strategies for Aesthetic Procedures: After creating personalized demographic patient profiles, experts will lead participants toward a menu of services consistent with identified patient needs, and assist physicians in determining the most successful pricing options for each discrete procedure.

Establishing Aesthetic Practice Protocols and Human Resource Management Procedures: As many insurance companies are now requiring written procedural protocols, registrants are provided with a CD including customizable aesthetic procedural protocols for use in each practice. Additionally, participants are provided with sample key job descriptions including: aesthetic practice nurse, medical aesthetician and others.

Creating an Effective Marketing Plan for an Aesthetic Medicine Practice:
The workshop focuses on the most effective internal and external marketing techniques. Moreover, attendees are given electronic examples of effective (and ineffective) print advertising, press releases and other marketing collateral as part of the course material. Finally, the instructors rely on “industry best practices” in answering questions regarding marketing a new medspa offering, such as:
• how to utilize the media for publicity,
• how to create an effective direct mail postcard;
• how to use the internet for a low-cost, but highly effective marketing campaign;
• how to leverage open houses and educational seminars; and
• how to utilize Google local ads and AdWords to get patients into your practice.

Finding the Right Location for an Aesthetic Practice: The workshop leader will expertly guide participants through the best practices for choosing a location for a stand-alone medical spa, and will answer questions, on a site by site basis, regarding whether to integrate a medspa within an existing practice or to open a separate aesthetic medicine business.

Staffing a Medical Spa: The facilitator will review the key positions in each participant’s medspa, and will assist in the development of customized job descriptions.

Federal and State Legal and Regulatory Issues: All members at the workshop will be expertly schooled on Federal and State regulations pursuant to the medical spa industry, with a particular emphasis on understanding the Stark Law and its implications for aesthetic medical businesses.

Startup Costs and Reading Financials: The instructor is well versed in the typical startup costs for adding aesthetics to a practice, and is equally dedicated to instructing registrants in understanding financial reporting specific to a medical spa business. Furthermore, in order to maintain profitability, participants are educated in the key indicators that medspa business owners need to watch on a regular basis.

Ultimately, this comprehensive workshop provides attendees with focused intelligence regarding all aspects of their proposed medspa business: the services, prospective customers, the competition, and everything else that is needed to launch a successful medical spa. “This workshop provides registrants with a ‘Road Map’ for launching their aesthetic practice, and the knowledge gleaned by attending is invaluable in ensuring the future profitability of any new aesthetic medicine offering,” assures Jeff Russell.

For additional information or to register for the next Aesthetic Practice Startup Workshop please contact Jeff Russell at 1-800-219-5108 x705, or visit: http://www.iapam.com/bootcamp.html

About the International Association for Physicians in Aesthetic Medicine (IAPAM)

The International Association for Physicians in Aesthetic Medicine is a voluntary association of physicians and supporters, which sets standards for the aesthetic medical profession. The goal of the association is to offer education, ethical standards, credentialing, and member benefits. IAPAM membership is open to all licensed medical doctors (MDs) and doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs).

MedSpa, Medical Spa, Spa Business

How are your promoting lash extension services?

“Lash extensions are 85% of my spa business. I have been doing lashes for more than three years now, and my best promotion for new business is referrals. I have tried advertising and was never able to get my money back. I average 5-6 lash services a day, so I have built a good lash clientele. When I first started, I needed to build my clientele so I offered free services to everyone I worked with and other stylists I knew. They would be my advertising so when their clients noticed and asked about their lashes, they would give them my business card. In return, I would keep filling their lashes. I also did a monthly mailer discounting the first lash application to all existing clients, as a reminder of my new service. Now that I have more than 100 regular lash clients, this is the busiest time of the year! The holidays are a great time to get new lash clients. By offering party lash flares (just on the outer part of eyes), partial sets (a half-set with a gradual fade into the natural lashes) or fun holiday lashes (false lashes mixed with glitter/colored extensions), you can spend less time on each application and introduce new clients to the service. There are a lot of people that will try the extensions this time of year and only do the lashes for special occasions, but they will be at parties with a lot of potential clients. Lash extensions, when done properly, can be an amazing increase to your business and income! You have repeat business like no other service. Clients love the way they look with the extensions and will come back regularly for fills. For all my regular clients, I give them a free fill for their birthday and they love it. I also have a referral program—for every new customer my client sends me, they receive a free fill. I have a few clients, especially in the current economy, that are working hard at sending me referrals because they do not want to give up their lashes. My business cards are flying out the door! My clients love their extensions and tell me they never want to be without them. There is no better way to advertise than having your work walk around in front of people all day long. And people will always notice other people’s eyes. Remember, extensions are addicting—for you and your clients!”

—Michelle Bouse, owner, Beauty Boutique, Burbank, CA

CA Day Spa, CA Spas, Eye Lash lengthening, Spa Marketing

North Carolina Adopts New Licensing Exam

The North Carolina Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy has voted to make the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx) the only major test that will be accepted for regular licensure after Jan. 1, 2011.

The MBLEx is the exam created by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards, and is gradually being used alongside or in place of the exams created by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork in states that regulate massage therapists.

“The decision by the North Carolina Board to adopt the MBLEx as their primary licensure examination has a combined beneficial
outcome for both the public in North Carolina and the profession as a whole,” FSMTB Executive Director Debra Persinger, Ph.D., told MASSAGE Magazine. “The FSMTB supports and applauds this progressive step taken by the North Carolina Board towards adoption of the uniform licensing examination that is in the best interests of the regulatory program and allows portability of licensure on a national level.”

The final text of Senate Bill 1314, which contained the amendments to the North Carolina Massage and Bodywork Therapy Practice Act, may be downloaded here.

The latest version of the North Carolina Practice Act may be accessed here.

Massage Therapists, Spa Legal Issues

New York Lace getting a face lift
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Taunton — Dolores Milho knows she can’t single-handedly turn around downtown for the better. But that’s never stopped her from setting a good example by making major capital improvements to her business property.

In the fall of 2007 Milho and her husband Francisco, owners of New York Lace bridal store and Kiara Salon and Spa at 89 Main St., began an extensive exterior, renovation campaign — neither a simple nor inexpensive task, especially when one takes into account that the building consists of four addresses.

(Other tenants include Edible Arrangements, Studio C Dance Academy, the law offices of attorney Garrett Crowley and a new Jackson Hewitt Tax Service office.)

In 2003, when the upscale Kiara day spa was added to New York Lace Store Ltd., Milho said that she and her husband had invested $500,000-worth of interior improvements during the previous two years.

But she said she never intended to stop short, and that the facade would also have to be replaced.

“We always knew that exterior alterations would be needed,” Milho said, adding that “It’s not a small task.”

Nor is it inexpensive. Milho estimates that she and her husband will have invested $70,000 by the time the job is finished.

When they started the project she said they anticipated it would take just two months to finish. But problems with the original construction company and a dispute involving a police detail led to costly delays.

Now, she said, the project will wrap up in the spring.

Milho credits Mayor Charles Crowley for his support in resolving the disagreement with the police department. She also said the Heart of Taunton and its director Julie Sprague have been “very supportive” in trying to secure a facade improvement grant to offset her costs.

“I think it’s great,” Sprague said of the exterior improvements to New York Lace.

“It should be a positive influence so that other property owners do the same.”

What Milho and nearly everyone else never anticipated was the current economic crisis in the country. But not once, she said, did she and her husband ever consider abandoning or delaying their project.

Instead, she said that they made “a lot of personal sacrifices” by cutting down on vacations and putting off improvements to their home.

Even before the banking crisis and the collapse of the housing market, Milho said that she’d seen a steady decline in revenue.

“There’s been a drastic decrease in business during the past few years,” she said.

Challenges to the bridal salon — in addition to customers cutting back on discretionary spending — have come in the form of fewer people getting married and a growing popularity of “destination” weddings held either on tropical islands or in Las Vegas.

As a result, she’s cut down significantly on the amount of clothes she buys from vendors.

On the salon side of her business she’s adjusted by offering special holiday discounts on hour-long and Swedish massages. Anything, she said, to avoid having to lay anyone off.

Milho said the color of the stucco finish on the face of her facade will be a salmon or sand tone. And the old New York Lace sign, she said, is going to be replaced with one that is brushed silver.

She especially thanks her husband, who works days as a driver for a Mansfield-based medical supply company, and her 80-year-old father Jose de Mello.

Milho said that both Francisco and Jose spent many hours working late together outside in front of the store.

“Sometimes the street lights gave them the light to work,” she said.

It’s her hope that other businesses and building owners, even absentee landlords, will pick up the gauntlet and seriously consider re-investing and improving the condition of their property.

“It’s tough being a downtown business. But we really have to be positive,” Milho said.

MA Day Spas

Jennifer Wiseman is a new aesthetician at Wine Country Day Spa in Santa Rosa. Wiseman is a Santa Rosa Junior College graduate and studied at Santa Rosa Beauty College and the Dermatologica Institute in San Francisco.

CA Day Spa, CA Spas, Spa Employment

Iatria Spa And Health Center Partners With Fearrington Plastic Surgery

RALEIGH, N.C. – Dave Mangrum, president and CEO of Iatria Spa and Health Center, has announced that Dr. Sandra Fearrington of Fearrington Plastic Surgery will be joining Iatria as the spa’s supervising physician. In this position, Dr. Fearrington will oversee all services provided by Iatria MedSpa, assisting nurse practitioners wherever necessary for maximum patient safety and comfort. Dr. Fearrington will relocate her practice to Iatria on Creedmoor, located at 8020 Creedmoor Rd., in early 2009.

Dr. Fearrington has lived in the Triangle area for most of her life and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelor’s degree in nursing before completing her medical education at Dartmouth Medical School in Hanover, N.H. In 1991, she completed her residency in plastic surgery at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, N.M. After working in group practices for three years, Dr. Fearrington opened Fearrington Plastic Surgery in Durham in 2000. She is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery.

MedSpa, Medical Spa, NC Spas

The DSF Group and Kimpton Prepare the $50 million Lorien Hotel & Spa in Alexandria, Virginia for Ope

On Feb. 12, 2009, the $50-million Lorien Hotel & Spa will debut in Alexandria, VA as Kimpton’s crown jewel of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region. Owned and developed by the DSF Group and managed by Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, the 107-room urban retreat will bring an elevated level of style and service to historic Old Town, Alexandria with a full-service spa, world-class interior décor by acclaimed designer Vicente Wolf, and three culinary venues by celebrated chef Robert Wiedmaier.
“The Lorien Hotel & Spa will be a destination all its own, with a level of service that is unsurpassed,” says Don Anderson, general manager and Alexandria native. “We are in the unique position to offer the comfort and intimacy of a boutique hotel, with the amenities of a resort, to deliver a four and a half star-caliber hotel experience. This is a highly anticipated opening for Kimpton and Old Town alike.”

At Kimpton hotels, every hotel tells a story, and the Lorien Hotel & Spa will celebrate the story of dreams. The dream story will be brought to life through personalized amenities such as a 24-hour “dream” button on all guestroom phones, with a direct line to a highly-trained concierge to coordinate all elements of a perfect stay. An extensive “Dream Service Menu” will make available specialized amenities including comfort foods, soothing bath, aromatherapy and pillow options, that can be delivered to the room to help set the stage for a good night’s sleep and sweet dreams.
With an eye towards offering a heavenly retreat for travelers, world-class designer Vicente Wolf was hired to create the hotel’s décor. Artfully blending old with new, Wolf reinterprets American classic design with a modern flair at Lorien Hotel & Spa. The building’s exterior reflects the historic charm of Old Town with its warm coral-hued brick walls and copper rooftops. But stepping inside, guests are welcomed by sleek and elegant interiors that hint at both past and present and evoke a fresh and contemporary feel.

The 107 spacious guestrooms and suites have a warm and residential atmosphere, with a calming palette of robin’s egg blue, gray and white. Custom-made furnishings, such as wingchairs and trellis-style headboards, are reinterpreted with a contemporary flair. Numerous suites and specialty Spa Rooms also boast spacious bathrooms with claw foot tubs and rainfall showers.

All rooms offer a wide range of amenities including 42″ flat panel televisions, a spacious work area, wireless and wired high-speed Internet access, an iHome clock radio, laptop safe, plush robes, and a gourmet honor bar featuring organic and healthy options. Guests can also enjoy signature Kimpton services including in-room yoga, Pilates and meditation TV programming, 24-hour room service, Forgot It? We’ve Got It! travel items, and overnight shoe shine and valet/laundry service.

Perhaps one of the most inspiring aspects of the Lorien Hotel & Spa is the hotel’s Terrace Suites. These unique suites offer expansive terraces, some as large as 700 square feet, complete with cozy couches and seating ideal for hosting intimate gatherings for up to 30 people, or for nighttime stargazing. To enhance the experience, the hotel will offer a “Terrace Menu” with choices that range from private wine tastings and alfresco dining to dance lessons, as well as more playful amenities such as sleeping bags, luxurious blankets, telescopes, and more.

The Lorien Hotel & Spa will be the first hotel in Old Town Alexandria with a full-service spa. The 4,000 square foot spa and fitness center includes five treatment rooms, private locker rooms, two steam rooms and an indulgent dream-inspired treatment menu utilizing organic and paraben-free products from Kerstin Florian that are restorative to the body and in harmony with the environment. The spa’s 24-hour fitness center offers a full range of exercise equipment, free weights, and personal training and private yoga classes are available by appointment.

Lorien Hotel & Spa is also a gourmand’s dream with not one, but three dining venues helmed by celebrated chef Robert Wiedmaier. The foodie trifecta includes a 105-seat restaurant, a 43-seat tasting room, and a wine and cheese retail shop. At the restaurant, Chef Wiedmaier will serve Belgian cuisine with American inspiration and offer a collection of hard-to-find, yet approachable wines and an extensive list of Belgian beers to pair with any meal. The tasting room will provide a more casual, European-style dining experience experience, where guests can enjoy light fare from the chef’s wood-fired oven and sample wine and other spirits. At Chef Wiedmaier’s retail shop, which will be Old Town’s first gourmet food shop, guests and locals alike can shop for wine, gourmet beer, and various treats ranging from cheese to olives and charcuterie.

The Lorien Hotel & Spa will also feature more than 3500 square feet of sophisticated meeting and event space, including three meeting rooms, a hospitality suite, and functional outdoor venues. Customized meeting breaks, including private wine tastings and chef dinners, can be arranged through the hotel’s team of highly trained professional meeting planners.

Lorien Hotel & Spa is ideally located within steps of the metro, located in the heart of Old Town Alexandria and offers easy access to the surrounding Washington, D.C. area. The hotel is just four miles from Ronald Reagan international Airport, and four blocks from the Amtrak station. For guests who prefer a different mode of transportation, complimentary bicycles are available for a ride to the Potomac River. Chef Wiedmaier picnic baskets, filled with all the makings for a gourmet lunch, can be prepared upon request.

Room rates at Lorien Hotel & Spa start at $329, and special weekend rates are available. Lorien Hotel & Spa is located at 1600 King Street, Alexandria VA, 22314. For more information or reservations, please call 703.894.3434 or 877.856.7436 toll free or visit lorienhotelandspa.com.

The Owners DSF Group
The award-winning DSF Group is a private real estate company that makes value-added investments in multifamily and commercial properties, primarily in the high-growth Northeast Corridor between Washington DC and Boston.

Having extensive business and leisure travel experience, the founders of The DSF Group wanted to create a hotel they would choose to stay at…and one they would want to return to.

Lorien Hotel & Spa is the result of that vision. The DSF Group partnered with boutique hotelier experts Kimpton Hotels, world-renowned designer Vicente Wolf and critically-acclaimed Washington DC chef Robert Wiedmaier to create an environment in which the business traveler could relax, unwind and feel rejuvenated following a long day. Whether that is accomplished through a private spa treatment, dinner from one of the three destination food venues or simply returning to the restful guestrooms, it is all available to choose from at Lorien Hotel & Spa.

With over $1.5 billion invested in four million square feet since the year 2000, The DSF Group has quietly become one of the most successful private real estate investment firms in the country.

Designer Vicente Wolf
In the world of contemporary design, Vicente Wolf has been at the top for three decades. Through his firm, Vicente Wolf Associates, he explores his passion for design, guided by the principles of integrity and simplicity. Lorien Hotel & Spa is the latest in his pursuit of this passion, benefitting from his design throughout the hotel, the spa and the restaurants.

Wolf has designed a wide range of projects, including the LS Store in Hong Kong, the Luxe Hotel Rodeo Drive and Café Rodeo in Beverly Hills, the Andrew Fezza company offices and showrooms, the Registry stores in Chicago, Bedell Cellars Winery and guest cottage on Long Island’s North Fork, the executive office of J Records for Clive Davis, the interiors of New York’s L’Impero and Alto restaurants and an extensive list of residential interiors.

House Beautiful named Vicente Wolf as one of the ten most influential designers in the United States and Interior Design Magazine inducted him into its Designer Hall of Fame. Selected as one of the top 100 designers in both Metropolitan Home’s “Design 100″ and Architectural Digest’s “AD 100,” Wolf’s work has been featured in various design books and magazine, including these publications, The New York Times, Elle Décor, House & Garden, Vogue Decoration, Country Living and Maison & Jardin.
Over the last few years, Wolf has become known for his other passion: photography, which can be found throughout the Lorien Hotel & Spa. He has had individual gallery shows, photographed his design projects for magazines and shot the advertising campaign for Anichini Linens. He also put together an exhibit of his photography, titled Series III: Compositions, for the Pucci Gallery in New York.

Wolf has contributed his designs to many arts and charitable organizations, including the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA) and the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID). Wolf teaches an annual course through Parsons School of Design in the Dominican Republic and his first book, Learning to See, focuses on personal style and travel.

The Chef Robert Wiedmaier
Now leading the culinary efforts at Lorien Hotel & Spa, chef and proprietor Robert Wiedmaier developed a strong passion for the culinary arts at a young age while growing up in Germany. Born to a father who is 100% Belgian and a mother who is Californian, Wiedmaier was given a chance to experience ingredient-based cuisine with the freshest produce, meat and dairy.

Wiedmaier attended the Culinary School of Horca in the Netherlands. His apprenticeship at the Thermidor Restaurant, a Michelin two-star establishment, brought him to Brussels to work with famed Chef Eddie Van Maele. In 1986, he took the position as Saucier at Le Chardon D’Or in the Morrison House in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, bringing him to the United States for the first time in his culinary career.

In 1988, Wiedmaier joined the team at the renowned Le Pavillion as Chef Poissonnier, and a year later, moved to the Four Seasons, the most prominent hotel in the city, as Sous Chef position at Aux Beaux Champs restaurant under the tutorial direction of Chef Douglass McNeill.

Seven years later, Chef Wiedmaier opened Café on M at The Grand Hotel, giving Wiedmaier a personal venue to use his culinary roots and where he established his critically acclaimed French Cuisine Flavored with a Flemish Flair.

In June of 1996, The Watergate Hotel asked Wiedmaier to oversee and manage the culinary operations for the hotel. He also undertook the re-design of the kitchen and opened their then-new restaurant, Aquarelle. Wiedmaier replaced Executive Chef Jean-Louis Palladin, whose tenure at the hotel had been immensely successful as well as having been a strategic mentor to Wiedmaier.

In March of 1999, Robert Wiedmaier opened Marcel’s restaurant, named after his first-born son. Between this opening and the opening in April of 2007 of Brasserie Beck, named for his younger son (and only a mile from Marcel’s), Wiedmaier received significant acclaim for his cuisine, including Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year (2004) award by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington and Chef of the Year by the American Culinary Institute. Marcel’s was inducted to the prestigious Distinguished Restaurants of North America (DiRoNA), the only anonymous restaurant inspection program in North America and maintains Washingtonian magazine’s high level of status with 3.5 out of 4 stars. Additionally, Zagat rates Marcel’s in the Top 5 for Food category.

Some of Wiedmaier’s favorite things to cook with are sweetbreads, foie gras, skate and any variations of wild game at Marcel’s and at Beck’s. According to Wiedmaier, “My cuisine is simple. I concentrate on high quality ingredients. More than anything, I’m a cook first, chef second.” An exceptional highlight of Wiedmaier’s cuisine techniques is his use of all parts of each animal he cooks with to create his sauces. “Nothing goes to waste. If you’re not tasting, you’re not cooking.”

Resort Spa, Spa Opening, Spa Resort, Virginia Spa