Hospitality Design - July 2017 - 184

The lounge area at
the Salishan Spa in
Gleneden Beach,
Oregon takes
advantage of its
picturesque location

BLU SPAS
Doug Chambers and
Cary Collier
Principals
Whitefish, Montana
With one former roughneck and both from rural
upbringings, Blu Spas' Cary Collier and Doug
Chambers may come across as an unlikely pair on the
wellness frontier, but with an expansive portfolio of 350 global
projects completed and more underway, they have established
themselves as seasoned veterans well-versed in creating transformative
spa sanctuaries. It's their "similar paths and histories, and close
parallels," says Collier that formed an immediate connection and
unique bond for the unexpected team.
Originally from Texas, Collier started out in his family cattle
farming business after graduating from Texas Tech, but was swept
up in the fitness trend of the '80s when he created and managed
former aerobic franchise Waist Basket. Although short-lived, it led
him to working at the spa at the Hotel Crescent Court in Dallas, one of
Rosewood's first hotel-spa concepts in the U.S. There, he met his wife,
moved to Asia-Hong Kong, Java, Jakarta, and lastly Bali-for seven
years and started a long-standing relationship with Four Seasons.
Chambers took a different route to the industry: becoming a
lawyer, moving to the West Coast, and entering the wellness domain
by helping his brother-in-law, celebrity hair stylist Billy Yamaguchi,
purchase a lease and set up his first salon, which directed him toward
creating many more.
In 1997, the duo met at the International Spa Association (ISPA) in
Banff, Canada, which sparked the founding of Blu Spas two years later
(now a 20-year-long partnership), thanks in part to a mutual business
philosophy: "We have a shared sensibility in terms of how to do right
by people, do right by projects, and that drive impacts a lot of how we
both approach things. There are a lot of complementary aspects to the
skills we each have," says Chambers. Today, that drive paired with
"awareness of sense-of-place," adds Collier, has brought them to some
of their most exciting projects to date.
Destination spas at the Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait, a collaboration
with Yabu Pushelberg, and Four Seasons Hotel Tunis in Tunisia-a

184

July 2017 hospitalitydesign.com

passion project going on almost 10 years with BraytonHughes
Design Studios, HKS, and Mason Architects-will both open this
year, along with a spa located on Bora Bora (from Collier Concepts,
Elden Creative, and LM Pagano Design), where "you'll be able to
swim over to a cabana-we're working out rope swings, it all should
be very fun," remarks Collier. Embracing nature "even if it's just
natural light or an aroma that you're aware of, even before you open
the door to the spa," he continues, has always played a vital role in
how they see design, even when working with other firms. At San
Antonio's La Cantera Resort & Spa (design by Looney & Associates
with architecture from HKS), for instance, Loma de Vida Spa &
Wellness is located across the arrival area of the hotel in a separate
building that's nestled into the hillside. For the tunnel under the
hotel entranceway that leads guests there, they paired the natural
surroundings with soft music to create a tranquil ambiance, setting
the tone for the rest of the experience.
It's their desire to question the process and knowledge on
blending spa, fitness, and salons together while creating indooroutdoor experiences, thoughtful transition spaces, and sensory
excitement-and knowing "how to do it well," he says-which makes
their style special. For the majority of projects they work on, clients
will "tell you they want innovative, something fresh, 'don't give us
what everybody else has.' Without the natural sense of curiosity
and challenging ourselves on a project, we would be hard-pressed to
deliver that," adds Chambers.
That work ethic balances with their core ideal, something
their clients gravitate to. "We come from an era where our fathers
did business on a handshake," says Collier. "Values built in while
growing up have stuck with us. It's very simple: You do what you say
you're going to do."
http://www.hospitalitydesign.com
Hospitality Design - July 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Hospitality Design - July 2017
