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When StoneSpa moved from West 14th Street to 125 Fourth Ave. on Union Square earlier this year, it nearly tripled its space to 4,500 square feet-and doubled its revenues.
"I see far more weekly clients now than before," says Carla Ciuffo, founder and co-owner. "There is hardly a day when we are not fully booked."
Ms. Ciuffo and other spa owners are taking advantage of the fact that New Yorkers seem to have developed an insatiable appetite for facial masks, full-body massages and any other form of pampering that can clear their pores and muscles of the effects of war and a flagging economy. Entrepreneurs around the city recognize the potential for day spas, which have become an $11 billion business nationally.
Clay has opened on West 14th Street, and Exhale is readying sites on Madison and on Central Park South. Bliss, which has two Manhattan locations, is looking for a site for a mini-spa. Meanwhile, health club Equinox is planning a spa in its new AOL Time Warner Center location at Columbus Circle.
Consumer demand isn't the only...