~ Fitness and beauty for the entire family ~

With obesity a growing concern in St. Maarten, the need for more focus on healthy lifestyles has never been greater. Princess Country Club, opening at the Port de Plaisance property in September, is hoping to reverse or at least reduce this trend with its all inclusive fitness and beauty facility with services catering to the entire family.

The refurbished Club offers an all-round fitness, health and beauty experience and is the first of its kind in the North Eastern Caribbean. It comprises a fitness centre, spa, beauty salon, two dance/aerobic studios and a spinning and Pilates studio, an organic café, a pool, seven lit tennis courts, the first children's gym in the North Eastern Caribbean, a children's fun park and a childcare centre offering babysitting services.

Pre-opening registration has started with discounts of up to 30 per cent for persons who sign up for one of the attractive packages by mid July. Tours of the facility are available on request and by appointment. The lavish Princess Spa is already open for business Monday – Saturday, from 9:00am to 7:00pm, and clients can start making appointments for spa services which include body treatments, facials, manicures, pedicures and treatment of a range of body therapy using cutting edge technology such as LipoMaxRF, Lumi Max and DermaPod Microdermabrasion.

Katsiaryna Ozkan, a mother of four young children and wife of Princess Group of Companies President Sudi Ozkan, designed Princess Country Club to create a one-stop facility, where entire families can focus on their fitness goals. Her wish is to make St. Maarten/St. Martin a healthier place and bring families closer.

Princess Spa

Princess Spa is equipped with two manicure and pedicure rooms and four massage areas including a private VIP room with its own private garden, outdoor jacuzzi and therapeutic waterfall.

Several trained professionals upgraded in the latest spa techniques are on board, says manager of sales and marketing Shakila Snijders-Moughames. The facility is designed with the privacy of clients in mind. The charming manicure, pedicure rooms and massage areas, for example are self contained and private with relaxing ambiances.

Use of the LipoMaxRF, Lumi Max and DermaPod Microdermabrasion machines, which we are told are top of the line and highly popular, help to reverse the signs of ageing and diminish the appearance of cellulite, stretch marks and sun spots. The treatments improve skin's overall tone and texture. Spa staffers were flown to the United States for special advanced training in use of the machines. The spa carries a full line of Thalgo and Esthoderm natural products. Snijders-Moughames said staffers will continue to be upgraded in the latest and most effective beauty treatments.

Princess Fitness Centre

Princess Fitness Centre is a 3,000 square-foot facility with a range of fitness services and a team of about 10 skilled personal trainers on board. The Fitness Centre comprises separate gyms for adults and children, changing rooms with his and hers personal lockers, sauna and showers and two professional dance/aerobic studios with custom made wooden floors, acoustic systems, floor to ceiling mirrors and a spinning and Pilates studios.

Snijders-Moughames said the studios will offer more than 50 weekly classes for adults and children. Classes include Pilates, yoga, zumba, spinning, martial fusion, body sculpting, classical dance, Trx suspension training and karate.

The adult's gym is equipped with world-class cardio fitness solutions from Life Fitness. The exercise bikes, treadmills and elliptical cross trainers are outfitted with 17-inch television screens individually hooked up to satellite, so you never have to miss your favourite programme while shedding unwanted pounds.

For those who train hard, a free weight room with resistance equipment Hammer Strength from Life Fitness is available to help you to increase your muscle strength, power and endurance.

The children gym is furnished with a line of resistance equipment specifically designed for children ages five to 18 from SHOKK®. Equipment includes child-appropriate treadmills, weight machines, bikes and kick boxing equipment. The children's gym is set on child safe surfacing.

Princess Bardot Salon

Princess Bardot Salon will be run by a celebrity stylist, who has extensive experience working in hair techniques. The salon is a modern facility set in black and white hues. It will be a full-service salon offering a selection of services for women, men and children from cuts and styling to tinting, colouring, blow drying and treatments. The all natural Rusk and other products will be used.

Tennis

Seven fully-illuminated tennis courts, including a centre court designed for world class tournaments are also available. All courts have been spruced up and outfitted with floodlights which uniformly illuminate the playing area for optimum coverage and maximum enjoyment of games at night. Tennis pros are on hand to help clients improve their serve with individual lessons. Group lessons are also available.

Cafe Organica

Snijders-Moughames said Cafe Organica will complement the healthy lifestyle of clients and the wider community with its full organic menu items and full-service juice bar. Menu items will be prepared using farm grown produce.

The juice bar will have freshly squeezed juices. Options will include "Berry Good" concoction of squeezed apple, banana, berries and dates; Pina Cool-ada; a mix of pineapple, banana, coconut and dates or Cal-C-Yumm with parsley, kale, carrot and apple. Cafe Organica menu will include options for every craving including vegetarian dishes, fish, chicken, soups, salads, noodles, sushi and delectable desserts. Cafe Organica will be able to comfortably accommodate about 100 persons and, once opened, can be rented out for parties and other private functions for up to 250 persons.

Childcare Centre

The childcare centre will offer babysitting services so parents can work out and use the services at Princess Country Club without having to worry about the safety of their children. This service is free for Princess Country Club members for a specified period.

Fun Park

Princess Country Club believes in family togetherness. Parents should not have to leave their kids at home while they work out. The Fun Park is a play park complete with jungle gym and an arts and craft gazebo where kids can explore their artistic creativity. Many fun activities will also be organised in the fun park, which is set on play-safe rubber surfacing.

For information on pre-opening registration, the facilities or tours, call Snijders-Moughames at 554-2225 or 524-bfit (524-2348).