Save big on spa travel with the Spa Travel Gal, part 1

By Aimee Heckel 

Ava Roxanne Stritt believes that a spa vacation is not a luxury. It is essential for a healthy body and mind. And she knows how to help you save money doing it.

Stritt, of Atlanta, runs the widely popular blog, SpaTravelGal.com. Her Twitter feed alone draws about 30,000 followers from around the world.

The draw? With a background in finance, combined with a passion for travel, a love for writing, and connections with the skincare industry, Stritt is the perfect resource to help you wade through the endless spa travel options.

Her blog offers travel deals and tips. Every Sunday, she runs a Twitter chat, Skin Care Sunday, a full day dedicated to sharing skin care ideas.

Her blog was recently accepted by Kindle, available for purchase for 99 cents per month. She is ranked the most influential voice in spa travel today. That’s why every month, we will be featuring her top spa travel pick of the month.

Here is more about the Spa Travel Gal — and how she can help you plan your next vacation. 

Q: What can people get from your website?

A: The newest spas, the newest treatments, spa and travel deals. Because I’m so connected with the travel industry, they will send me things before anyone else. A lot of the trips I go on are usually places about to be really hot.

Q: Like what? What is a destination that’s on the verge of being the next big place to go?

A: Panama. The Westin near the Panama Canal. The dollar’s worth so much there. Panama is going to be the next to-die. It’s got to get a little more infrastructure, but I would go there next.

(Note: Hotels.com lists the four-star Westin Playa Bonita Panama in Panama City starting at $245 per night. Save even more by booking through ShopAtHome.com and taking advantage of the Hotels.com coupon codes and deals. Or check the Westin deals and get an additional 3 percent cash back from ShopAtHome.com)

And the island of St. Kitts, the Marriott there. These places are very reasonable. You’re in another country, yet in a hotel brand you’re very familiar with.

(Note: This hotel advertises nightly rates starting at $249 per night. Tip: ShopAtHome.com offers a long list of Marriott deals and coupon codes — 26 offers right now, in fact.)

Q: What are some tips for navigating your website?

A: Sign up for the newsletter or the feedburner. Follow my Facebook and Twitter accounts.

See part 2 of Save Big on Spa Travel with the Spa Travel Gal for her current favorite deal and the best way to save money on spa travel.

Click here for travel deals and coupons from ShopAtHome.com.

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About Aimee Heckel

Aimee's passion for storytelling has brought her around the world as a journalist, writing award-winning news articles about Haiti and Uganda. Aimee studied international journalism at the University of Heidelberg in Germany, and she majored in journalism and German at Colorado State University. When she's not writing stories for a Colorado newspaper, she travels and volunteers for Think Humanity, her family's nonprofit that helps refugees and disadvantaged people in Africa. She's also a mom, a wife and a furious bargain-hunter. Reach out to her at AimeeHeckel.blogspot.com, find her travel board on Pinterest, follow her on Twitter, or ping her on Google+.