Spa Evangeline at Epicurean Hotel Names Spa Director

The Epicurean Hotel has announced the appointment of Melissa Ratkovits as the Spa Director of Evangeline, the spa located inside the 137-room boutique Epicurean Hotel.

As Spa Director, Ratkovits oversees day-to-day operations, including staff management, client appointments, promotions and spa product lines. Prior to joining Evangeline, Ratkovits served as the spa manager of PierVana Hair-Spa-Jewels in South Burlington, Vermont. For five years prior to that, she was the owner and general manager of Simply Serenity Spa, also in Vermont. With more than 10 years of experience, Ratkovits has worked as a cosmetologist, esthetician and massage therapist at spas in Vermont. She is an active member of the International Spa Association.

Named for Evangeline, the iconic statue located in the neighboring Bern’s Steak House, the 2,800-square-foot spa features five treatment rooms, including two couple’s treatment rooms, a relaxation room and manicure and pedicure stations. The spa is open to the public and spa memberships and gift cards are available.

Evangeline is operated on behalf of the Epicurean Hotel by WTS International, one of the world’s leading spa management firms. The spa offers two product lines – FarmHouse Fresh® and Caudalie. Based in Texas, FarmHouse Fresh® creates natural and organic bath and body products designed with southern vintage flair and using indigenous regional ingredients. Evangeline’s second product line – Caudalie – is the creator of Vinothérapie® and was founded in the heart of the vineyards in Bordeaux, France. Vinothérapie® combines the virtues of naturally warm spring water rich in minerals and trace elements with the latest scientific findings on the benefits of the vine and grapes. Evangeline also offers a special spa menu for men and features treatments incorporating O4Men – a product line created for men by men. Some spa services even incorporate fresh ingredients clipped from a live herb wall in the spa containing locally grown cilantro and mint.

Located in the trendy Hyde Park historic district of South Tampa, Fla., the food-focused Epicurean Hotel features a state-of-the-art culinary classroom known as the Epicurean Theatre; Élevage, a restaurant where classic recipes are re-imagined; EDGE rooftop bar; Chocolate Pi pâtisserie; Bern’s Fine Wines & Spirits wine shop; Evangeline full-service spa; and 5,200-square feet of flexible event space. The Epicurean Hotel was developed in collaboration with Mainsail Lodging & Development and the legendary Bern’s Steak House and is the first newly constructed hotel property in the United States to join the prestigious Autograph Collection® of Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR).

For reservations and more information on the Evangeline spa at the Epicurean Hotel, please call (813) 999-8742 or visit www.SpaEvangeline.com. For hotel reservations, please call (855) U-AWAKEN (829-2536) or visit www.EpicureanHotel.com.