The Connection

A new Chantilly Hand & Stone Spa opened in the Greenbriar Town Center behind the Starbucks along Route 50 on Oct. 12. Owned by Darielle Danver, 25, and her father Eric Danver, 52, of Medford, N.J., the franchise spa decorated in warm earth tones and ambient lighting specializes in facials, hot stone massages, skin peels, waxings, eyebrows, hand therapy, and hot towel foot treatments with scrubs and lotions, and more.

"It's a five-star spa experience at a one-star price," said Darielle Danver, who recently moved to Fairfax to start her new business. "It's a spa environment as opposed to a clinical environment."

She added: "Everybody wants to feel good, and we're bringing that to them at a very affordable price ... You can come in and feel pampered and not break your bank while doing that."

The Signature Service is a 50-minute hot stone massage using river stones where the stones are heated to 120 degrees. The therapist uses the stones as an extension of their hands; they help break down lactic acid in muscles. "The heat from the stones draws out stress and tension," said Darielle Danver. "It's a whole body massage; everywhere their hand goes, the stone will go as well."

The spa offers Clarity and Dermalogica Facials. After an aesthetician does a full analysis of the skin, they determine if there are any problem areas, and can recommend customized upgrades. They do cleansing, exfoliation, steaming, extractions as well as a decollege massage of the neck and upper shoulders. In addition, they offer anti-aging facials, sensitive skin facials, and detox facials for acne-proned skin. "They are always customized for whatever skin condition the client has going on," said Danver.

For sun-damaged and dry skin, there's a hydrating facial. For autumn, there's a pumpkin facial with pumpkin enzymes to help peel away the years. For acne-prone skin, there's the MediBac line that targets bacteria.

The spa provides upgrades based on the aesthetician's recommendations for the client's skin: the ultra-calming line is used for skin with problems like rosaehea; the MediBac line for acne and oily skin; the Age-Smart line for prematuring skin and the Grey Line for normal skin.

In addition, the spa does hair removal and waxing, using NuFree Hard Wax, which sticks to the hair follicle and lifts the hair from the root.

Hand & Stone was founded by physical therapist John Marco in Tom's River, N.J., in 2004. It has 160 locations nationwide. With a staff of 12, the Chantilly location has 2,300 square feet with eight different rooms — two aesthetician rooms, five massage rooms, and one couple's room. The Danvers plan to expand to the South Lakes Shopping Center in Reston in mid-January, plus five other Hand & Stone spas in the communities of Vienna, Falls Church, Burke and Ashburn.

Eric Danver, who owns 22 Papa Johns Pizzas in New Jersey and Delaware, has the franchise background, and daughter Darielle is in charge of the day-to-day running of the spa. "I was a customer in New Jersey for a couple of years; I was fascinated with the business and wanted to do multiple spas in the area," he said.

Manager and operations director Kristina Lovelace, 29, who moved to Fairfax from New Jersey, has 10 years of experience in the spa business. "Hand & Stone spa is meant to be its own private oasis — a place for clients to escape and relax and come to clear their minds from the day-to-day chaos," said Lovelace. "It's a place to relax, restore and renew themselves."

"I fell in love with Hand & Stone because of the extensive services it offers; they are more customized and therapeutic," said Kay Hechler, 52, who owns a Hand & Stone franchise with her husband John Phillips in Gaithersburg, and who was at the soft-opening of Danvers' store. "It's based on wellness principles; the services are very solid and I don't think there's anything like this in Chantilly."

She adds: "The corporation was very thoughtful; they have the customer in mind."