JM Salon de Art and Taylor Lane Day Spa Opening at Luxurious Plaza Condominium Address

June 12, 2005 -- Downtown Jacksonville will be receiving an infusion of style and sophistication this summer, courtesy of JM Salon de Art and Taylor Lane & Co. Day Spa.

Opening in an elegant ground floor gallery-style space in the luxurious Plaza Condominium at Berkman Plaza & Marina, this new salon and spa marks the beginning of the creative partnership between professional hair stylist, John Mario, and spa owner, Pammy Taylor.

Taylor, who left her job as an accountant 11 years ago to pursue a career in the spa industry, was looking to tap the relatively untapped downtown market when she crossed paths with Mario, a highly experienced salon veteran.

"The first time we met there was this amazing chemistry between us," recalled Taylor. "I knew I wanted to work with this guy!"

Because Taylor's passion is for the spa side of the business while Mario's expertise is in the field of hair, the fusion of their specialized talents was a savvy business move. "It only makes sense that we should bring all our strong points together so that we can offer a truly superior experience to our customers," Taylor said.

With two locations already established at the Beaches and in the Avenues Mall, opening a salon and spa at The Plaza will put the partnership at the top of their game. According to the company's marketing director, Jarod M. Hardwick, due to its upscale location at The Plaza and extensive range of luxury services, the downtown JM Salon de Art and Taylor Lane & Co. Day Spa is designed to attract visitors to Jacksonville and it's downtown businesses.

The location will offer a full range of salon and spa services including: hair styling, coloring, and straightening, all modalities of massage, full body waxing, laser hair removal, manicures and pedicures, and seasonal wraps, facials and body treatments.

"But all three locations will still have a similar feeling and atmosphere," assured Hardwick. "We want our customers to feel comfortable at any location."

As for the downtown salon's décor, Mario is confident that his customers will fee most comfortable surrounded by an ever-changing display of fine art.

"I've always envisioned the art of styling hair and the art on my walls to be the same," Mario said. "I take a lot of my vision and inspiration from art, whether it's the art of an immaculately landscaped garden, an oil painting in a gallery, or the architecture of a classical building!"

In order to keep his creative juices flowing, Mario plans on rotating the displayed artwork each month, as well as incorporating the gallery-style space into downtown's monthly Art Walk events.

"You might come down to our salon during an Art Walk and find the art isn't on the walls, but on women's heads," said Mario. "The possibilities are endless!"

Taylor and Mario's vision is to provide client's with a total package experience that goes beyond the offerings of a typical salon and spa. In addition to taking care of customers' hair and bodies, JM Salon de Art and Taylor Lane & Co. Day Spa hopes to eventually offer services that will improve a client's mental and physical well being, including hypnosis therapy to overcome unhealthy behaviors, dermatology treatments to clear troubled skin, dieticians to facilitate weight loss and healthier eating habits, and personal stylists to rehaul out-of-date wardrobes.

"We live in a day and age where nothing is wrong and nothing is right, what matters most is that you're yourself," Mario said. "People are looking to be the best version of themselves that they can be, and our job is to help them achieve that - we want to offer our clients whatever it is they're looking for to create the total package"

The Plaza is one of the landmark residential structures of the evolving downtown neighborhood, housing 206 spacious condominiums on 21 floors, all with river or city views. Residents have 11 floor plans ranging from 770 square feet to 1,800 square feet from which to choose, plus exclusive penthouse residences, which span two floors and provide more than 2,280 square feet of living space.

A 24-hour concierge, 52 slip marina, lobby level retail and specialty shops, dry cleaning service, the new spa and salon, pool, tennis and squash courts, meeting facilities and wine-tasting room with private lockers are just a few of the Plaza's five-star amenities. Now 80 percent sold out, prices at The Plaza range from the $200s for a one-bedroom to the $800s and up for a luxurious penthouse suite.

The Plaza Condominium at Berkman Plaza and Marina is located at 400 East Bay Street on the north bank of the St. John's River at the corner of Bay and Liberty Streets in Downtown Jacksonville. Coldwell Banker The Condo Store is the exclusive sales and marketing agency for The Plaza. For more information, call (904) 634-0022 or visit the website at www.theplazacondos.net.

For more information about the Downtown location of JM Salon de Art and Taylor Lane & Co. Day Spa, or to schedule an appointment, please call (904) 633-9009.