Thought Leadership Kirsty MacCormick, The Spa Consultancy
How to create the best spa management team
S
Kirsty MacCormick EXPERT CONTRIBUTOR
pa management is an often misunderstood and undervalued function within the broader hospitality dynamic. Unfortunately, it can still be common to hear hotel management and owners question the role of a spa manager and even ask “what do they actually do?” For our spa and wellness businesses to thrive, we need to ensure we have the very best, highly skilled people in management positions. We also need to educate the wider hotel operation about the true value of spa and wellness to overall revenue. Spas in themselves are effectively mini hotel operations, involving reservations and bookings, and they require careful revenue management to meet their potential.
What does spa leadership entail?
With over 30 years’ experience in the spa and wellness industry, Kirsty MacCormick is the founder of The Spa Consultancy. Her expertise includes development, pre-opening project management and operational set up of a range of spas from commercial hotel and day spas to luxury five-star hotels and wellness destinations. www.thespaconsultancy.com
68
Spas are often complicated setups that need to be managed in such a way as to deliver a seamless guest journey. This is important to note as guests often have higher expectations of the spa than they do of the hotel. A spa manager is also responsible for all goods in and out, including extensive laundry and cleaning, not to mention coordinating often large and diverse teams. Management leaders must oversee the many working parts of a spa with the main goal being to ensure that all guests have the best spa experience possible, and a good spa will look for ways to improve and be innovative. Finding the right person who can deliver this is particularly challenging for owners and hotel managers. As a spa consultant I am often asked if a business needs to recruit a spa director
or manager, or should a therapist or receptionist be promoted from within? The answer really does depend on the type of operation in question.
One size does not fit all
Not all spa and wellness businesses are alike. Just as you will find many types of hotels, there is a diverse range of spas within the hospitality, wellness and tourism industries. A career in spa management could take an individual to many different kinds of settings and brands, from day spas to hotels, destination spas, medi-spas and more. In some cases, the spa is an extra service offered to guests of a broader business. In others, the spa is the main focus of the business. Spa and wellness management differs depending on the setting, the size of the facility and the business’s revenue expectations. The size and focus of the spa may determine whether management stay behind the scenes or are more front-facing with guests. Nevertheless, there are certain duties that are similar among spa management across different settings (see box).
Finding the right mix
The only way that a spa will be a success is to have the right leadership and structure. If you are going to promote from within, ensure that the staff member has the correct training and development as well as transferable skills, otherwise this will not work. If you are going to employ a spa director, ensure that you provide the correct job description and specifications for your facility; what www.europeanspamagazine.com
