Spa Business issue 4 2011 - TourismInsights

INTERVIEW
KATIE BARNES » MANAGING EDITOR » SPA BUSINESS
Niamh O’Connell
Hyatt’s vice-president of international spa operations oversees 80 sites
worldwide and tells us about the key to cracking China, new markets
and developing a three-tier therapist training programme
O’Connell grew up in Ireland and began
her career as a therapist on cruise liners
day when I hop out
of bed, I think ‘good I’m
off to work’ because I
just really love what I do,”
“Every
says Niamh O’Connell,
vice-president of international spa operations
for Hyatt Hotels Corporation.
Talk to O’Connell about spas and her enthusiasm
shines through: she’ll reel off a number
of projects she’s excited about – and with more
than 40 in the pipeline there are plenty to
choose from (see p34). “I’m involved with everything
from feasibility and conceptual design
to liaising with project managers and working
with the pre-opening team,” she says.
On top of this, O’Connell oversees the
running and performance of 80 existing spas
– including 20 in China. And she’s also on
the brink of introducing a therapist training
programme to help cultivate and keep
talent in the group’s spas to ensure that they
remain at the top of their game.
So, just how did she get to where she is
today and how does she manage to control
this ever-increasing spa portfolio?
A CRUISE SHIP LEARNING
The 37-year old from Limerick, in the Republic
of Ireland, comes across as modest but it’s
clear she’s got a strong inner drive. “I always
knew I wanted to work in wellness, but spas
didn’t exist when I was growing up,” she
recalls. So, armed with a CIDESCO qualification
in beauty therapy she set sail on Steiner
cruise liners in 1994 to work in onboard spas.
Four years later, O’Connell had already progressed
though the ranks to become spa
director and by the time she left in 2003 she
was responsible for 27 therapists.
“Working on cruise ships is a great foundation
for any therapist,” says O’Connell. “You
quickly learn the importance of customer
service and yield management. I was on
commission and after two months I worked
out how to manage my column and ensure I
was busy at least 90 per cent of the time. That
meant that I could then have a three-month
break without worrying about money!”
In 2004, O’Connell got her start at Hyatt
after being asked to help open the Plateau
– the group’s first residential spa – and take
The Rayana Spa in Abu
Dhabi will open in the next
few months and it’s one of
the projects that O’Connell
is most excited about
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