Spa Executive | Issue 11 | October 2019

TRENT MUNDAY
The Spa of Tomorrow and why spas don’t have to do “wellness”
Trent Munday is the Senior Vice President of
Mandara Spa. He has an eclectic resume of
professional experience, which includes a
year playing American football (in Australia)
and a stint as a bellman in a 4-star
Melbourne hotel, before moving up and out of
the ranks to become the Program Manager
for Accommodation Services for the Sydney
Olympic Village (for the 2000 Sydney
Olympics). After that he moved on to open
resorts for Six Senses, and then COMO
before ultimately joining Mandara Spa, where
he still finds himself nearly 15 years later.
A refreshing personality in the spa and
wellness industry, those who follow Munday
know that he always has something to say –
or a question to ask – on his website and
social media accounts. He offers equal parts
insight and unfettered criticism, most of
which is geared towards helping hotel spa
owners and managers improve business
operations.
One of his most common themes is the “Spa
of Tomorrow” – what does the future of the
industry look like, and how will things
change? He has also mercilessly tackled the
notion that “spa” and “wellness” must go
hand in hand, arguing that they actually don’t.
We spoke with Munday about some of his
pet topics, and asked him to elaborate.
Here’s what he had to say.
The global older population is growing
dramatically. Can you please share your
thoughts on how the world’s aging
population will affect the spa industry in
a few years?
I believe there is a massive role for spas to
play in an aging world. I expect that we will
see a significant increase in aged care homes
and communities. Even in Asia, where
traditionally the elderly have been cared for
within the family unit and family home, I see
this happening more and more. Whether we
think about spas as we know them today, or
in a different iteration, the concept of spas in
aged care homes and communities, to me, is
a no-brainer. Beyond just the physical
benefits of a massage, for example, there’s
also the more emotional, deeper benefits of
being cared for. In my experience that is
something that many of the folks in these
aged care facilities long for.
Can you speak a bit about your opinion
that spas don’t have to do “wellness”
and why not? And what this means?
Wellness is a concept the spa industry has
latched onto as our latest shiny new thing
(and more recently, CBD), We say, “Of course
spa and wellness go together. Who else
should be in charge of Wellness? It must be
us.” And that’s fine. But as more and more
people are starting to become aware of it,
wellness shouldn’t just live in the spa. For a
hotel to have solid wellness offerings,
wellness needs to be instilled in food &
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