Spa Executive - February 2020

Spa Executive
ISSUE #15 FEBRUARY 2020
For leaders in the business of wellness
SPOTLIGHT
Jessica Shea
MAKING A SPA SPECIAL AND
NURTURING STRONG TEAMS
NEWS
The most
STRESSED
cities in America
TECHNOLOGY
Four Seasons’
Resort Oahu’s new deep
Brain Massage

PUBLISHER
Roger Sholanki
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Nima Chadha
EDITOR
Elizabeth Bromstein
COPY EDITOR
Andrea Coreas
DESIGNER
Zamir Visram
Note from the Publisher
Hilton was recently named the #1 best place to work by Fortune magazine. In an industry that
struggles to attract and retain staff, spa and wellness leaders should be paying close attention to
what Hilton is doing right.
It appears to be a lot — Hilton CEO, Chris Nassetta, has said that he is “obsessed” with taking
care of his staff.
Among Hilton’s initiatives is one to upgrade all back-of-house staff areas to be as comfortable
and welcoming as guest areas. Hilton also offers programs enabling employees to earn their
GEDs and expand their skillsets, including the Hilton School of Wellness Spa Leader Onboarding
Program, which is designed to help Hilton spa professionals thrive as business leaders. Hilton is
also an advisory board member of We Care, the global self care initiative for massage therapists
and spa directors.
Who better to talk about some of the amazing programs that are changing the face of hospitality
leadership than Jessica Shea, Hilton’s Senior Director of Spa & Fitness Operations for the
Americas? We spoke with her for this month’s Spotlight interview, and she offers some amazing
insight into Hilton’s successes from which we can all learn.
“Massage therapists,” she points out, “are the backbone of the spa industry…. Yet, as the spa
industry grows, the number of massage therapists continues to decline.”
Hilton is among those turning this around. Is it coincidence that Hilton’s stock is reportedly up
274% from its IPO price in 2013? Probably not. Looking after your team is good for business.
As far as obsessions go, taking care of your staff is a good one to have.
Spa Executive
Roger Sholanki,
CEO, Book4Time Inc.
The online magazine for Spa
Executives, featuring news
and exclusive interviews.

Contents
February 2020 Volume 15
3
TRENDS
Next Generation Aromatherapy:
how research & tech are
changing the game
3
MANAGEMENT
Behaviors of successful leaders
5 in spa and wellness
7
NEWS
The cities most in need of a spa
day: these are the most
stressed out people in America
9
BUSINESS
The Wellness Tourism
Association’s definitions for
what makes a wellness tourism
destination
12
TECHNOLOGY
Four Seasons Resort Oahu at
Ko Olina's new "Deep Brain
Massage"
15
13
FEATURED PROPERTY
Ocean Spa BVI: a floating spa
built from the wreckage of
Hurricane Irma
15
SPOTLIGHT
Hilton’s Jessica Shea on what
makes a spa special and
nurturing strong teams
19
FEATURE
Scents to make people fall in
love with your spa, with
Matthew Mileo
7 12

WELLNESS TREND 2020
Next Generation Aromatherapy:
How research & tech are changing the game
Aromatherapy is hardly new. The practice
of turning to scents and essential oils for
their purported healing properties is
probably thousands of years old, and
though it’s often said that there is little
solid scientific evidence for its efficacy,
aromatherapy’s popularity continues
to grow.
As we mentioned in our recent trends
report, the Global Wellness Institute
recently named “Aromatherapy 2.0: Scent
as Medicine” as a trend to watch, citing
many examples of how aromatherapy is
moving into a new era, thanks to
technological advancement and
neuroscience studies. Among the
examples cited was Aeroscena, a
company based in the Cleveland Clinic’s
Innovations Lab that has created a line of
plant-based aromatherapeutics formulated
to specifically treat symptoms like pain,
nausea, and anxiety, with the guidance of
a medical advisory board.
We wanted to further explore
developments in aromatherapy, so we
reached out Mark Kohoot, Aeroscena’s
founder and CEO, to ask some questions
about potential future research,
applications, and developments.
Standardized and evidence based
Kohoot says next generation
aromatherapy is rapidly moving toward a
medical/clinical paradigm and an
evidence-based practice.
“This is why we differentiate what we do
as ‘clinical aromatherapy,’” he says. “It is
standardized, evidence-based, quality
controlled and clinically validated.” The
focus is on testing and outcomes, so
Aeroscena has partnered with medical
practitioners and facilities, like the Moffitt
Cancer Center, Nebraska Children’s
Hospital, and Virginia Commonwealth
University, where clinical research can be
performed by third parties without bias.
The research landscape is changing
dramatically
A lack of credible research is often cited
as a concern when it comes to
aromatherapy, but things are shifting.
Kohoot points out that a quick search in
PubMed now results in 1,401 studies that
include the term “aromatherapy.”
“Historically,” he says, “aromatherapy has
suffered from perception issues, and been
lumped in with ‘alternative’ therapies,
many of which are looked down upon by
the medical community. Luckily, nurses —
those on the front lines of patient care —
have become amazing advocates and
research partners.”
One research example he points to is
Nebraska Children’s Hospital’s palliative
care department: “The medical director,
Dr. Meaghann Weaver, was interested in
finding out how aromatherapy could help
her patients, and liked that our inhalers
provided a standardized form factor for
use. She noted improvements across the
board after adoption, and asked us to
work with her on a pilot study by providing
materials. The positive results of the study
on pediatric pain, anxiety, and nausea
were then published by Cambridge
University last November in the journal
Palliative and Supportive Care.”
Aeroscena also participated in research
with Moffitt Cancer Center to examine the
effect of aromatherapy on nausea and
anxiety in patients undergoing
chemotherapy at their infusion centers.
“The results were positive here as well,”
said Kohoot, with a 50%-80% reduction in
nausea and anxiety achieved across all
three centers. The reduction of both
symptoms was maintained over the
five-month course of treatment for the
majority of study participants.
“Acceptance of and demand for
aromatherapy in clinical environments
continues to grow at a remarkable pace.”
How can aromatherapy be used in a
wellness setting, like a spa, to create
different results and outcomes?
Kohoot uses the example of a larger, more
complex spa setting with multiple
environments.
To create a relaxing atmosphere, the
reception area can be scented with a
formula based on constituent ingredients
that have demonstrated anti-anxiety
effects in clinical studies, he says.
03 | Spa Executive
Trends

“Then, the spa client could go to more
than one area from reception for any
number of treatments. While many likely
hope to relax, some may prefer to feel
more energized or focused.”
Aeroscena, he explains, creates formulas
designed for these specific results using
an efficacy-first model. “We first find the
oils that have the best supporting scientific
evidence for what we hope to achieve and
then we take those oils to our master
aromatherapist, who finds a combination
and ratio of those oils that also produces a
pleasant scent.”
He goes on to say, “Many large spas also
have gyms, pools, hydrotherapy circuits,
luxurious locker rooms, and dedicated
rooms reserved for yoga and the like.
Whether spas want to uplift, energize, or
relax clients, there is an all-natural, truly
healthy option available to do just that.”
How aromatherapy is being used in
hospitals and other healthcare settings
There are many areas of healthcare where
aromatherapy is appropriate, says Kohoot,
who cites chemotherapy infusion centers,
dialysis centers, postoperative recovery
rooms, birthing centers, and palliative
care, among the examples.
“It’s also very useful in waiting rooms to
decrease patient anxiety prior to treatment
or consultation. This is especially true for
dental offices, where malodors are
common and patient dental anxiety is a
real problem for practitioners, who then
struggle with patient recall. A more
pleasant, relaxing waiting room experience
can create a positive feedback cycle that
means less dental fear, and more returning
patients who get the care they need.”
Developments involving aromatherapy
and technologies, like AI and VR
Aeroscena is involved in some aspects of
VR and AR, but “not what you’d think,”
said Kohoot. They’re working with Johns
Hopkins and Drexel University on the issue
of nausea in children getting VR rehab.
“The feeling of disembodiment that comes
with floating in space often is
accompanied by nausea and nobody likes
cleaning that up.”
And, by now we’ve all read about the idea
of enhancing movies and virtual worlds
with scent.
Kohoot said, “Our best guess is that the
gaming industry will work to use the smell
of tires/gas/oil for racing games or
something like that. However scents are so
complex, it is hard to have a set of a few
chemicals that can be mixed, like a cmyk
printer, to make most scents. And, really,
that sort of thing is going to be synthetic
fragrances, more than aromatherapy.”
How aromatherapy will be used five or 10
years from now
“Aromatherapy has plenty of potential in
terms of new applications and
environments, especially when used in
concert with technologies like AI and VR,”
said Kohoot, “But one of the main changes
we expect to see is the acceptance of
aromatherapy as a drug, rather than an
‘alternative therapy.’”
He envisions successful research leading
to more interest in standardized solutions
for aromatherapy as an over the counter,
and even prescription, drug to treat
specific medical conditions.
“We also expect to see more research into
essential oils as antiviral and
antibacterial agents.”
Trends
Spa Executive | 04

Behaviors of
successful leaders in
spa and wellness
These five behaviors of successful leaders in spa
and wellness will make or break a business.
It’s fairly well known that successful
leaders, regardless of industry, tend to
display common behaviors.
The best leaders are good listeners and
communicators and they have the self
awareness to monitor their responses and
reactions. They think before they speak
and they work to elevate their employees,
rather than keep them down, because
they know that’s what makes a business
thrive. Let’s take a look at some of these
specific behaviors and how they apply in
spa and wellness. These are the habits
and actions that will make or break
a business.
We often have the pleasure of speaking
with some of the top leaders in this sector,
so we took an opportunity to look back at
some of their past comments about the
things that make successful leaders.
Here are five behaviors of successful
leaders in spa and wellness:
Listening
All good leaders are good listeners. Great
spa and wellness leaders listen to their
team members and respond to needs and
wants. They listen to their guests and do
the same to improve the guest
experience. They listen to hear about
what’s happening in the sector, with
trends, news and developments, to stay
on top of these things.
Todd Hewitt, Assistant Vice President,
Spa, at Shangri La told us in his Spotlight
interview “When you listen to the guests
and staff firsthand, you get a totally
different perspective of the operation.”
If you don’t listen, you can’t learn, and if
you can’t learn you can’t grow, and if you
can’t grow you can’t manage.
05 | Spa Executive Management

Learning
Great leaders are lifelong learners. The
world is always going to change and we
have to keep up, and spa and wellness is
an ever changing and growing industry.
Developments in science, technology, and
tourism mean that things are always
shifting, and change can be daunting and
terrifying for those who are not always
learning. But for those with a lifelong
passion for learning, change is
exhilarating. Challenges become puzzles
to be solved and hurdles to overcome.
Education comes from many sources and
in many forms. It’s not just acquired
through books and courses. We learn from
our peers and mentors, and from our
employees. Hewitt also told us, “You have
to want to learn something new each day
and be willing to have your staff teach you
something new too.”
Thinking creatively
Creativity is an important key to success in
spa and wellness. There are a lot of spas
out there, so why should someone choose
yours over another? Thinking creatively
will help you stand out from the
competition and elevate your guest
experience – to create something special.
Jeremy McCarthy, Group Director of Spa
& Wellness at Mandarin Oriental
Hotel, told us in his Spotlight interview
that, early in his career, he met Peter
Greenberg, a Travel Correspondent for
Good Morning America at the time.
McCarthy said, “I asked him how I could
get my spa on television. ‘Getting your spa
on TV is simple,’ he said. ‘All you have to
do is do something no one else is doing or
do something better than everyone else
is doing.’
“I quickly realized that even though I was
working at a very nice luxury spa, we were
really doing all the same stuff that
everyone else was doing. For the rest of
my career, I have always taken that advice
to heart and tried to do things better or
differently than everyone else.”
Standing out requires creativity, and
success in spa and wellness requires that
you stand out.
Leading by example
A few times in the past, we have quoted
Shane Bird, Director of Spa Operations at
Turning Stone Resort and Casino, in his
Spotlight interview, saying that the key to
managing a successful team is “being
willing as a manager or director to do
everything, and to really get in the
trenches.” Bird said a manager cannot
stay in an office. “Your team has to see
you engaging the guests in the way you
want the guests engaged.”
He added, “It’s being a part of the
everyday operations as much as you
possibly can. I’ve always been very hands
on. At times, I’ve actually been chided by
my superiors that I’m a little too hands on.”
We quote this one a lot because it’s so
important.
Leading by example is behaving in the way
that you expect your team members to
behave. People don’t respect a leader who
wants them to give something that they,
themselves are not willing to give.
Empowering others
Great leaders empower their team members
to make decisions and grant them the
autonomy they need to do their jobs well.
Andrew Gibson, Chairman of the Wellness
Tourism Association, told us in his recent
Spotlight interview, “I’ve seen, and worked
for, many different types of successful
leaders. One thing they all have in common
is the ability to motivate. You have to be
able to motivate people.
“But perhaps the most difficult part of
being a leader is learning to let go. You
appoint people, give them a clear vision
and achievable goals and support them
towards those goals. Every member of the
team should have goals or clear
objectives. And then you have to trust
them and let them lead. And you have to
accept when doing that, that they will do
things differently from you, and even make
mistakes. If you want to build a great team
that is successful and enjoys what they’re
doing, you have to accept that some
things are not going to go quite the way
you want or expect them to go.”
Empowering others mean relinquishing
some of your control, and allowing people
to do what they will do without interfering.
We can all do our best to embody these
five behaviors of successful leaders.
Management
Spa Executive | 06

THE CITIES MOST IN NEED OF A SPA DAY
THESE ARE THE MOST STRESSED
OUT PEOPLE IN AMERICA
07 | Spa Executive News

These are the most
stressed out cities in
America. Spa day,
anyone?
Who are the most stressed-out people in
America, where do they live and what
stresses them out the most? A new
survey asked these questions and found
some answers, which we at Spa Executive
think could prove quite valuable to the
Spa and Wellness industry.
Knowing what stressors are affecting
local populations can help wellness
businesses connect with people and offer
exactly what they need to relieve that
stress. So, let’s take a look at the findings.
Attorney directory, Just Great Lawyers (a
surprising source for this information, we
thought), conducted the survey, which
sought to learn who the most stressed out
people are in America. To do this, rather
than try to estimate people’s stress levels
based on factors like unemployment
rates, commute times, or home prices,
they took another tactic and just asked
people about their stress levels. The
report argues that, “when it comes to
stress, perception can be more important
than reality,” and, that “the human
nervous system is designed to respond to
threats real or imagined, evoking the
same physical and emotional
consequences either way. So in essence,
how stressed people think they are is
exactly how stressed they really are.” This
sounds reasonable.
Just over 2,700 people in 25 major
American cities were asked to rate their
stress levels around a variety of factors.
The results showed that Americans in
general are currently feeling more
stressed than they were a year ago with
sources varying from city to city.
The most stressed out cities
The most stressed out city was
Indianapolis, IN, followed by Houston, TX,
and Washington, D.C. Indianapolis also
ranked in the top five for stress levels
about money and political concerns.
Interestingly, eight of the most stressed
out cities are located east of the
Mississippi, while the two least stressed
cities are in the South and Southwest.
The most stressed out professions
Human resources, architecture, and
religious ministry are the most stressed
out professions, followed by those in pet
care, and attorneys and others in the legal
profession to round out the top five.
The report makes the observation that
practitioners of these professions “hold
people’s (or animals’) lives in their hands”
in one way or another. “HR decisions
make or break the quality of life for
millions of people. An architect’s
creations must be perfectly planned and
constructed, or buildings come crashing
own. Religious counselors work for
nothing less than the integrity of people’s
souls. And vet workers care for the lives of
our precious pets — which, in America,
might as well be people.“ It’s interesting,
then, that doctors aren’t in the top five.
At the other end of the spectrum, fitness
professionals, real estate agents, and
government workers are feeling the least
stressed. Somewhere in the middle are
hospitality and service industry workers,
followed by educators and career military
members.
Being unable to work because of a
disability was about as stressful as
working in HR or architecture. Being out
of work and running a business were both
equally stressful, and retirees were the
least stressed out of anyone.
Other significant findings of the
survey include:
• Young people feel more stress than
older people.
• Women feel more stress than men.
• People with lower incomes generally
feel more stress than people with
higher incomes.
• Stress levels decreased as income
increased over $15,000 a year, but
began creeping back up gain when
income reached $250,000.
• Las Vegas, NV, Indianapolis, IN, and
Houston TX, residents report feeling
the most financial stress.
• People in Phoenix, AZ, Cleveland,
OH, and New York, NY, feel the least
financial stress.
• San Francisco Bay area, CA,
residents feel the most career stress.
• Atlanta, GA, residents are a lot less
worried about their careers.
• Residents of Washington, D.C., are
most stressed about health and
healthcare, family matters, political
concerns, and personal safety.
• Houston, TX, San Francisco, CA, and
Las Vegas, NV, residents are also
stressed about health and healthcare.
• New Orleans residents are least
worried about their health.
• When it comes to marketing spa
services, these findings may help
directors and operators come up with
creative outreach ideas to connect
with, for example, young, female HR
professionals in Indianapolis or
Washington D.C.
See the full report at
justgreatlawyers.com/most-stressed-cities
News
Spa Executive | 08

The Wellness Tourism Association’s definitions
for what makes a wellness tourism destination
The Wellness Tourism Association (WTA) has
introduced definitions and begun setting industry
standards for what makes a wellness tourism
destination.
By Anne Dimon
We all acknowledge that the word
“wellness” means different things to
different people. Ask 10 people what
“wellness” means to them and you are
likely to get 10 different answers.
Year after year, surveys from the Global
Wellness Institute tell us wellness is the
fastest growing division of the global
tourism industry. As more consumers look
to work elements of wellness into their
travels, or plan vacation time with a
specific focus on wellness, we are seeing
an increasing number of hotels and
resorts looking to get a share of the
market by introducing wellness-focused
amenities, programs and even multi-day
guided retreats. Destination Management
Organizations (DMO) and tourism boards
are also launching their own wellness
initiatives. But for the good of the
consumer and the sustainable future of
the industry, when it comes to vocabulary
we need clarity and consistence.
To help create that clarity and consistency
within the wellness tourism industry, the
Wellness Tourism Association (WTA) –
now with 100 Members and Partners from
21 countries – has created definitions,
and promotes standards that are
applicable to the industry and understood
by the public.
Incorporated in the US as a not-for-profit
in January of 2018, the Wellness Tourism
Association launched with the mission to
unite the industry, and to become one
community working together to shape and
09 | Spa Executive Business

support the sustainable future of wellness
tourism for the global good. One of the
goals was to bring definitions and
standards to the industry.
First of all, the WTA has produced the first
glossary of industry definitions.
Glossary of industry definitions
Wellness Tourism
A specific division of the global tourism
industry that is defined by the common
goal of marketing natural assets and
activities primarily focused on serving the
wellness-minded consumer.
Wellness Travel
Travel that allows the traveler to maintain,
enhance or kick-start a healthy lifestyle,
and support or increase one’s sense of
wellbeing.
Wellness Traveler
An individual who makes “wellness” the
primary purpose of a trip.
Wellness Vacation/Holiday
Wellness Vacation / Holiday is Wellness
Travel powered by a wellness-focused
intention. Wellness Vacations/Holidays are
typically self-directed with the traveler
setting his or her own timetable and
schedule. They may also include a
Wellness Retreat.
Wellness Retreat – In today’s world, this
term actually has two definitions:
Wellness Retreat – Programme
#1 A guided, intention-driven, multi-day
program with a set or semi-set schedule,
and hosted by one or more facilitators. The
program may include learning and lifestyle
workshops such as meditation and healthy
eating, as well as fitness activities such as
yoga, nature walks and hiking.
Wellness Retreat – Facility
#2 A smaller facility with accommodations
and hospitality services and where the
primary purpose is to provide programs
and experience for the Wellness Traveler.
The facility may have fewer wellness
activities, services and facilities than a
Wellness Resort.
Industry standards
When it comes to developing standards,
our criteria for the various categories of
membership forms the basis for industry
standards. For instance:
Wellness Resort
Any facility with accommodations and a
range of hospitality services where the
primary purpose is to provide programs
and experiences for the Wellness Traveler.
The Wellness Resort is comprised of four
primary elements: accommodations, a
variety of wellness activities, healthy
dining options and wellness-related
facilities.
Wellness Retreat
(facility standard as per above)
Any smaller facility with accommodations
plus other hospitality related amenities,
and where the primary purpose is
wellness. Such companies offering
qualifying wellness programs on a
seasonal basis will also fall under the
category of Wellness Retreat.
Medical Wellness
A company with the primary business of
medical (the care of patients, and services
that respond to specific medical
conditions or issues) will be considered for
membership if they also offer multi-day
retreats / programs and/or packages that
are deemed to be more
proactive/preventative than reactive. For
instance, retreats/programs for sleep,
stress management, medical testing for
the early detection and prevention or
certain medical conditions, and others.
Assets and attributes of a Wellness
Destination
In July, 2019, the WTA issued a news
release suggesting nine assets and
attributes that a geographic destination
should possess if the DMO or tourism
board is looking to position and promote a
specific region of the world as a Wellness
Destination.
The list of nine is as follows:
• A safe/secure environment in both
perception and reality
• A clean and sanitary infrastructure for
both locals and visitors
• A quality-of-life for locals who benefit
from tourism dollars – e.g. the creation
of jobs within the industry and the
creation of a market for locally made
produce/products/services
• Natural assets such as hot
springs/mountains/bodies of
water/forests/resources for
thalassotherapy or other natural
assets within the confines of the
destination and easily accessible to
visitors
• Since Wellness Tourism and Wellness
Travel encompass wellness for the
planet, the destination must have
substantial sustainability policies and
practices in place
• The availability and accessibility of a
wide range of wellness-professionals
and practitioners, including those who
offer holistic and alternative modalities
Business
Spa Executive | 10

• A selection of hotel restaurants and
independent restaurants offering
healthful cuisine prepared by chefs
committed to clean eating and who
work in partnership with local growers
• Availability of a range of fitness-based
activities and tours – e.g. yoga, hiking,
cycling, fitness classes, kayaking,
stand-up paddle boarding
• A physical environment that is
somewhat removed from the noise
that has become “daily life” in the 21st
century
WTA Chairman, Andrew Gibson, says
“Wellness Tourism has the fastest visitor
year on year growth of any form of
tourism. The Wellness Tourism Association
provides clarity and direction for anyone
who wants to identify with this exciting
sector within the tourism industry. There is
a great opportunity to ensure that wellness
tourism is sustainable, ethical and adds
value to both the traveler and the
destination.”
Anne Dimon is the President of the
Wellness Tourism Association
(www.wellnesstourismassociation.org) and
Founder/Editor of
www.traveltowellness.com
11 | Spa Executive Technology Business

FOUR SEASONS RESORT OAHU AT KO
OLINA'S NEW "DEEP BRAIN MASSAGE"
Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina
has partnered with immersive wellness
company, Sensync, to offer “a
revolutionary, immersive sensory
experience” called The Vessel.
Luxury virtual experience
The Vessel is a luxury virtual experience
that combines mixed reality with
advanced therapeutic technology to
create what Sensync’s founders, Dr.
Adam Gazzaley and Dr. Alex Theory, have
dubbed a “Deep Brain Massage.”
Gazzaley is The David Dolby
Distinguished Professor of Neurology,
Physiology and Psychiatry at the UC San
Francisco, and the Founder and Executive
Director of Neuroscape, a translational
neuroscience centre engaged in
technology development and scientific
research of novel brain assessments and
optimization tools. And Theory is a CEO
and Futurist specialising in large scale
immersive experiences, interactive
content, augmented reality, virtual reality,
and transmedia storytelling.
The treatment involves a series of
customized journeys in which guests see,
hear, smell, feel, and touch sensations of
nature, presented in unison, leveraging
the power of what Sensync calls “sensory
synchronization” to create immersive
experiences. Recordings of the guest’s
physiological data — respiration, heart
rate, electrodermal activity and
electroencephalography — allow the
generation of a dynamic, closed-loop
experience that is personalized in
real time.
Among the immersive journeys being
offered are Deep Space, Kairos, Ocean
Cove, Zen Garden, Quantum Oneness,
Crystal Cave, Lost Jungle, and Floating
Clouds. These range from 20 to 80
minutes in duration, integrating:
• Visual virtual reality treatments
• Aromatherapy
• Sound and music therapy
• Vibroacoustic stimulation
• Relaxation and nature therapy,
meditation/mindfulness practices,
biofeedback, and neurofeedback
Research shows brain health benefits of
nature exposure
Sensync and Four Seasons point to the
many research findings connecting brain
health benefits with nature exposure.
These benefits are said to include stress
reduction, improved attention, and mood
enhancement.
The Vessel, says the release, creates “the
next level of virtual reality,” and takes
travellers “on a journey with a greater
sense of presence and immersion than
has ever been achieved.”
The Vessel is an experiential treatment
designed to address a demand for
solutions and new technology that can
facilitate wellness in the face of increases
in stress, fatigue, anxiety, depression,
insomnia, and other mental health issues.
This is according to a media release,
which also states that The Vessel’s
purpose is to relax and restore fatigued
minds and pull users away from
“goal-directed thoughts,” with an aim to
ease cognitive fatigue.
Technology
Spa Executive | 12

A look inside Ocean Spa BVI
a floating spa built from the
wreckage of Hurricane Irma
Ocean Spa BVI is a floating spa, anchored
off the coast of the island of Jost Van
Dyke in White Bay, in the British Virgin
Islands. Rocking gently on the serene,
salty waters, it is the only floating spa in
the BVI and one of the only floating spas
in all of the Caribbean.
The 550 square-foot structure was
created by Dale Mapp, a 25-year veteran
of the hospitality industry. It took 10 years
for Mapp to realize his dream of opening a
spa, and Ocean Spa BVI is his third try.
The first attempt was vandalized, and the
second was destroyed by Hurricane Irma,
which swept through the open Atlantic
region in September, 2017.
The most powerful hurricane on record in
the area at the time, Irma caused
catastrophic damage and killed more than
130 people. The British Virgin Islands
were hit hard. The island of Tortola bore
the brunt of the core, suffering damage to
structures and seeing residential areas
left in ruins. And almost all of the homes
and businesses on Jost Van Dyke, the
smallest of the BVI’s four main islands,
were destroyed. The restoration of
electricity alone took five months.
“I had no choice
but to rebuild”
“After the hurricane struck, I felt I had no
choice but to rebuild and not give up, so I
continued,” Mapp told Spa Executive. He
rebuilt the spa, this time with lumber
salvaged from Irma’s wreckage, sourcing
materials from the dump — “wooden
gates, storage boxes, closet doors, and
bits of people’s roofs.” He and one other
person built the spa over four months,
and it now sits on the water on a pontoon,
supported by aluminum, and boasting a
five-star rating on TripAdvisor.
Windows beneath the massage tables
allow guests to gaze into the water
below
13 | Spa Executive Featured Property

Access to the spa is by water. Mapp provides a
complimentary dinghy taxi to and from, but more
adventurous guests choose to boat, paddle board, kayak, or
swim their way there. There are four treatment rooms, where
guests can enjoy spa treatments and, as Mapp told Spa
Executive, “the feeling of floating on the Ocean with the
gentle sway, reminiscent of being rocked in a cradle while
inhaling the most revitalizing sea air.” Rectangular windows
under the massage tables, inspired by glass bottomed
boats, allow people to gaze into the water and watch the
colorful fish swimming around below.
“A dolphin even swam under once while I was giving a
massage,” said Mapp.
Ocean Spa BVI offers a simple menu, consisting of seven
massage options, provided by Mapp and one other
employee. These include a 75-minute Sunset Couples
Massage with two glasses of sparkling wine, a 60-minute
Ocean Bliss Aromatherapy Massage, and a 30-minute Ocean
Head Massage.
Mapp said of his finally realized dream, “It feels as if it has a
soul. Pieces of BVI homes and lives created this memorable
and unique floating spa.”

HILTON’S
WHAT MAKES A SPA SPE
NUTURING SMA

CIAL AND
LL TEAMS
Hilton is a leading global hospitality
company with a portfolio of 17
world-class brands, including Waldorf
Astoria and Conrad, operating in 113
countries.
Among those dedicated to fulfilling the
brand’s mission to be the world’s most
hospitable company, is Jessica Shea,
Hilton’s Senior Director of Spa & Fitness
Operations for the Americas, who directly
oversees the company’s 35 spas in the
region.
As a leader in a company that was
recently named the #1 Best Company to
Work for by Fortune Magazine, Ms. Shea
is well placed to provide insight on
nurturing strong teams. We asked her
about that, as well as about what is
challenging and what is exciting in the spa
& wellness industry for 2020.
Tell us about your career and how you
came to be doing what you are today?
My family owned a hair salon when I was
growing up, and I was enlisted at a young
age to help answer phones and sweep up
hair! I went off to college, traveled a bit,
and came back home to look for a job.
During that time, my family was
transitioning their hair salon into a day
spa, and again needed help. Helping out
grew and grew, until I was eventually
managing the business myself – and
realized I was already on the path that I
had been searching for. What I wanted
was to make a difference – to help people,
to be creative and inspire (what we know
of now as) personal wellness. I saw
firsthand how self-care, relaxation,
connection and feeling beautiful would
turn around someone’s bad day – leaving
them renewed and hopefully, being kinder
to others when they stepped outside the
spa. It always felt like a small way to help
make the world a better place.
From there, I spent the next several years
as a Spa Director with Hyatt Hotels in
Lake Tahoe, Kauai, and eventually
Thailand. I had the incredible opportunity
to lead spa and hotel teams in Asia for six
years before returning to the US to head
up spa strategy for Hilton. I’ve been in my
current position, supporting spa
operations, for the past two years.
Hilton is an advisory board member of
We Care, the global self care initiative for
massage therapists and spa directors.
Can you talk about why this is
important?
It’s important for several reasons, all
stemming from the fact that massage
therapists are the backbone of the spa
industry. The majority of treatments
provided in leading spas are based on
massage, and one of the greatest
opportunities for connection is between a
massage therapist and a guest. Yet, as
the spa industry grows, the number of
massage therapists continues to decline.
As industry leaders, we need to support
the massage therapy profession by
ensuring therapists have the tools,
education and opportunities they need to
have long, healthy, successful careers.
Massage therapists are the ultimate
caregivers, yet they often don’t take the
time to care for themselves. We Care aims
to change that through techniques,
education and experiences that support
their physical, mental and spiritual health.
The purpose is to ensure that therapists
currently working in spas continue to
thrive, and to attract potential spa
therapists to a meaningful, lucrative
career.
Spotlight
Spa Executive | 16

Can you tell me a bit about the Hilton
School of Wellness Spa Leader
Onboarding Program?
Absolutely – I’m very proud of the work
we did on the program. The purpose of
the program is to encourage emerging
and current spa managers and directors
to grow as business leaders by giving
them the tools to develop beyond their
current roles and help achieve their
professional goals. It is designed to help
Hilton spa professionals become more
commercially focused and thrive as
business leaders, through an eight-hour
online crash course that includes
everything from learning how to balance a
budget, develop marketing strategies,
oversee operations and manage teams.
The course was also designed to propel,
retain and attract new professionals in the
spa industry, showcasing how diverse and
instrumental the role of a Spa Director is
in the dynamic world of wellness.
Are these in place to address the
industry staffing issue and can you talk a
bit about this challenge? Is the industry
doing enough to address it?
Yes, as mentioned both of these
programs are designed to address the
staffing issues facing the industry, both
for therapists and leaders. I think the
numbers that some of the industry
organizations have brought to light in the
last few years – the huge amount of spa
position vacancies, closures of massage
schools, etc – have been a wake up call
for the industry and it’s encouraging to
see companies springing into action. We
can always do more, but the goals are
being set and there is focus and
collaboration across many levels of the
industry that I believe will start to turn the
tide in the coming years.
What is the biggest challenge facing spa,
fitness and wellness in 2020, besides
staffing?
As you mention, staffing is the biggest
challenge – not just the number of people,
but we must also emphasize the
importance of employing people who are
passionate, service-minded and can
deliver on the growing expectations of the
wellness customer.
We are very fortunate that we have finally
come to an era when wellness is totally
mainstream. People have so many
choices today on how to integrate
wellness into their lives; but the wellness
landscape is blurry and increasingly
competitive. To remain relevant,
successful business must step away from
the buzzy wellness noise and define who
they are, be consistent with what they can
deliver and do it with passion and
integrity.
Do you think being a successful leader in
spa and wellness requires different skills
from leadership in other areas? If so,
what are these?
Absolutely. Spa leaders must have a great
balance of “head” and “heart” skills. The
spa environment can be very personal –
sensitive, emotional, spiritual – yet it has
to be approached with clear-headed
business savvy. Successfully leading a
team of intuitive care-givers one minute
and presenting a budget to an ownership
group the next, takes a special set of
leadership skills. The most successful spa
leaders know, or have learned, how to
balance and support both with a lot of
passion.
How do Hilton spas stand out? What
makes them unique or special?
Hilton is one of the largest spa operators
in the world and a combination of reach,
culture, and opportunity attracts the best
spa team members in the world. We have
built the global Hilton Spa family to deliver
the highest level of guest experiences
across all of our brands, while ensuring
each spa location is individual and
embraces the environment that it is in. We
are continually innovating the spa
experience with new design perspectives,
exceptional treatment and service
offerings, product partnerships, and
sustainability initiatives.
What trends or developments in spa and
fitness are you excited about right now?
I’m excited that in looking ahead, we are
really taking a look back and evolving
ancient, tried and true, natural or
culturally significant wellness practices.
The rise of hydrotherapy and contrast
bathing dates back to Roman times; CBD
has been revered in some cultures for
centuries; shamans and gurus are leading
more and more spiritual retreats (some
with long-overlooked psychotropic
benefit); skin care is clean and organic
beauty has stripped back the
unnecessary, toxic elements; fitness
technology is focused on being in-tune
with your biology; well-built spaces are
concerned with clean air and sunlight;
women’s health and sexuality aren’t
taboo; and everyone is talking about the
benefits of getting outside in nature!
17 | Spa Executive
Spotlight

Spa Executive
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Scents to make people fall in love with
your spa, with Matthew Miléo
Scent is a big part of the spa customer
experience. The right scent can relax,
rejuvenate, inspire joy, and evoke
memory. The wrong ones, or even the
right ones wrongly employed, can have
the opposite effect.
Have you ever felt sick from being in close
quarters with someone wearing too much
fragrance? You probably have. This is why
it’s so important for spa and wellness
businesses to strike the right balance and
be aware of which scents may elicit which
reactions when used in what settings.
Knowing that scent is connected to
psychological reactions and effects, we
asked how it can be used to enhance the
guest experience. Can we tweak the scent
environment to arouse positive emotions?
And, in the spirit of Valentine’s Day, are
there scents to make people fall in love, or
at least awaken emotions connected to
love and affection? We asked Matthew
Miléo, the founder of Miléo New York,
these questions. Miléo is a 100%
botanical skincare line, known for its
award-winning Elixir Oud collection. Miléo
is also a wellness advisor, and former
in-house beauty and fragrance expert
at Chanel.
Here’s what he had to say about the
scents that may elicit feelings of love and
affection, and about creating the ideal spa
atmosphere:
Can you talk about how scent works on
the brain and nervous system to elicit
emotional reactions?
It’s well documented that smells and
scents can affect the human brain. I spent
two years researching mood and emotion
19 | Spa Executive
Feature

disorders in a psychobiology research
laboratory, and I was fascinated by how
smells can evoke strong emotional
reactions. Our olfactory receptors, which
translate smell to our brain, are directly
connected to the limbic system, which is
where our emotions, feelings, and mood all
stem from. The olfactory bulb is close to
the memory hub of the brain, and it has
been hypothesized that smells trigger
memory. This explains why our smell is
attached to a memory, and can be
retriggered. It also explains why certain
aromas and odors can be perceived
differently, and why people from different
cultures can have significantly different
reactions to smelling the same thing.
This kind of olfactory perception is why
fragrance and aroma will always be
subjective to the person smelling it, and
thus thousands upon millions of different
aromatic compositions exist.
Are there scents that evoke feelings like
love and affection? What are these?
Feelings of love and emotion are inspired
by Rose, Jasmine, White Ginger Lily,
Violet, and Mimosa flowers, which
represent the innocence and devotion
of love.
The rich, sparkling middle note of rose
complements the powdery notes of
mimosa, violet and jasmine, and the
ethereally sweet white ginger lily. Deeper,
more primal emotions like obsession and
infatuation are captivated by Sandalwood,
Ylang Ylang, Vanilla, Narcissus and
Orange Blossom, which capture the
animalistic and sensuous emotions
they exude.
Cozy, sweet vanilla assails our nostrils with
mystical sandalwood that complements
the tropical sweetness of ylang ylang and
the exotic floral of orange blossom.
citrus, or other earthy notes to give the
atmosphere a unique aromatic
composition. Citrus and mints like yuzu,
yellow mandarin, and peppermint will
energize, freshen, and invigorate the spa’s
feeling of vitality.
Florals like lotus, ylang ylang, and
magnolia will soothe emotions and entice
feelings of self-care. Spice notes like
saffron, cinnamon, and ginger will add a
gourmand aroma that flavors the spa
ambiance with liveliness.
Resinous notes like frankincense, rock
rose, and amber will create a sense of
peace and comfort. And green or
herbaceous notes like neroli, violet leaf,
and jasmine make a sophisticated spa
even more chic.
The main component is a strong wood
base, as that is your aromatic anchor to
creating a blissful experience.
Can we talk more about scent’s effect on
mood?
The effect on mood can be learned by
association from past experience, but
certain types of scents are known to be
associated with a physiological response
that may help to lower blood pressure,
muscle tension, and brain activity. Notes
of tuberose, gardenia, ylang ylang,
jasmine, and magnolia flowers all help to
relax the body and create feelings of
comfort, to which the brain translates as
euphoric, joyous, happy, and peaceful.
Certain emotions can be guided by an
arrangement of notes that ultimately
transcribe to your brain which emotion is
most likely to arise.
If a spa wants to create an atmosphere
that is welcoming and relaxing, what are
some scents that can help with this?
Woods are best used for an ideal spa
atmosphere. There is a centuries-old
history of using woods for meditative and
spiritual practices.
Agarwood, the heartwood of which is Oud,
was used in spiritual ceremonies to
transcend the mind into a religious state of
consciousness. Sandalwood’s essential
use is as incense in spiritual practices, and
other known woods like Cedar, Cypress,
and Siam Wood have relayed their own
meditative benefits. If we are to think of a
spa as an altar for the body to rest upon,
then using a woodsy scent is the best
catalyst for that purpose.
Using a relaxing woody base, a spa may
want to enhance it’s scent with flowers,
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Spa Executive | 20