Spa Executive June 2021

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Benjamin Donat, Spa Director at Park City, Utah’s St. Regis Deer Valley talks with Spa Executive about future plans and reaching for that Fifth Forbes Star. ST. REGIS DEER VALLEY’S BENJAMIN DONAT ON FUTURE PLANS & FIVE STAR GOALS Park City, Utah’s St. Regis Deer Valley is one of the world’s most luxurious mountain resorts. Featuring design that echoes the beauty of its location amidst the picturesque Wasatch Mountains, in winter, the resort offers convenient ski-in/ski-out access with a private ski valet, and in warmer months, guests enjoy mountain biking and hiking. In July, 2020, Benjamin Donat took the reins as Spa Director at the resort’s Remède Spa, an incredible 14,000-square-foot facility with 11 sophisticated treatment rooms and Four Forbes Stars. Remède’s certified spa therapists offer a full suite of body treatments combining ancient healing arts with modern techniques and high-quality products in a soothing atmosphere dedicated to relaxation and tranquility, enhanced by water-inspired amenities. In the few months he’s been on the job, Donat has been setting a high bar and working to create an exceptional experience for every guest, providing superlative treatments and successfully incorporating a vision of the increasing importance of self-care. We spoke with Mr. Donat about his plans for the Remède Spa and reaching for that 5th Forbes Star. June 2021 Issue • p. 9
Talk about your spa at the St. Regis Deer Valley and some of the things that make it unique. We are an 11-room spa in the mountains and our experience changes with the seasons. In the winter, we are super busy because of skiing and, in the summer, there is amazing mountain biking and hiking. Our staff has to be very well versed in adjusting to the sport that the guests are doing. We all have to be very aware of our guests’ needs. We offer morning yoga on the weekends for our guests to start the day on a healthy note, maybe make them get up a little bit early and do something for body and mind, and then start the day fresh with a nice breakfast or a visit to the spa. Tell us about your career background. I’m from Germany. My background is as a sports scientist and I moved into hospitality. My first job in the industry was at the Hotel Erbprinz, in Germany, a long-time luxury establishment that opened in 1788. That’s how I learned old-school luxury and how to take care of guests. I moved to the United States and worked for MGM Grand and then ARIA Resort & Casino. I had to reinvent myself a bit in the US and learn to understand the American way of looking at spa. In Europe, there is more of a focus on the amenities, rather than the treatment, to give the guests reasons to stay all day or just come for a spa day without even booking a treatment. In America the treatment is the focus, and the locker room can sometimes be an afterthought or regarded as not as important. Though I do see a bit of a shift here towards the European way lately. I think my experience with the European way helped the ARIA, in small parts, to achieve its Forbes Five- Star rating. I then worked for Choctaw in Oklahoma and the Ritz-Carlton New Orleans. Now I have the chance to prove myself at the St. Regis. We’re currently fighting for our Fifth Forbes star. If we become a Five-Star spa we will be the first Five-Spa department in the hotel, so that would be a big achievement for my team. We are just trying to be better every day. What changes or extra efforts are you making for that? I’ve gone through our past Forbes reviews to see what opportunities are in there for improvement. We’re trying to upgrade and tweak everything a little bit, like ensuring that the linen is luxurious. We have new, lighter weight towels that will save thousands of gallons of water during washing but are higher luxury than our old towels. Also, how do we greet the guests and how can we elevate that guest experience? We start every Spa visit with a Wellness Shot and end every treatment with a Beauty Shot. We’re working on keeping track of guest information for the massage therapists. If the guest has had a birthday, for example, we can greet that person with a ‘happy birthday,’ and say ‘we have something ready for you to check out.’ We are focusing on the little things. June 2021 Issue • p. 10
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