SPA PEOPLE
by Jane Kitchen, managing editor, Spa Business
spa people We find that people want to connect through wellness – we call it ‘intelligent socialising’ Niamh O’Connell, group vice president, guest experience and wellness, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts
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The Rosewood Hong Kong is set to open in 2018, and will be the first city spa for Asaya
Wellness is becoming more significant in our day-to-day lives, in the ways we work, eat, sleep and socialise 22 spabusiness.com issue 1 2017
©CYBERTREK 2017
t the end of last year, Rosewood Hotels announced two significant spa and wellness developments: a new integrative wellness concept called Asaya, and a new group vice president of guest experience and wellness, Niamh O’Connell. Formerly director of spa operations and development for Hyatt, O’Connell is a veteran of the spa industry who has also worked in operations for ESPA. It’s under her direction that Rosewood has developed Asaya – a new spa concept for the brand that will make its debut at the upcoming Rosewood Phuket when it opens later this year, and at the Rosewood Hong Kong in 2018. Asaya is rooted in a belief of self-acceptance and self-discovery, fusing complementary therapies, lifestyle and nutrition coaching with educational wellness programming, fitness activities and specialised healing. Spa treatments will be delivered using authentic ingredients, while “thoughtful” design will include social spaces, as well as areas dedicated to relaxation, reflection and fitness. “Consciously and unconsciously, wellness is becoming more significant in our day-to-day lives – in the ways we work, eat, sleep and socialise,” says O’Connell. “Asaya is designed to assist guests in recognising areas of their lives
Formerly director of spa operations for Hyatt, O’Connell has directed Rosewood’s new spa concept, Asaya
they’d like to change and then providing the tools and support they need to make these changes – whether through complementary therapies, fitness activities, or authentic healing treatments. Ultimately this process enables people to adopt an enhanced lifestyle and have a more complete sense of self-acceptance.” In keeping with Rosewood’s ‘A Sense of Place’ guiding concept, treatments will be strongly rooted in the local culture, featuring recipes from native experts as well as indigenous and natural ingredients. “We want to offer treatments that speak to the location in a very authentic and impactful way,” says O’Connell.