In conversation with Teresa O’Farrell, Global Head of Wellness & Spa, Dorchester Collection (Exclusive Interview)

What inspired you to pursue a career in wellness? Why luxury hospitality?

I have always had a genuine interest in health and wellbeing along with wanting to help others feel better and improve the quality of their lives. I originally trained as a beauty therapist and enjoyed delivering treatments for many years. You could never underestimate the transformation for both the physical and emotional impact which a beauty treatment provides for someone, it was a truly humbling and inspiring experience for me. I decided later in my career to enter the wider world of hospitality so that I could become part of the luxury spa environment and further develop my career in this sector. I was attracted to the luxury market to be able to provide the very best guest experiences.

Tell us more about your present role at the Dorchester Collection?

I currently have a dual role as Global Head of Wellness and Spa for Dorchester Collection as well as being the Spa Director at Coworth Park. In my Global role I initiate and implement new spa and wellness activations across the collection. This year we launched the Wellness menu across all of our hotels. The wellness menu is an in-room dining menu that focuses on offering healthy and nutritious food and drinks to all hotel guests. At each hotel I worked with the very talented executive chefs and food and beverage teams to create something unique for each location that was inspired by the pillars of wellness. It has been really well received by our guests who have provided very positive feedback.

Which are the latest trends in luxury Spa? To what extent customers prefer organic / natural brands versus cosmetology brands? 

We have seen a trend in luxury spas creating unique and immersive experiences, such as outdoor treatments and facilities; new thermal areas within the spa and outdoors; spa days focused around wellness, or incorporating local cultural elements or workshops and themed events into their services.

Personalised and tailored experiences are becoming increasingly popular and more spas are offering bespoke treatments based on individual preferences and health goals. We have seen an increase in demand in recent years for organic and sustainable brands as the consumer is much more focused on what they are putting onto their skin as much as what they are putting into their body through their diet.

We work with several natural brands in our spas across the collection. In the UK we offer ishga treatments known for their result driven organic skincare produced from hand harvested seaweed from the clear waters of the outer Hebrides.  We also offer Made for Life organics, who won a Kings sustainable enterprise award this year. We offer treatments from high end cosmeceutical brands.

Often well-known cosmetology brands are recognised for their continuous development of new and exciting products and treatments with proven successful formulations that bring consumer confidence and trust. The beauty and wellness industry is constantly evolving and consumers have an ever growing interest in new product formulations and technologies. It is really important to work with brands who have this at the forefront of their future strategies so that you can offer treatments and products that meet with the consumers expectations.

How has the Spa industry evolved? Is there more use of technology? 

The spa industry has been providing wellness for many years. You only have to look back to the original health farms in the UK back 30/40 years ago. They were already providing spa treatments, extensive holistic practises, offered various thermal experiences as well as providing nutritional advice and encouraging movement and exercise. Even back in Roman times there were communal baths and other thermal experiences and people enjoyed the many benefits these brought to the community. 

In recent years we have seen a shift in the consumer understanding that wellness is not a luxury it is a necessity to maintain good health from a physical, mental and spiritual perspective for the long term investment in their overall health and wellbeing. More focus and information is available and therefore the consumer is more educated on the benefits of the services and facilities that the spa has to offer. Technology is more widely used as part of the spa experiences and certainly brings a different type of offering to the guest as well as the opportunity to integrate technology into various treatments for enhanced benefits.

Have the expectations of customers changed? To what extent do they seek instant results? 

Overall I do believe that the expectations of the consumer have changed, A key factor being that we have seen the rise of social media, influencers and online platforms that are now used as a key driver for promoting spa and beauty treatments, skincare products, make-up and various skin technology trends and the consumer has immediate access to this information. There are many different types of beauty treatments available both invasive and non-invasive and they are very easy to obtain as many high street salons as well as spas now provide these additional services.

There have also been a lot of technological advancement in terms of laser therapies; LED light therapy; micro-current and microdermabrasion as well as other high tech solutions and these provide quick and often instant results. There is a demand amongst the consumers who expect treatments that can be delivered immediately and provide the instant and visible results they desire. I think this along with the demand for personalisation and tailored treatments has led to a shift towards treatments that deliver instant results. Massage still remains our top performing spa treatment across the collection due to the many holistic benefits this provides to the consumer. 

How do you adapt the Spa offering for each individual Dorchester Collection property? 

Dorchester Collection is a unique collection of legendary and luxury hotels. Across the spas within the collection we strive to deliver exceptional guest-centric treatments that are driven by our high standards of operation. Our spa treatments and experiences are tailored to the personality of the hotel and culture of the area it resides within. This allows each spa to incorporate local traditions and resources creating a sense of place and emotion.

We have two DIOR spas in the collection at Plaza Athenee in Paris and The Lana Dubai, our recently opened hotel in Dubai. The partnership with Dior aligns perfectly in these properties and is a collaboration that we are very proud of. We worked with Dior to create beautiful treatment menus that provide results driven high end treatments as well as being tailored towards the local environment. Across our other spas it is important to us that we work with brands and offer treatments that also consider the local culture and values and deliver the desired results. 

What about talent? Many luxury hotels around the world are challenged by staffing.

In recent years the hospitality sector has been challenged with recruiting and retaining staff as we do not have the same amount of talent available for various reasons. It is the same within the spa industry which is also challenged by staffing issues, particularly with finding good spa therapists who have the relevant qualifications, skill-set and experience to be able to deliver a wide range of exceptional spa treatments. At Dorchester Collection we do retain talent longer than the industry average however that said it is important that we continue to invest in our future talent and pipeline.

Last year in the UK we introduced a spa apprenticeship scheme partnering with Armonia academy and we currently have three team members on this training programme. I personally think that this is a good way forward for us and in general across the spa industry as the apprentice is able to work within the business during the time they are training. This allows us to support them and provide additional training which will enhance their knowledge and prepare them for working in the luxury sector when they have graduated from their course.

The course content for the apprenticeship is very comprehensive and therefore the skill-set of a fully qualified apprentice meets with the current demands of the business. This year Dorchester Collection were very proud to be listed in the Sunday Times Top 100 Best places to Work list for 2024 due to our commitment to continuous learning.

Tell us more about your view on detox, sleep therapies, weight loss etc. How can these be achieved at the Dorchester Collection hotels? (ex. dining, aromatherapy etc)

At Dorchester Collection we personalise each individual experience and cater for our guests needs. We have a team of talented therapists who can personalise a treatment by using select oils and products to enhance a feeling of deep relaxation, promoting a good night’s sleep. The wellness menu is available as an in-room dining option and offers a range of healthy food and beverage options for those guests who are more interested in a wellness focused diet. We are also currently developing a sleep and recovery programme which will be available in our hotels soon.

How do you ensure you achieve and maintain consistency in service at your Spas? 

Training and development at Dorchester Collection is an integral part of the employee experience. Following an extensive on-boarding programme we also have daily/weekly ongoing training in the spa so that we can help the team to retain and further develop their knowledge. As a company we have learning and development teams at each property and employees follow the DC training programme so that we as a company maintain our brand luxury standards. We are very fortunate to have our own training academy led by Beth Aarons who designs and implements the training for the collection.

What inspires you most in your every day job?

The key thing which drives me personally in my job is the ability to make a positive difference to people’s lives and working in luxury hospitality gives me the opportunity to reach a really wide audience. Firstly with the overall guest experience, we have the ability to make a guest’s stay with us truly memorable and very special. When a guest chooses to stay with us they are trusting that we will look after their every need.

We are always striving to think of new and innovative ways that we can delight and surprise our guests. I have always had a passion for working with people and I really enjoy meeting, engaging and leading the various spa teams and departments across our hotels. It is so interesting, rewarding and fulfilling as well as so much fun learning from each other and I really value time spent with each individual and the insight into the local culture and environment.

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