Spa Executive October 2022

ISSUE #40 OCTOBER 2022
SPA EXECUTIVE
FOR LEADERS IN THE BUSINESS OF WELLNESS
Spotlight:
Four Seasons’ Christelle Besnier on what makes an
effective spa director and a great guest experience
Management:
7 signs you shouldn’t hire someone at your spa
Advice:
Help! My hours have been cut while a newer
employee has more hours than me
Feature:
Wellness trend: talking menopause
and perimenopause

PUBLISHER
Roger Sholanki
EDITOR, CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Elizabeth Bromstein
DESIGNER
Design Pickle
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR,
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Sal Capizzi
Note from the Publisher
Dear readers,
As 2022 enters the fourth quarter, it’s time to start looking forward to what will be happening
in our industry in the next year. This means looking at the spa and wellness trends looming
on the horizon. There are those who don’t like the word “trends” and who shy away from
making predictions about what the future holds. We at Spa Executive are not among them.
We might not be right all of the time, but our batting average is actually pretty impressive, and
it’s fun!
So, in this issue we’re looking at something almost everyone is talking about lately - women’s
health and menopause. It’s refreshing to see people finally paying attention to something
that, until recently, almost nobody talked about, despite the fact that half the global
population will go through it during their lives and that many will suffer debilitating and life
altering symptoms. Better late than never.
For our spotlight interview, we also spoke with Four Seasons’ Senior Spa Director, Middle East
and Africa, Christelle Besnier, about what she’s excited about in the industry. Besnier told us
that, “post Covid, we see that wellness is so recognizable everywhere, like wellness at work.
Everyone wants to start their fitness goals again. The development of wellness programs is to
me quite important. I hope to see a new reality after Covid that some behaviors will change.
I am really looking forward to see how the near future will translate wellness and how we will
be the artisans of wellbeing and living well.”
We also take a look inside one of Ms. Besnier’s spas, The Pearl Spa & Wellness at Four
Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi, as our featured property, and cover the topic of signs you
shouldn’t hire someone to work at your spa.
Spa Executive
Spa Executive is Book4Time’s
magazine for leaders in the
business of wellness. News,
views, and interviews for those
who want to attract top talent,
increase customer retention,
and offer the best possible
guest experience.
And in our popular new advice column, Sal Capizzi, answers a reader question asking about
what to do when their spa hours have been cut while a newer employee has more hours
than they do. If you have a question about managing staff, operations, or anything else you
want to know (challenge him!) send it to Sal at scapizzi@spaexecutive.com.
I hope you enjoy reading this month’s articles in Spa Executive and they provide valuable
information to help you achieve success.
Roger Sholanki,
CEO,
Book4Time

Contents
October 2022 Volume 40
4
NEWS:
Wellness trend: talking
menopause and perimenopause
7
MANAGEMENT:
Dear Sal, help! My hours have
been cut while a newer employee
has more hours than me
9
FEATURE:
The CARING checklist for spa,
wellness & hospitality
13
FEATURED PROPERTY:
The Pearl Spa & Wellness at Four
Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi
16
MANAGEMENT:
7 signs you shouldn’t hire someone
at your spa
18
SPOTLIGHT:
Four Seasons’ Christelle Besnier
on what makes an effective
spa director and a great
guest experience
20
NEWS:
Wellness trend: ketamine

News
Wellness
trend: talking
menopause and
perimenpause
Empowered and emboldened by numbers,
social media, and celebrity voices, women
are talking openly about the previously taboo
topics of menopause & perimenopause.
Half the global population will go through
menopause during their lives. And yet, until
recently, nobody talked about it, a mind
blowing reality, considering the debilitating
and confusing symptoms that can
accompany these life changing events. There
are dozens of these symptoms that include
but aren’t limited to:
Bloating
Weight gain
Constipation
Digestive issues
Migraines
Non-migraine headaches
Short-term memory loss
Brain fog
Night sweats
Chills
Heart palpitations
Hair loss
Bone loss
Mood swings
Depression
Itchy skin
Dry skin
Joint pain
Back pain
Sleep problems
Fatigue
Urinary incontinence
Reduced sex drive
Doctors didn’t even recognize perimenopause as
a real thing
The list goes on, yet women have been
suffering in virtual silence as the only
recognition menopause got, until recently,
was either as a source of humor or in
whispered tones accompanied by winks
or eye rolls (there’s a good Los Angeles
Times article about all this here). Women
were too embarrassed to ask questions
and seek relief for a variety of reasons that
include shame over getting older and men’s
discomfort with the topic.
Some doctors barely recognized
perimenopause (the symptoms caused
by changing hormones in the 5-10 years
leading up to the menopause) as a real thing
until recently, and sufferers are still often
told the symptoms are all in our heads.
People – many of them women – are waking up
to the potential revenue in the menopause and
perimenopause market
Well, the tides have changed. Women
empowered and emboldened by numbers,
social media, and celebrity voices have
started to talk and look for answers.
Moreover, people – many of them women
– are waking up to the potential revenue in
the menopause and perimenopause market.
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Takes on the topic differ. Courteney Cox
recently made an update to the 1985
Tampax commercial in which the American
actress became the first person to use the
word “period” in a national ad (we have been
afraid of these topics for a long time). In the
new version, which Cox, now 58 , posted on
Instagram, she wears an almost identical
outfit to the one she wore in the eighties
and riffs on the same lines she
said all those years ago, this time talking
about menopause.
Not all women agree that there is “nothing”
good about menopause
Not all women agree that there is “nothing”
good about menopause. For some, the end
of periods and fertility can be a blessing, but
it’s still a struggle.
Australian actress, Naomi Watts, meanwhile,
is launching a “menopausal wellness brand”
called Stripes, in partnership with Amyris.
Watts wrote in an Instagram post:
“When I was in my late 30s, I was finally ready
to start thinking about creating a family. Then
the M word swiftly blew my doors down, it felt
like a head-on collision with a Mack truck.
“How could I figure this out when no one
was talking? I was earlier to it than my peers.
My mentors and mum didn’t seem up for
discussing it, I didn’t know how to ask for
help and they didn’t know how to provide….
even doctors had little to say. It’s oddly like
an unwritten code of silence: women should
suck it up and cope, because that’s how
generations passed have done it.
Replacing the words, “Tampax can change
the way you feel about your period,” she
says, “Menopause can change the way
you feel about getting older,” adding,
“Menopause will eat you alive. It’s horrible.
Nothing else can do that,” and “Plus, you get
the added bonus of drier skin, and getting
bald patches.”
She closes with “Remember—there is
nothing good about menopause. It can
actually change the way you feel about
getting older.”
“I think it’s time to see women in this phase
of life or this age group be well represented.
We’ve been under-served in media, stories and
marketing far too long.”
And Stacy London, former host of TLC’s What
Not to Wear and current CEO of State of
Menopause, a company to help people “feel
their best during menopause,” is hosting the
first Menopause CEO Summit in New York
City this fall on October 18, which is World
Menopause Day.
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Womeness offers solutions for symptoms like dry skin, low libido, and hot flashes that include a
Menopause Survival Kit and a Sexual Wellness Kit
Forbes reported that speaking at the
conference are leaders in “the up-and-coming
field of menopause health.” The companies
helmed by these leaders all offer some kind
of menopause wellness solution. They include
Womaness, a company offering solutions for
symptoms like dry skin, low libido, and hot
flashes that include a Menopause Survival Kit
and a Sexual Wellness Kit. And Evernow, a
start-up offering prescriptions and sciencebacked
solutions for menopausal and
perimenopausal women. Investors include
Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz. Another
example is Thermaband, a wearable device
that automatically detects body temperature
and delivers battery-powered cooling or
warming based on the wearer’s needs.
A wellness movement has been born. Expect
it to flourish as this formerly underserved
market gains traction and more of the
industry catches on.
Better late than never.
Thermaband is a wearable device that automatically detects body temperature and delivers batterypowered
cooling or warming based on the wearer’s needs.
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| Spa Executive

Dear Sal, help! My hours have been cut while
a newer employee has more hours than me
Sal Capizzi, Marketing Director at Book4Time
and a former Director of Spa and Wellness
at NEXUS Luxury Collection, shares his expert
insight into your reader questions.
Send your queries about managing staff,
operations, and anything else you want to know
(challenge him!) to scapizzi@spaexecutive.com.
Q. Hello, Sal.
I have been happily working at my hotelresort
spa for one and a half years as a spa
coordinator. My manager has informed all of
us that our hours would be cut because of
this slow time.
I was hired full-time before the newest parttime
coordinator, yet she has more hours
than I have weekly. I really enjoy my career
and do not know what to do or who to turn
to about this unfair amount of hours that has
been given to me. Please advise me.
at a resort that is highly dependent on travel
demand.
My first thought would be to have a
discussion with your boss to learn the hard
facts. I would be curious to know if this
happened last year as well, I know you had
mentioned you have been with this brand for
a year and a half. Do they have a slow season
each year or was this a one-off decision?
Nonetheless, frustrating because you may
have a family to take care of or other people
depending on you.
Thank you.
A. Hello,
First and foremost I am sorry your hours have
been reduced. The past couple of years in
the spa and wellness industry have been a
bit volatile for everyone from management
to practitioners, especially if you are working
I would schedule a time to meet your
manager and ask questions like: How long do
they anticipate this “slow period?” If it is an
annual occurrence, why wasn’t it mentioned
to you when you were hired? Is this solely
based on the slow period and not because
of performance related issues? But also tune
into what your gut is telling you. Have you
noticed a change in foot traffic? Does the spa
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| Spa Executive

seem slower? If yes, then budgeting in that
department is definitely coming into play
and that’s never easy for anybody from the
messenger to the recipient.
But this isn’t the end of the world. The
majority of people in the industry are wearing
many hats right now. Do you see yourself in
a management position in the future? Now
may be a great time to segue. Let your boss,
and their boss know that you are interested
in picking up additional hours across other
departments if possible. Highlight your
strengths and the transferable skills you
have learned in this department and from
the brand itself to showcase your worth.
Hopefully they see that you’re eager to not
only learn more but your commitment to stay
with this brand.
I do hope this helps and that they have
additional opportunities for you before the
spa needs you back full time again.
Sometimes all hands are tied when it comes
to certain things and it may be time to see
yourself at another brand or even begin
passively or actively looking for another
opportunity you are interested in. It’s always
tough to make that call especially when you
love what you do and the co-workers with
whom you have spent the past year and a
half building relationships. But if it comes to
that point, you should rest easier knowing
that you put your best foot forward and
opened yourself up to your boss and the
company by expressing that you wanted to
learn more and take on more with them!
Good luck!
Sal.
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| Spa Executive

The CARING checklist for spa,
wellness & hospitality
There are some common best practices for spa,
wellness & hospitality success. We’re outlining
those practices here. Together, they make up
the acronym “CARING.”
As we head into 2023, wellness is seeing
a surge in interest and people are eager
to travel. There are heightened desires for
sustainable health and wellness practices,
human contact, and new experiences. We
are living in an incredible time for those
who are ready to take advantage of this
interest and prepared to devote themselves
to business success and applying the
lessons we’ve learned over the last
few years.
There are some common best practices
that will help your spa, wellness, and/or
hospitality business thrive in the next
year and beyond. We’re outlining those
practices here. Together, they make up the
acronym “CARING.”
Communication
Adaptability/Agility
Resilience
Innovation
Network building
Gratitude
Read on to learn why taking a CARING
approach to your business will set you up
for success in the coming year and beyond.
Communication
Communication between everyone
at your organization will always bring
success. When setting your goals and KPIs,
communicating these goals, and how you
plan to achieve them, to stakeholders
is key.
Everyone at your company should be
aligned and working together towards
common objectives. Your software
should allow you to stay connected to
each other, to track KPIs, and facilitate
performance management. The information
gathered from your software’s reporting
dashboard should serve as a facilitator for
communication between you and both your
team and the people to whom you answer.
Additionally, communication with guests
is key to elevating the guest experience
and building and maintaining relationships.
Effectively communicating what you have
to offer and keeping the lines open is what
will keep guests coming back and help the
relationship grow.
A good communicator is first and foremost
a good listener. Listening to guest needs –
which includes listening for things that are
unsaid – allows you to meet and exceed
those needs. This is where recording guest
information in your spa software system
comes in. A guest should never have to tell
you something important more than once.
Having to repeat oneself is a sure sign that
the other party is not listening.
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| Spa Executive

Adaptability/Agility
Adaptability is the ability to adjust to
change and new conditions. Every business
has to navigate uncertainty and unexpected
disruption, and we can only plan for what
we can envision. It’s the disruptions we
can’t envision that are the true tests of our
adaptability. Something business leaders
learned over the past few years is that
disruption is impossible to predict. That’s
what makes it disruptive.
The result of adaptability is agility. An agile
company is a business that can adapt
quickly to market changes.
Hospitality was one of the hardest hit
sectors in the world during the recent
upheaval we experienced during the
COVID-19 pandemic.. It was agile
businesses that fared the best, those that
were flexible and that made the effort to
pivot and try new things, started offering
online classes and connecting with guests
virtually, introduced touchless therapies
and contactless experiences, leveraged
retail, and showed courage and creativity.
Becoming an agile company means hiring
flexible, creative teams with multiple
talents, open minds, and a willingness to
learn. It also requires leadership that is
always willing to learn and look for ways to
apply those learnings.
Resilience
An article in the Harvard Business Review
(HBR) defines resilience as “a company’s
capacity to absorb stress, recover
critical functionality, and thrive in altered
circumstances.”
We’ve recently become aware of how
important resilience is, and many business
leaders have resolved to increase the
resiliency of their organizations. However,
the HBR article points out, “very few
companies are able to explicitly design for,
measure, and manage resilience.”
Fortunately, there are principles of longlasting
systems one can implement to
structure an organization for resilience.
These include diversity, which means
employing people from diverse
backgrounds and with diverse skill sets, and
creating an environment that encourages
diverse ways of thinking. This helps beget
an array of innovative responses to
problems, which can protect against failure
and collapse. Diversity can also mean
offering a diverse array of menu options
beyond the traditional one-to-one, handson
treatment with a therapist. And it can
mean diversifying revenue streams, so that
you are not at risk of collapse if you lose
just one stream. Diverse revenue streams
can include gift cards, memberships, and
subscription services.
Building ecosystems within, and outside
of, your organization – with vendors,
suppliers, and even partnering with other
businesses – can help create resilience
when more standalone businesses are
more vulnerable.
Resilience also requires prudence, humility,
forward thinking, adaptability, collaboration,
and more. Devote yourself to becoming
resilient. There’s no guarantee of survival
but creating a resilient organization
will help.
Innovation
Innovation is always valuable and necessary
and is an important part of business success
in any industry. It is the process or act of
introducing new ideas, approaches, concepts,
products, and processes.
Until very recently, the spa and wellness
sectors had been somewhat overly steeped
in traditionalism for many years, as has
been noted more than once by industry
leaders. There was resistance to change
and a reluctance to embrace technology
and innovation. This is less the case since
the COVID-19 pandemic forced global
industries to accelerate technological
advancement to the rate of decades in
days. Now, more people understand the
importance of innovation.
As we move forward as an industry post
COVID pandemic, there will be more
disruption and further technological
advancement. Biogenetic testing,
bioengineering, robotics, virtual and
augmented reality, nanotech, AI, wearables,
and software may all contribute to massive
change in the industry over the next
decade. Businesses with the wherewithal
to innovate along with these and other
technologies will thrive.
Innovation can be as simple as finding
new ways to package and offer existing
experiences. We might find whole new
offerings in new available technologies,
or find ways to integrate new tech into
existing services.
Network building
As mentioned above, networks and
ecosystems will help safeguard against
disruption and also help grow revenue in
the new era. It’s much more difficult to thrive
alone than it is to thrive within an active
network, the components of which rely on
each other for survival.
Your network includes your guests, with
10 | Spa Executive

whom you are obviously already working
to build relationships. It also includes your
guests’ connections, including colleagues,
friends, and family. With your existing
customers as your ambassadors, their
referrals should make up a significant portion
of your new customers. The same thing
applies to your team members, who are also
part of your network. Their referrals should
be helping you find new talent.
Your network includes the other departments
at your organization, if your spa is a part of
a hotel or resort. Integrating departments
will help things run more efficiently and
successfully than working in silos. Your
network includes businesses with which you
partner, and it includes your visiting experts.
Each of these elements of your network
should be nurtured and maintained.
Networks can also refer to your internal
systems and integrations, working together to
create a seamless guest experience. Online
and mobile booking, contactless check-in and
check-out, and integrated payment systems
all help create that experience.
Gratitude
The importance of gratitude can be
overplayed in self-help circles, but it’s often
underplayed in business. The power of
saying “thank you” can go a long way towards
building successful businesses.
Research on gratitude has reportedly
exploded over the past 20 years and studies
of gratitude at work have linked it to “more
positive emotions, less stress and fewer
health complaints, a greater sense that we
can achieve our goals, fewer sick days, and
higher satisfaction with our jobs and our
coworkers.” According to Berkeley’s Greater
Good Magazine, “evidence suggests that
gratitude and appreciation contribute to
the kind of workplace environments where
employees actually want to come to work and
don’t feel like cogs in a machine.”
You need your team to love where they work
in order to provide the best guest experience.
But that gratitude has to be genuine.
“[Gratitude is] going to make your business
more profitable, you’re going to be more
effective, your employees will be more
engaged—but if that’s the only reason you’re
doing it, your employees are going to think
you’re using them,” Steve Foran, founder of
the program Gratitude at Work, is quoted as
saying. “You have to genuinely want the best
for your people.”
Gratitude at Work also cites research findings
that 81% of people would work harder for a
grateful boss and that the top reason people
leave their jobs is because they don’t feel
appreciated.
You want your customers to feel valued and
appreciated, and the surest way to convey
this appreciation is to say “thank you.” —
“Thank you for your business,” “Thank you
for referring a friend,” “Thank you for being a
wonderful guest…”
Gratitude that your business has made it this
far will help you make it even further.
Say “thank you.” Say it loudly and often.
Apply the CARING approach to your
hospitality, spa, or wellness business and
let us know if you see the results! To learn
more about Book4Time and how our leading
software can help your spa business thrive,
visit www.book4time.com.
11 | Spa Executive

ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT THE
SPA & WELLNESS INDUSTRY & DO
YOU LOVE TECHNOLOGY?
COME WORK FOR US.
Book4Time is the global leader in spa, wellness, and leisure activity management software for the hospitality market. Our SaaS
platform manages the end-to-end guest experience and back-office operations for some of the world’s top hotels, resorts, casinos,
and private clubs in more than 85 countries.
Book4Time is experiencing rapid growth and is hiring experienced professionals in a number of key roles including:
Customer
Success
Software
Development
Marketing
Product
Management
Sales
If you thrive on innovation and are you looking for a compelling career
opportunity, view our current openings
@ https://book4time.com/careers/
We look forward to working with you!

Featured property:
The Pearl Spa & Wellness at Four
Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi
The Pearl Spa & Wellness at Four Seasons
Hotel Abu Dhabi is designed to embrace guests
and cater to every facet of wellbeing with
experiences formulated to help you “find your
inner pearl.”
The Pearl Spa & Wellness at Four Seasons
Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island occupies
two floors and spans over 21,500 square
feet. The spa has eight treatment rooms, a
beautiful relaxation area, wet facilities, a co-ed
fitness center and a women’s-only gym. Each
treatment room includes soft sheets and a
private shower while a large couple’s suite
includes a Jacuzzi for two.
The space is designed to embrace guests
and cater to every facet of wellbeing with
experiences formulated to help you “find your
inner pearl.” Senior Spa Director, Middle East
and Africa, for Four Seasons Hotels, Christelle
Besnier, who is our Spotlight interview for
this month, describes the spa as “traditional,”
explaining that “You feel the culture of the
Middle East,” when visiting.
Each of the Four Seasons Pearl Spas has
a signature oil with special scents that are
blended and sourced locally. Besnier told us,
“In Abu Dhabi, we have za’atar, white fig, and
white tea. It’s very warm. You really feel the
Middle East when you have your massage.”
The Four Seasons brand is known for the
highest standard of guest experience and the
spa’s immersive environment delivers with
exquisite treatments and high-quality brands.
Unwind in a relaxation room with Jing teas
and auto-adjusting beds, enjoy a romantic
massage in the couple’s suite, or try the
only heated quartz sand table in Abu Dhabi,
which is said to help increase relaxation and
alleviate pain.
Every detail of The Pearl Spa & Wellness
brings you the essence of the UAE’s rich
traditions, from the design of the spa to the
therapies themselves. And with decades
of experience and passion, the team of
international therapists have guests in
expert hands.
Stand out menu items include:
MEMORIES OF ARABIA
“Begin your authentic beautifying ritual with
a full body coffee exfoliation. Allow the rich
emollient oils of camel milk and the warm
aromas of honey to envelop your body. A
traditional deeply nourishing hair treatment
concludes the experience leaving your skin
rejuvenated and nourished.”
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ARABIAN OUD TENSION RELIEF MASSAGE
“A combination of deep tissue, Swedish,
lymphatic drainage and acupressure points will
release deep seated tension from the body. This
specialized full body massage together with
the benefits of Oud will stimulate circulation,
remove accumulated toxins and relieve
water retention.”
THE PEARL SPA SIGNATURE MASSAGE
“Enjoy an exclusive massage experience by
customizing your time and therapist’s touch
using a blend of our signature UAE Spa
collection oils and massage techniques. A
personal consultation will ensure that you
receive a unique treatment to suit your
wellness needs.”
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BOOK ONLINE,
PAY ONLINE,
SKIP THE LINE
Enjoy the contact-less experience.

7 signs you
shouldn’t hire
someone at
your spa
When interviewing a new potential hire for
your spa, there are some red flags you should
not ignore. Here are some signs you shouldn’t
hire someone at your spa.
When interviewing a new potential team
member for your spa, there are some red
flags you should not ignore.
The staffing situation is always difficult
in this industry and that can sometimes
lead people to ignore the signs that
someone might not be a good hire. This
is understandable, but can lead to bigger
problems, because hiring a bad employee
can cost you more in the long run than not
hiring anyone at all. You don’t just want to fill
a role. You want to fill it with someone who
is reliable, professional, and personable,
and who will maintain or surpass your high
customer experience standards. You want to
fill it with someone you won’t have to replace
in three months.
This isn’t always easy and we can’t always
get what we want. What you can do is take
note of red flags and weigh them against the
job candidate’s skills, experience, and other
qualities – and make the most appropriate
decision based on all available information.
Some small issues may be possible to deal
with in training and onboarding, while others
may not.
Here are some signs you shouldn’t hire
someone at your spa, or at least that you
should take a closer look before hiring.
They’re late to the interview
This applies to all industries to varying
degrees, but you really need your spa team
members to be on point. They have a lot to
stay on top of when providing services and
treatments: schedules, cleaning, sanitation,
customer notes and information, sales… you
therefore want to hire people who can stay
on their game. This means, at the very least,
showing up on time to the interview. The
job interview is when people are on their
best behavior – it’s not going to get better
from there. So, if they’re late to the interview
(unless they got hit by a car or lightning or
something), they’re likely to be late later.
They are otherwise unprepared
Spa workers need to be the sort of people
who like to be prepared – maybe even
overprepared. It’s not just about preparing
the room and staying on top of stocking
and cleaning. It’s also about familiarizing
themselves with the customer information
before the guest arrives at the spa and
readying everything required to personalize
that experience and make it as amazing as
possible. Showing up prepared shows you
care. Your job candidate should come to the
interview knowing about your spa and what
makes it special and unique. If the spa is
part of a hotel or resort, they should be able
to tell you why they want to work there. They
16 | Spa Executive

should have prepared questions to ask and
have ready answers to your questions.
They trash talk their former employer
or colleagues
No job candidate should ever speak
negatively about a former employer or
colleague, regardless what their experience
was at another job. This is a bad sign for a
few reasons. One is that it’s a potential sign
that the person tends to blame others and
doesn’t take responsibility for their own
mistakes or behavior. It’s also a potential
sign of a gossip who lacks discretion and
solid judgment, and who may talk behind the
backs of their colleagues, customers, and
managers (which might be you) in future.
Even if there is reason for a true grievance
with another person, diplomacy is key.
They show a lack of humility and empathy
Your spa service providers and front desk
team should have the ability to connect with
people, and the interpersonal skills required
to do that include humility and empathy.
These skills are demonstrated in many ways,
most of which are simple and obvious, like
listening. You can often tell when a person
is actively listening rather than just waiting
to talk, because they respond to what you
are saying and ask appropriate follow-up
questions. And you can tell something about
whether a person shows empathy by the
way they treat others around them who are
not in a position to help them or advance
their career – so, anyone who is not doing
the hiring, for example, like a
desk staff member. You can find job
interview questions you can ask to assess
empathy here:
Tepid references
Don’t skip the reference checking, and pay
attention to what people say – while also
17 | Spa Executive
paying attention to what they don’t say.
In some places, like Canada for example,
former employers will almost never say
anything outright negative about a former
employee. While it’s not illegal to give a bad
reference (in Canada) it can open you up to
a defamation lawsuit and nobody wants to
risk that. They might therefore confirm that
a person worked there but not say much
else. You may be able to ask if the person is
eligible for rehiring and they can tell you that
the person is or is not eligible. Obviously,
anything other than a glowing review should
be cause for pause.
They think they know everything
Arrogance is a bad sign in a spa employee,
because the ability to adjust and adapt to
each guest and learn from one’s everyday
experience is key. A good employee is
always learning and growing, and continues
to do so throughout their career. If someone
appears resistant to the idea of training and
ongoing learning, they will likely eventually
stagnate in their role. Look for an eagerness
to learn and a curiosity about the world of
wellness, the world in general, and your
own experience.
Your gut tells you something is off
Listen to your gut. It might know something
you don’t. Research findings suggest that
there’s a neurological basis for intuition or
“gut feelings.” Scientists call the stomach the
“second brain” and in it, there is a neural
network of 100 million neurons lining the
digestive tract.
According to HBR, when your brain works
in tandem with your gut it can assess
“your memories, past learnings, personal
needs, and preferences,” and make the
wisest decision given the context. “In this
way, intuition is a form of emotional and
experiential data that leaders need to value.”
CEOs of major corporations often credit
their success to this intuition.
That doesn’t mean your gut can’t be wrong.
But if it’s telling you something is off, pay
attention to that message.
Also pay attention to these signs you
shouldn’t hire someone at your spa. They
might not be 100% dealbreakers but
they are indications you should take
another look.

Four Seasons’ Christelle Besnier on what
makes an effective spa director and a great
guest experience
Four Seasons’ Senior Spa Director, Middle East
and Africa, Christelle Besnier, talks about her
spas and the habits of effective spa directors.
Christelle Besnier is the Senior Spa Director,
Middle East and Africa, for Four Seasons
Hotels. With a passion for setting the
standard across Abu Dhabi and Dubai for
wellness, Ms. Besnier’s goal is “to perfect the
entire guest experience from end to end.”
Her career started with a specialized
tourism agency in Cannes, through which
she was introduced to hospitality at the
Hotel Metropole where she moved to work
in sales and marketing and moved up the
ranks through the executive office, working
on special projects and guest relations. Ms.
Besnier says, “When the project of the spa
came along, with ESPA at that time, I wanted
to be a part of it. I didn’t even know what
spa was and I was very excited about it. So, I
worked on the pre-opening of the Metropole
Spa, Monte Carlo.”
She then opened the Guerlain spa at Hotel
du Palais in Biarritz and worked as an
international trainer for Caudalie Cosmetics
before returning to the hospitality industry
(“I missed hospitality and being a part of
a team,” she says), taking on the roles of
Assistant Manager, then Spa Manager, and
finally Spa Director at the Hotel George V in
Paris. She later left to open the spa at the
Four Seasons Abu Dhabi, moving her family
and twin girls (now 10 years old) with her.
Ms. Besnier is now in Dubai overseeing
a collection of three spas in the United
Arab Emirates: the Pearl Spa and Wellness
Jumeirah, The Pearl Spa and Wellness DIFC,
and the Pearl Spa and Wellness Abu Dhabi,
while also doing regional duties overlooking
all Saudi and Beirut projects.
We connected with Christelle Besnier to talk
about Four Seasons spas in the Middle East
and what makes a great guest experience
and effective spa director.
Can you talk about the three spas you oversee
for Four Seasons in the UAE?
They are amazing. With this collection, we
are celebrating the identity of each spa.
So, Abu Dhabi, which I consider my baby,
because I opened it, is a city hotel. It’s a
two-floor spa with eight treatment rooms,
a beautiful relaxation area, wet facilities,
and a big fitness center. That spa is more
traditional. You feel the culture of the
Middle East.
We have signature oils with special scents
18 | Spa Executive

that are blended and sourced locally. In
Abu Dhabi, we have za’atar, white fig, and
white tea. It’s very warm. You really feel the
Middle East when you have your massage.
In DIFC we have myrrh and black tea, so
it’s very warming as well, amazing for the
muscle tension, and it represents the bustle
of Dubai because that spa is nestled inside
DIFC, so it’s full of business traffic, and when
you come to the spa, you have an amazing
feeling of relaxation. That spa is very small,
with only five treatment rooms, no steam
room, no sauna, but there is access to an
outdoor glass pool and jacuzzi that overlook
the Dubai skyline. The resort at Jumeirah is
bigger, with 10 treatment rooms, including
a double couples suite, an indoor pool,
relaxation rooms, outdoor area, fitness
center, and tennis court. The signature oil
there is more resort-y. We are surrounded
by beautiful frangipani, so our scent is
frangipani, lavender, and neroli, promoting
relaxation and disconnection.
The brand’s mantra is centered in wellness
that connects, balances and inspires
fulfillment and self-love. The spas all offer
signature treatments and rituals that are
common between them and a range of
experiences that are unique to
each location.
What makes a great guest experience?
The great guest experience for us is to be
understood. It starts with the reservation
team being on hand to fill the needs of
the guest, flowing down through the spa
professionals to take note of their needs
and requests. We have a lot of regular
guests that we know well. We know their
preferences and can anticipate their
needs, their preferred therapist, treatment,
techniques, the setup of the room. Obviously
we need to go the extra mile to satisfy the
guests. Whenever there is an opportunity for
us, to pay extra attention and do something
that they are not expecting and that makes
sense for their experience, we encourage
the team to do so. It can be a farewell gift, a
little card in the treatment room, a healthy
beverage to celebrate a special occasion. We
have many stories like this.
What are some habits of effective spa directors
or leaders in spa and wellness?
An effective leader in spa and wellness
should be a listener and multitasker. These
would be the two main words I would use.
Spa professionals are not in the same
culture as F&B or room professionals. You
need to have extra attention and extra care
and be able to understand people even
when they’re not talking. Leaders need to
listen to their teams and be role models.
I’m a very hands-on spa director. I think it’s
important that the team be inspired by
your actions
And multitasking, because being a spa
director is doing everything. I’m doing
finance, I’m hiring, I’m doing marketing,
I’m doing guest relations, purchasing,
negotiating with suppliers… I have to be
creative because I’m looking for new ways
to build new products and new treatments.
The days are not long enough but I love it.
What’s your favorite thing about your job?
I think you feel the passion when I’m talking
about it, and I think my favorite thing is
when I see and hear amazing feedback from
the team or from a guest. And then I am
sharing that with the team. And when I see
the pride in their eyes and their smile, I’m
happy because it’s teamwork. To see the
team super proud of themselves makes me
very happy. This is what I missed when I left
hospitality, and this is why I am still here so
many years after.
What are you excited about?
I’m excited about Four Seasons because
we have a new VP of wellness, Michael
Newcombe. And also because post Covid,
we see that wellness is so recognizable
everywhere, like wellness at work. Everyone
wants to start their fitness goals again. The
development of wellness programs is to me
quite important. I hope to see a new reality
after Covid that some behaviors will change.
I am really looking forward to see how the
near future will translate wellness and how
we will be the artisans of wellbeing and
living well.
19 | Spa Executive

Wellness trend: ketamine
Ketamine has been found to be a potentially
promising treatment for depression,
migraines, generalized anxiety disorder,
and more.
When they called cannabis a “gateway drug,”
they may not have meant as a wellness
therapy but that’s what has happened.
CBD is old news these days, and since the
mainstreaming of cannabis in wellness,
there has been an explosion of research
into, and use of, other formerly frowned
upon substances. We’ve talked in the past
about the mainstreaming of psychedelics,
like psilocybin, the compound found in
more than 200 species of mushrooms,
and DMT (N,N-Dimethyltryptamine) the
chemical substance known as the “spirit
molecule,” used in ayahuasca, a South
American entheogenic plant brew, as
potential treatments and preventatives
for depression, anxiety, Alzheimer’s,
and addiction, among other things. And,
while these are still on the rise and in
the spotlight, another player has recently
entered the game: ketamine.
Ketamine gained infamy as a recreational drug
Ketamine was developed in 1962 and later
approved by the American Food and Drug
Administration as an anesthetic but has since
gained infamy as a recreational drug. Studies
into its potential as a treatment for depression
by targeting the neurotransmitter glutamate
started in 2000. A more potent version,
esketamine, was approved as a treatment
for depression in 2019, though clinics began
administering intravenous treatments without
approval about 10 years ago, according
to the Los Angeles Times. Johns Hopkins
University psychiatrist, Paul Nestadt, told
the Times that about three-quarters of “very
treatment-resistant patients” show significant
improvement in depressive symptoms.
Ketamine and looking at smiling faces holds
“promise” for helping people with
treatment-resistant depression.
Meanwhile, a new study at the University
of Pittsburgh found that ketamine paired
with looking at images of smiling faces to
build positive associations holds “promise”
for helping people with treatment-resistant
depression.
In cities including Toronto, New York,
Miami, and Seattle you’ll find clinics offering
ketamine IV drips. Manhattan’s Jeff Ditzell
Psychiatry clinic, for example, provides an
approximately 40-minute drip accompanied
by theta brain waves and psychotherapy.
The treatments are for people with
debilitating depression who have already
tried other treatment options.
And the Nushama Psychedelic Wellness
Clinic, also in NYC, offers “sub-anesthetic
doses of Ketamine, to occasion an ego-
20 | Spa Executive

dissolving inner exploration.” The website
explains that, “Unlike most medications
which pharmacologically produce a healing
response, ketamine provides a doorway into
your consciousness for you to explore and
experience.”
On top of treatment-resistant depression,
ketamine has been found in studies to
be a potentially promising treatment for
migraines, generalized anxiety disorder,
social anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress
disorder, anorexia nervosa, obsessivecompulsive
disorder, and alcohol and
cocaine abuse.
Researchers are naturally cautious.
Professor Celia Morgan, a
psychopharmacologist at the University of
Exeter, told the UK Telegraph: “Ketamine is
an addictive substance and associated with
harms to bladder and a risk of accidents,
so we have to be cautious when using
it in groups who are prone to addictive
behaviours. But this is important work
trying to drive the science of ketamine and
memory forwards.”
As wellness, medicine, and mental health
supports continue to overlap, we expect
that we might see more normalization of
psychedelic treatments across the board,
including ketamine, in the coming years.
That being said, please don’t try this
at home.
21 | Spa Executive

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