Category: Interview

Interview with Mr. Georgie Yam, CEO of Venus Concept China

Born in Hong Kong, Georgie spend years in London and Singapore running his hair and beauty salon business. Then in 2003, Georgie ventured into the spa business in China and opened his award-winning day spa Dragonfly with 27 retreats throughout China.

In 2016, Georgie joined Venus Concept China as Director of Marketing, his aim to build Venus Concept as the most sought-after aesthetic device in the market. Georgie was promoted to VP (Marketing) China in 2017. SpaChina interviewed him.

What is Venus Concept’s current business strategy? And what are the trends in the spa equipment business in China’s wellness and spa market?

Venus Concept has always been a leader in the skin care management and body contouring business. With our unique and patented MP2 technology from Israel we have been working with many top dermatologists worldwide, and this great experience enables us to know what the market needs and create different types of models to cater to different needs.

We position China as a key market within our company, as the Aesthetic industry in China has been growing more than threefold every year, Spa and Beauty Salons are constantly looking for non invasive, safe, painless and effective beauty equipment to service their client needs. We have been seeing more and more end-users switching from traditional facial treatments to equipment-based treatment, as the latter can provide much faster and effective results within a shorter period of time. Spa and Beauty Salons owners also prefer to use more devices as this will reduce labor costs and at the same time they see more return customers.

VC not only provides devices, but also actively works on client education, marketing and promotion, create interesting events and good business studies, use knowledge KOL and trainers to help spas and medical centers to do business.

Why do you participate in the marketing activities of your clients? And what kind of feedback and business results do you get?

As a manufacturer, we know our devices and how to create the best results for the end users, and the best way to share these great technologies to Spas and Medical Centers is through very intensive training and education. It is our responsibility to maintain the high standard requirements that we set up to meet our expectations, therefore we put a lot of effort into education programs. We work with a few Beauty Academies as well as universities in China to put our training programs into their curriculum. By doing so, we can then uplift the whole industry standard to international levels.

We are very fortunate that several doctors in China are big fans of Venus Concept and are willing to share their experiences and their testimonials with others. Our team members in China have also had many experiences in Marketing as well as Beauty Salons and Spa operations, therefore we have a lot of advantages in assisting and guiding our clients to do better business. We place our clients success as our pride as this will reflect on our reputation. So far we have received very positive feedback from our customers.

What are the best selling VC devices? What kind of results and effects do they have? 

Venus Legacy is still the best seller in our company, as most Spa and Beauty Salons prefer to have a device that can both cater for the face and body. The advantage of Legacy is that it has a vacuum that works wonders on the face and body contouring. It is great for skin tightening, removing fine wrinkles, and body shaping with instant results.

Every year, Venus Concept has plans to launch new models into the market. For 2018, we are planning to launch Venus Freeze Plus which is not only a device, but a whole concept on balancing our face structure. All of us have different face structure, and this concept involves some special skills to do fine adjustment on the face together with our device, creating a more balanced facial structure. This for sure will be a big hit in the market.

Also in the pipeline, we will launch Venus Fiore, a device specially for Vagina Rejuvenation. It has three applicators with disposable tips for Labia, Mona Pubis and Internal. There is a huge demand in the China market for this kind of services for ladies.

What kind of business benefits can VC bring to spas?

First of all, Venus Concept offers business solutions to our clients. From an easy financing stand point, we take away a lot of the burden from all owners and operators. We also provide very thorough tailor-made treatment menu suggestions to our clients, and with our vast experience in marketing and event organizing, we support them a lot on these to assist our clients to bring in extra revenue. These are all added value things we can provide, and is a very different approach from all other competitors.

For hotel spas, what kinds of VC devices are good for them? And what are good for day spas? 

Every spa has its own needs and in different markets they require different treatments. Our devices can cover the face and body as well as wellbeing. In general, most hotel spas are hoping to bring in extra business from the local community. They understand that in the long run, a spa in the hotel cannot just rely on room guests, and a spa in the hotel must be a profit center rather than a place to pamper their guests when they make any complaints.

In order to attract the local community they need facial skin management programs and body contour treatments, which are effective, painless and safe. These treatments will increase the return rates from local guests; moreover, hotel spas have more advantages in their overall environment, which is more appreciated by the rich and famous.

In my opinion, Legacy is more suitable for hotel spas, as Legacy can perform excellent results on skin management such as skin tightening, mini eye lifting, V shape results, removing fine wrinkles and improving skin texture etc. At the same time, it also does wonders in body contouring within 25 minutes, and this is very effect driven. Legacy can provide a Deep Sleep therapy and hotel spas can sell this treatment to in-room guests on top of any Aroma massage.

On the other hand, Day Spas can opt for Venus Versa, which is a multi-application platform, excellent in skin rejuvenation, with the IPL technology. Venus Versa can correct Melasma and freckles and also improve skin pigmentation. At the same time, Venus Versa is able to deliver a battery of non-invasive aesthetic procedures, like hair removal, body contouring, and cellulite and wrinkle reduction.

From your point of view, which of them are doing better, hotel spa or day spa?

From a business point of view, Day Spa operators are giving Hotel Spa a big challenge, because Day Spa have lots more local clientele and the return rates are much higher than Hotel Spas. The revenue side can be as much as five times difference. Of course, Day Spa does sell a lot of memberships to maintain their cash flow, and the downside is that if these Day Spa does not manage these prepaid sums well, it will cause very serious financial problems.

Hotel Spas from my own point of view can do a much better job than they are doing. The biggest obstacle is that Hotel Spa are not flexible, and very conservative and slow in their reaction to market needs. Most of the time, Hotel Spa Directors are frustrated when it comes to implementing new services as these need to go through different departments for approval and support. On the other hand, Day Spa has total advantage on decision making.

Any business advice for hotel spas?

Day Spas overall in China have improved their service, ambiance and facilities to be close to Hotel Spas, therefore it is difficult for many Hotel General Managers. I can see there is a great opportunity for Hotel Spas to make a turn around on spa revenue, but this involves a lot of support from the top management team in the hotel, starting from the General Manager, Room Director, Marcom department and even the Concierge. Hotels have lots more database and resources than any Day Spa. But personally, I do not think they are maximizing these advantages at this moment. It would be great to see some new changes in the near future, as Venus Concept are now working with a number of 5-Star hotels very closely to assist them to reach out to a new height.

Interview with Mr. Bruno H. Schöpfer, Managing Director of the Bürgenstock Selection and Developer of the Bürgenstock Resort

One of the most time-honored Swiss resorts – Bürgenstock Hotels & Resort Lake Lucerne – stands against the breathtaking backdrop of the glistening, deep-blue waters of Lake Lucerne and the Alpine foothills. Different from ordinary resorts, Bürgenstock Resort has four hotels and 67 residence suites in total. The four hotels range from a five-star superior modern hotel, a holistic Health & Medical center, to charming chalet-style accommodation. The wellness area extends over 15,000 square meters featuring two amazing spas each with its own USP. Since its foundation in the 19th century, the Resort has never stopped renovation and development so as to offer more contemporary surprises, yet at the same time maintain its rich heritage from the olden days. Along the way, “sustainability” is always the core point in the mind of the developers and operators.

SpaChina interviewed Mr. Bruno H. Schöpfer, Managing Director of the Bürgenstock Selection and Developer of the Bürgenstock Resort, for more details of this legendary resort. Bruno has worked over the last 38 years in the international luxury hospitality sector, and held important posts in famous brands including Mandarin Oriental, Shangri-La, Vienna, Radisson, and Mövenpick Group. Bruno H. Schöpfer founded his own hotel management consultancy in 2003 and has since directed a number of hotel and property companies globally.

Could you briefly introduce Bürgenstock Hotels & Resort and its core value?

In the development of the Bürgenstock Resort, the vision, “A future has a past” became an early instrumental thought and slogan. Indeed, the resort dates back to 1873 and is an important heritage of Switzerland. One of our first objectives was to protect the inventory of 12 historic buildings and their contents, some of them over 140 years old. In addition, the maintenance and improvement of the environment as well as the protection of the landscapes completes this goal. These sustainable concepts were installed by the pioneers of the resort in the 19th century and it was dear to us to follow the same line. The iconic views over Lake Lucerne and the pristine Swiss Alps became our main USP and took an important role in the development of the current resort.

The Bürgenstock Resort is considered as a hotel-village rather than the common idea of a “resort”. We based the economic resort concept on five concise diversified business pillars: 1. a unique health, medical and wellness hotel with a revolutionary holistic concept at the Waldhotel Health & Medical Excellence; 2. conferences and corporate meetings in unique settings across the entire resort; 3. Long-stay residences with 67 residence suites; 4. a resort open for everyone, with many day guest offerings (hiking, biking, cliff walk, Hammetschwand Lift, day spa, culinary offerings through 8 restaurants); 5. an exceptional Alpine Spa.

What is the wellness concept of Bürgenstock Hotels & Resort?

Switzerland has a long-standing history of spa and wellness tourism that dates back to the 19th century. Indeed, Switzerland was the pioneer in this industry and famous for its exceptional water and alpine air cures as well as thermal baths known for their healing proprieties. The first British tourists, kings and queens, were flocking to Switzerland for these cures. In this context, the Bürgenstock Alpine Spa was built and has one of the earliest spa histories in Europe. In 1954, the exterior pool – the so-called Hollywood Pool – was built with dressing room facilities, steam baths, saunas and massage facilities. Over the years, these facilities were improved by former owner Fritz Frey who opened the Bürgenstock Club in 1981 – a very exclusive spa club.

Responsible for more than seven spas worldwide in luxury hotels, I could bring in a strong experience in spa development. My vision was to combine this heritage with new additions, like the breathtaking infinity-edge pool or the Waldhotel Spa with unique natural surroundings – to become the largest spa in Switzerland and one of the best spa in Europe.

The lake, the views and the location play a major role in the spa concept of the Bürgenstock Resort. Indeed the water of the pools come from the Lake. The facilities of the Bürgenstock Alpine Spa have been designed to get the maximum of the breathtaking views over the lake, with large bay windows, and with the world-famous infinity-edge pool.

Please introduce the spa facilities in the resort.

The Bürgenstock Alpine Spa and the Waldhotel Spa are two different concepts, each matching the hotels they are located in. The Waldhotel Spa is part of the unique health and medical excellence hotel, and is a peaceful place. It is meant for relaxation, recharge, replenish spirit, and let one be inspired by the peaceful nature, woods and greens of the surroundings. The Bürgenstock Alpine Spa is the ultimate pampering wellness spa, more show-off than the Waldhotel Spa, with breathtaking views.

Bürgenstock Alpine Spa:

Hollywood Pool, protected monument dating back to 1954 and giving the feeling of California in Switzerland with amazing spa garden

Indoor pool with large bay windows and view over the lake

Infinity edge pool with the feeling of flying over the lake

15 treatment rooms

Eco-pool with chemical-free water

Cold plunges

Different types of saunas and steam baths (herbal steam baths, Rasul baths, etc.)

Kneipp bath

Infrared cabins

Napshells

Unique silence room with water beds

Lady area

Waldhotel Spa

Outdoor and indoor pool

Himalayan Salt Grotto

Steam baths and sauna facilities

Silence rooms with waterbeds

Ice room

Lady area

What are the main wellness requirements of Chinese guests to Bürgenstock?

With Switzerland’s excellent reputation in medicine and this spectacular setting on the lake surrounded by these beautiful mountains, we believe Chinese will be drawn here for rejuvenation. We offer an excellent Beauty & Healthy Ageing program with cutting-edge aesthetic therapies. Dr. Ahmad Jalili, MD, Ph.D. head of the Dermatology and Venereology Department is specialist in the treatment of skin and brings 16 years experience as a practicing physician. The spa features treatments and products by noted luxury skincare lines from Switzerland and Austria including Swiss Line and Susanne Kaufmann as well as SkinCeuticals.

Switzerland boasts plenty of wellness resorts. What sets Bürgenstock Hotels & Resorts apart?

The location and the views set the Bürgenstock Resort apart. In addition, the resort boasts the largest wellness offerings with 15’000 m2 of wellness, health and medical facilities. It is the only place where you can find such a holistic health concept, offer via the Waldhotel Health & Medical Excellence.

What efforts have you made to achieve sustainable development of the Bürgenstock Hotels & Resorts?

As explained, sustainability is a core value of Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne. With its environmentally-friendly approach to energy generation and carefully considered logistics and construction, Bürgenstock Resort’s sustainability concept represents a landmark in ecological thinking. The planners and developers of the new resort took inspiration from its original owners, Franz Josef Bucher and Josef Durrer, known for their innovative ideas. In 1888, the two local partners opened the first electric cable car in Switzerland and built a water pipe to transport water from Lake Lucerne to the resort for drinking needs. The developers of the new resort continued this legacy of forward thinking. In the early stages of the concept development, all possibilities were analysed. The protection and improvement of the environment have been a priority throughout the renovation phase.

A unique system using lake water to heat and cool all the buildings of the resort has been developed. This system covers 100% of the cooling and 80% of the heating needs of the resort. The energy system works by pumping the lake water at a depth of 37m from Lake Lucerne. While traveling downhill, the water passes through a turbine, in turn producing electricity for the resort. With this electricity, 50% of the pump flow can be covered. Lake water is also used for the swimming pools, irrigation of the golf course and plant watering throughout the entire resort. Thanks to this system, the resort is almost CO2 neutral and provides the latest building insulation standards. The water in our Alpine Spa outdoor pools is furthermore stock in tanks overnight, in order not to lose the warmth.

The materials excavated on site have been recycled into the construction and renovation of the resort. For example, 25,000 m² of excavated material has been used to recreate the historic 1928 golf course, resulting in a safer course. The driving range has also been reconstructed with an additional 40,000m² of excavated material. Gabions (rock filled cages) have been used where possible to minimise the use of concrete walls. The use of a total of 165,000 m² excavated material has spared 18,000 lorry journeys up and down the valley. This equates to nine times around the planet.

The gabions have a second environmental benefit, providing a valuable habitat for flora and fauna. Together with larch wood, these gabions can be found on the walls of the Waldhotel Health & Medical Excellence, which are partly and naturally covered with plants. Fauna and natural habitats have been carefully preserved throughout the resort. When the track for the Bürgenstock Funicular was rebuilt, special paths were integrated to allow the local wildlife such as hedgehogs, deer, rabbits and foxes to cross the tracks safely.

Switzerland is well known for its unique public transportation system, which works just like clockwork. Public transport is a crucial part of Swiss culture due to the importance of sustainability. The Bürgenstock Resort is no exception, offering unique access by shuttle boat and funicular.

Interview with Kurt Macher, General Manager of The Temple House, Chengdu

An Austrian native, Kurt has over 27 years of experience in luxury hospitality. Prior to joining Swire Hotels, Kurt held leadership roles with Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts and The Peninsula Hotels Group. A graduate of the College of Tourism & Leisure Industry Bad Gleichenberg in Austria, Kurt entered hospitality and spa industry right after graduation. Over the years, his career has taken him all over the world, including Switzerland, France, Canada, UAE, the Caribbean, USA, Singapore, Hong Kong and currently China. Kurt joined Swire Hotels in July 2016 as the General Manager of The Temple House, Chengdu. During his tenure, Kurt has led the team to further enhance the offerings of personalized service, wellness and gastronomy, and established the hotel as one of the top hotels in Asia. It was awarded #1 City Hotel in Asia by Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2017. SpaChina has the opportunity to interview him in regarding of the latest trends in sustainable operation.

What is the concept of MI XUN Spa at The Temple House, Chengdu?

The design concept of MI XUN evolves around the life of a plant – from growing, to branching out, to becoming a canopy and providing a space to rest, and to sustain and to nurture. Each stage of the plant’s development relates to one of the spaces in the spa.

MI XUN Spa harnesses the synergy in between the East and the West – a true representation of the modern Chengdu, a dynamic cultural melting pot. We use the restorative and rejuvenating properties of local Chinese teas, combined with the medi-aesthetic technologies from the West, to deliver significant results with just one treatment. We also have a signature Bamboo massage that combines Swedish massage techniques, Oriental-style strokes, and conducted with Bamboo sticks.

This year we renovated the MI XUN Teahouse to include a new kitchen, and to offer a more extensive vegan and vegetarian menu. Our vegetarian MaPoToFu, as well as spicy/non-spicy vegan Hot Pots are extremely popular amongst the locals and international guests.

What kind of wellness experiences are well-accepted among nowadays’ consumers?

Traditionally, Chinese consumers have been interested in therapies focused on relaxation – tension relieving massages and facials. However, there is a growing trend towards medi-aesthetic therapies which can quickly improve the condition of one’s skin and appearance and towards treatments that use only natural organic products. To perfectly meet guests’ requirements, we have invested in the latest technologies like Venus Legacy and adopted niche brands like THÉMAÉ, our natural health care line using benefits of teas; and Meseostic, our medi-esthetic brand, to cater to the different needs of our customers.

How do you see the market potential of male guests’ demand on high-end wellness services?

Men, especially millennial men, are more likely to invest time and money to have clearer skin and attain better physiques. This can be seen by the pick-up in anti-aging facials and massages designed to tone the body. The majority of Chinese male clients still favor treatments focused on the body. Whereas international guests are quite open to recommendations for facial treatments. We recommend that men incorporate facials and massage treatments into their monthly routine, in addition to healthy diet and regular exercises – to enhance and prolong the results of their health conditions and youthful appearances.

How does MI XUN Spa maintain sustainable development and operation?

At MI XUN Spa we highly value the importance of sustainable development and operation. We believe in reducing the reliance on chemicals, sulfates, parabens and microbeads, to minimize the negative effects on our environment. For example, we have created our own organic foot scrubs and are in the process of developing new products created from the leftover tea plant-based materials from our MI XUN Teahouse. We replaced all plastic straws with biodegradable paper straws in all our outlets; and service MI XUN guests water in chinaware instead of plastic bottles. Over the past year, we have cut down the usage of plastic bottles in MI XUN Spa by 80%. We also implemented a car-sharing program amongst the hotel staffs, in order to contribute our efforts of reducing carbon footprints.

While there is a growing awareness for sustainable operations in China, we still have a long way to go, in order to catch up with the Europe or the USA. I believe that hotels and spas can make a difference, by implementing and providing more sustainable options to guests.

At The Temple House we have done several CSR projects such as: “Pay-It-Forward with the barber haircuts” – with every haircut we have done in September and October of 2017, we provide a complimentary haircut for an elderly person in a local retirement home. Our goal is to further focus on sustainability in alignment with Swire’s “SD 2030” movement, in order to be one of the companies with the most sustainable initiatives by 2030.

Interview with Jeremy McCarthy, Group Director of Spa & Wellness, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group

Jeremy McCarthy is the Group Director of Spa & Wellness for Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, leading their internationally-acclaimed luxury spa division featuring 24 world-class spas worldwide and several more under development. He has over 20 years of experience operating luxury spas in resort and hotel properties worldwide. McCarthy is also the author of The Psychology of Spas & Wellbeing and hosts a blog about holistic wellbeing at http://psychologyofwellbeing.com. He also chairs the Digital Wellness initiative for the Global Wellness Institute.

What is the wellness concept of the Spa at Mandarin Oriental Hotels?

We take a holistic approach to wellness, considering five different dimensions that people need to be healthy and happy: nourishment, movement, stillness, connections, and wellbeing.

We incorporate these aspects into all of our services. Lately, for example, we have been very focused on “stillness,” thinking about how we help people to rest their minds from the over-consumption of technology in the modern age. Our spas have been offering digital detox retreats and services to help people disconnect and recover from too much technology use. This December, we will host a “Silent Night” in our spas, where all of our spas worldwide will encourage a night of quiet contemplation.

We also bring this wellness philosophy outside of the spa. We just launched our new Mindful Meetings program which brings nourishment, movement, stillness, connections and wellbeing into the meeting spaces. Most meetings are very unhealthy as we spend too much time sitting in chairs, too much time consuming information without time to reflect on it, and eating too many sugary foods and caffeinated beverages. The Mindful Meetings approach brings our wellness expertise into the meetings spaces with healthy foods, movement and meditation breaks, and tools to help people come out of their meetings feeling energized.

What new trends do you see in the global wellness sector?

I think there are three trends that are dramatically pushing the hospitality industry in new directions. The first is “experiential travel”. People don’t want only accommodation, they want a transformative experience. The hotel industry has to deliver more than beds and food. People need to feel like they improved somehow by having stayed with you.

The second is “dynamic use of resources.” We see this trend with the rise of new companies like AirBnB and Uber that find better ways to utilize resources. Hotels have to think about spaces that can be repurposed in different ways at different times. If you have a bar that is only busy at night, how could you activate that space during the day? If the spa is only busy on the weekends, how can you find a better use for the space during the week?

And the third is “wellness everywhere.” Consumers are prioritizing wellbeing and they want to stay with companies that support them in this endeavor. This trend is not limited to spa and wellness businesses. We can now see how Facebook and Google are scrambling to improve the wellbeing of their customers. This is truly “everywhere” and affects all industries.

How do you think luxury hotels can make better use of their spas?

For us it is first and foremost about quality, service and authenticity. But there is also the need to be innovative, and to offer things that nobody else in the market is doing. We work closely with our therapists to cultivate and foster their unique talents and deliver treatments that are not only personalized, but “personal.” To me, a “personal” spa experience is one that can never be duplicated as it is based on the unique bond between that particular therapist and that particular client.

How do you value the importance of sustainability for the hotel and spa industry?

I think there is too much elitism around sustainability. In other words, only a few brands position themselves as being truly green and they strive to be the best in this area as a unique selling proposition. This unfortunately discourages other brands from striving for greater sustainability because they don’t feel they can compete at the highest levels of the eco-retreat destinations. But in reality, this is an area where we can all improve. We have partnered with the Green Spa Network to create a sustainability assessment tool that larger and more urban hotel groups can use to assess their own sustainability practices and identify areas to improve. We are very interested in collaborating with our industry to develop better practices that are less taxing on our environment.

Interview with Kent Richards, Corporate Operations Director (Spa & Wellness) of Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas

Born into a family of gym fitness

fanatics, Kent Richards grew up in Durban, South Africa, following all the fitness trends of the 1980’s and 1990’s before finding himself in the middle of the global spa and wellness industry. After a career of 20 years in fitness and 10 years in spa, today Kent is Corporate Operations Director (Spa & Wellness) of Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, based in Bangkok, Thailand, and is responsible for over thirty spas across the globe. Six Senses actively participates in the Global Mentorship Program, Global Wellness Day, Wellness for Cancer and Wellness Weekend initiatives. SpaChina interviewed Kent.

How does Six Senses Integrated Wellness stand out?

Being wellness pioneers means that we have to venture out into the unknown to discover new approaches that promote mental, physical and spiritual health. Over the last four years we have worked with some of the most respected doctors and wellness professionals on developing an approach to wellness that addresses some of the most common issues people face as a result of their stressed daily lives. The result is our overarching wellness philosophy Six Senses Integrated Wellness. It is founded on numerous pillars including nutrition, sleep, movement, holistic and alternative therapies; and advanced technology that allows our experts to tailor programs specific to.

How does Six Senses ensure each of the brand’s spas are unique?

Six Senses has always believed each property needs to match our vision and values. We strive to help our guests reconnect with who they are, the people around them and their worlds too, and we do this by bringing our values into the design. The values include “local sensitivity and global sensibility”, making each design different as we include local features and activities. Designs are not duplicated in a cookie-cutter manner and we make each property unique. Key to our brand are wellness and sustainability which also play important roles in where our properties are situated and what materials are used. Locally inspired architecture and materials are always important to ensure we contribute to the landscape and do not interfere with it.

What is special about the spa at Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain?

The spa at Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain is in the middle of the resort, which is located at the picturesque gateway to the majestic Qing Cheng Mountains. The design complements the UNESCO World Heritage & Natural Cultural site nearby, Dujiangyan. The spa design has Taoist elements to harmonize with nature and reconnection and it appears to rise from under the ground incorporating responsible luxury, regional architecture and landscaping, resulting in an extraordinary cultural offering with a strong sense of place, wedded to contemporary attitude. Six Senses Spa Qing Cheng Mountain received the Grand Jury Award at the SpaChina’s 9th Annual Award Ceremony in Chengdu. The award is an acknowledgement of its superb performance and exceptional facilities and was presented to only three hotels in the country.

The one signature treatment I would recommend is the Shen Ritual. It provides three hours of Taoism purity including a Herbal Bath Experience, Tui Na followed by a Six Senses Soothing Facial using jade stone. My favorite by far.

Your view on China’s hotels and spas’ performance in terms of sustainable development and operation?

Here, I would like to share with you a comment from our Vice President Sustainability, Jeff Smith.

China is now the global leader in renewable energy investment. Hotel energy sustainability will increase tremendously once these new solar and wind projects go live. Yet, public awareness seems to be low when compared with other markets, and it appears that hotel and spa operators are therefore hesitant to roll out their sustainability initiatives. For example, our glass water bottling at Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountian in Chengdu is quite rare in China, whereas this practice is becoming quite mainstream in places like the Maldives and Thailand.

What is Six Senses’ future development plan in China?

China is a very exciting market for Six Senses as there are so many beautiful locations, and traditions for wellness lifestyles. The domestic market has shown us great support for our brand values, which has encouraged us to expand further in China. Our second resort in China will be Six Senses Yangshuo. The property is surrounded by the karst mountains with its beautiful natural landscape, allowing us to create another special resort.

Also, Six Senses has been active in growing and developing our team through cross-training between our properties around the world. By doing so, Six Senses guests in Thailand, the Maldives and further afield have had the pleasure to enjoy the services and warm hospitality of Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain.