Well it surely is not spas!!! I spent 20 years in hotels with the Four Seasons, Hilton and Hyatt on the Food & Beverage side of the business
How did you ever wind up in Bali? Why Bali? Why Indonesia?
I was working for Conrad Hilton in Australia and was transferred to the Hilton Jakarta. Then I was transferred to Bali for the opening of the Hilton back in 1990. The plan was to come to Bali for 2 years so that by the time our children turned 5, we would be back in Canada with them in a Canadian school. Well that never happened!
How did you get into the spa business?
Tom Gottlieb and Mark Edleson, who founded Mandara Spa, approached me a year after the company started and made me an offer that I couldn't refuse.
How and why did you become involved in Mandara Spa?
When I met with Tom and Mark, I took stock of what was happening in the hotel business and, more importantly, what was going to happen in the spa business. After that, the choice was really quite easy, although all my colleges thought I was nuts! I saw an incredible opportunity that I wanted to be a part of.
What is the biggest challenge you are facing in your work?
I think the biggest challenge we all face in this business is the lack of trained professionals from therapist to managers. Much the same as others in this business, the biggest challenge is staffing. In Bali, we're fortunate in one way because the Balinese are so charismatic, which translates to a great service experience. But the lack of trained therapists and spa managers is still an issue. The industry is still relatively new and although it has surpassed golf as the largest growing leisure industry, it still has a long way to go.
What do you like most and least about your job?
What I like most is exposing the hundreds of new staff at all levels to this industry; convincing them to take the plunge, to try it out and see how fast paced it is and how the opportunities are endless. What I like least, well spending more time in airports than in spas is not what I had planned but it’s the way it has turned out. When people ask where my office is I usually Seat 14C on Singapore Airlines.
What makes Mandara Spa facilities different from other spas in Bali and/or Indonesia?
The facilities are not that much different. I think it is the service that makes the difference. We believe that at Mandara our strength is our training and that enables us to deliver a consistent product all the time. There is nothing worse than going for a treatment only to go back again and find that it's not what you went back for, and you feel ripped off.
What is your training program like for Mandara Spa personnel?
For therapists they under go a 3 month intensive classroom training followed by 3 months on the job training. Assistant managers and managers undergo a 3-6 month program depending on their experience.
Are there also Mandara Spa facilities outside of Indonesia?
Mandara Spa has 75 spas operating in 14 countries and cruise ships and we are opening spas at a rate of not less than 12 a year.
What is the most unique spa or spa location among all the Mandara spas?
I think that the Ocean Club with the One and Only group in the Bahamas, which was voted by Conde Nast as the 2nd best spa in the world last year, is very special.
What are the most pressing issues facing the spa industry in Bali/Indonesia today?
Lack of trained staff, labor costs outside Asia and the places that call themselves a "SPA" but are not. I think that hurts the credibility of the industry a lot.
Does Mandara Spa run any other kinds of businesses?
Our focus is, and always has been, operating spas within hotels and resorts. Recently though, we've started experimenting on business models that fall outside our usual focus, although still in the health and wellness direction. Stay tuned!
What are your future plans for Mandara Spa?
We want to retain our lead position by continuing the growth and development of our core business, and attracting more hotel and resort spa management contracts. We will be looking at new countries in which to develop. We will also continue to explore some different business models to accommodate the growing diversity of the industry.
For anyone interested in being considered for Siapa, please contact : <pakbill2003@yahoo.com>
Copyright@2005 Al Hickey
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