Zoe Wall hints future One&Only spas may partner with iconic fashion house
In the latest issue of Spa Business, Kerzner’s new global wellness director Zoe Wall gives the lowdown on the resort developer and operator’s long term wellness gameplan.
The overall strategy
“We want to position our hotels with wellness as a central resort hub and not just an add-on or an afterthought,” Wall says.
At present, Kerzner’s portfolio includes 12 One&Only Resorts, Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort in Morocco and three Atlantis Resort & Residences – with an anticipated cap of five being built, given their US$2bn price tag.
In 2021, the brand had also outlined plans to grow its portfolio with the launch of a new fitness-focused hospitality concept called Siro Hotels.
Wall has been brought on board to align and define each brand’s wellness offering. She says the most important thing for Kerzner is that each hotel group is very distinct, so each concept needs to be unique to that brand.
Right time, right placeOf all the brands, One&Only has the largest wellness focus following an alignment with Chenot Group in 2019.
Fast-forward three years and only two Chenot Spas have opened, in Malaysia and Montenegro.
However, Wall says Chenot will feature at upcoming locations in Greece and Montana.
“When that deal was signed, it seemed Chenot would roll out across all properties,” she says, “But Kerzner soon realised that medical wellness is complex and requires a completely different business model from a spa.”
Adding medical across the One&Only portfolio isn’t viable says Wall, and also doesn’t really make sense.
“Having worked on medical spas for years, I know demand is specific to certain locations and markets. The destinations where you launch must have the infrastructure to support it. You need the capacity for hospital collaborations so you can run diagnostic tests, for example.”
Licensing and expensive staffing are also pitfalls, especially because regulation varies by region, while refits are challenging.
“If you’re doing greenfield projects, you build your spa to meet requirements, but if you’re pivoting an existing spa to incorporate medical, it’s more difficult,” she adds.
Guest perspectives are also a factor, because positioning a medical offering where the majority are on holiday can cause a mismatch of expectations.
“I agree there’s a space for medical in the right location, but that offering has to be adapted if it’s a luxury hotel where guests are predominantly on holiday,” says Wall. “The biggest challenge going forward will be to make the medical model more hospitality-friendly.”
Joining forces
Partnering up One&Only properties will either open in partnership with Chenot or offer a holistic wellness pathway in partnership with other brands, something Wall is already pursuing.
She’s gained inspiration from collaborations with fashion houses such as Guerlain, Givenchy and Dior, having seen strong results at the Guerlain Spa One&Only The Palm, in Dubai which delivers 130-150 treatments a day.
“I was impressed by the attention to detail in the spa, retail boutique and treatments,” she says, “the entire guest journey is very high couture.
“Previously I think these luxury brands only wanted one exclusive spa, but now they’re open to exploring collaborations with high-end hotels,” she says.
“From their perspective, they’ve changed their business dynamics because these spas can be very profitable – they also massively drive retail.
A couple of well-known fashion house spas in Paris have a retail turnover of a couple of million euros annually.
“Much like Chenot, a partnership like this wouldn’t be for every location,” says Wall, “but perhaps more for urban locations where you have the footfall.”
Wall says 40 per cent of Guerlain Spa’s custom comes from day guests, something she’s impressed by as it’s not the most accessible location in Dubai. “The fact guests are willing to drive all that way is telling. So for city locations where we have the residential locations, I think partnerships like this could be interesting,” she continues.
Wall doesn’t confirm which brands she’s looking into, but she’s searching further afield for fashion house tie-ups that are new to the spa market.
Head to the latest issue of Spa Business to read the full interview and hear more about Kerzner’s future projects – including the fitness-focused Siro – and how Wall intends to maintain momentum behind the rise in demand for spa and wellness.
Zoe Wall One&Only Kerzner Siro Hotels Atlantis Guerlain Dior GivenchyOne&Only will bring Chenot Method stateside at new mountain retreat
Zoe Wall appointed as Kerzner's first global wellness director
ESPA designs holistic treatment series for One&Only and will plant at least one tree for every ritual booked
One&Only and Chenot to grow partnership with new Grecian retreat on Athenian Riviera
Kerzner unveils new fitness-focused hospitality brand dedicated to health and wellbeing
FEATURE: Spa People – Zoe Wall
FEATURE: New opening – One&Only Portonovi
FEATURE: Hospitality – Hotel fitness goes up a gear
UAE’s first Dior Spa debuts in Dubai at Dorchester Collection’s newest hotel, The Lana
Europe's premier Evian Spa unveiled at Hôtel Royal in France
Clinique La Prairie unveils health resort in China after two-year project
GoCo Health Innovation City in Sweden plans to lead the world in delivering wellness and new science
Four Seasons announces luxury wellness resort and residences at Amaala
Aman sister brand Janu debuts in Tokyo with four-floor urban wellness retreat
€38m geothermal spa and leisure centre to revitalise Croatian city of Bjelovar
Two Santani eco-friendly wellness resorts coming to Oman, partnered with Omran Group
Kerzner shows confidence in its Siro wellness hotel concept, revealing plans to open 100
Ritz-Carlton, Portland unveils skyline spa inspired by unfolding petals of a rose
Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners are just one of the names behind The Emory hotel London and Surrenne private members club
Peninsula Hot Springs unveils AUS$11.7m sister site in Australian outback
IWBI creates WELL for residential programme to inspire healthy living environments
Conrad Orlando unveils water-inspired spa oasis amid billion-dollar Evermore Resort complex
Studio A+ realises striking urban hot springs retreat in China's Shanxi Province
Populous reveals plans for major e-sports arena in Saudi Arabia
Wake The Tiger launches new 1,000sq m expansion
Othership CEO envisions its urban bathhouses in every city in North America
Merlin teams up with Hasbro and Lego to create Peppa Pig experiences
SHA Wellness unveils highly-anticipated Mexico outpost
One&Only One Za’abeel opens in Dubai featuring striking design by Nikken Sekkei
Luxury spa hotel, Calcot Manor, creates new Grain Store health club
'World's largest' indoor ski centre by 10 Design slated to open in 2025
Murrayshall Country Estate awarded planning permission for multi-million-pound spa and leisure centre
Aman's Janu hotel by Pelli Clarke & Partners will have 4,000sq m of wellness space
Therme Group confirms Incheon Golden Harbor location for South Korean wellbeing resort
Universal Studios eyes the UK for first European resort
King of Bhutan unveils masterplan for Mindfulness City, designed by BIG, Arup and Cistri
Rural locations are the next frontier for expansion for the health club sector
Tonik Associates designs new suburban model for high-end Third Space health and wellness club
From parks designed to mitigate the effects of flooding to warming huts for one of the world’s coldest cities, these projects have been designed for increasingly extreme climates