Spa Blog:
From August – October 2007 I worked as the Wellness Director on the pre-opening of the Six Senses Destination Spas. It is/was a new brand for Six Senses and its first property was built on Naka Island, just off the coast of Phuket in Thailand. This is a very high end brand and from an operational point of view, a complicated one to deliver.
Firstly, being on an island during the rainy season made transportation a naval nightmare. Food and staff had to be shuttled by boat to and from the island, then driven about 20 minutes to their quarters. Not only did staff have to be shuttled to get to work, but imagine the guest who just flew 12 hours and is now on a rocky boat. There were days during the building process, that the waters were too rough to get to the island and a few other times during “mini” tsunamis where there was not much water at all.
Second complication, there are 4 different spa themes, (which is very cool, but again the delivery makes for sleepless nights) taking treatments, traditions and practitioners from Thailand, China, India and Indonesia.
I was based in Bangkok for over 2 weeks, and part of my job was to assist in massive 3 day long job fairs. As well as teamed up with the naturalist in creating the spa menu and product line, work with Ching, an former Buddhist Monk, now Marketing Director, and as I walked “home” from work every day, I had a Thai massage for about $8.00!
Interviewing the most kind hearted people on the earth, was a great honor for me- steeped in tradition of how I honorably greet the associate and how they greeted me- all starting with hands in a prayer position and a slow bow. When I interviewed employees at the Evasom property, they all took off their shoes prior to entering my office, and so did I.
The job fair interviewing process was a long comprehensive ordeal , as the potential employees had to first take a grammar,(funny, I just typed “grammer” … thank goodness my spell check caught this, otherwise I would have failed the damned test!) math, and logic test. Once or if they passed, then they had a face to face interview. The applicants had to speak English, or at least something that resembled it, as our clients were from all over the world, and that was the one common language used. I met with; PinPat, Somchai, Wuttipul, and Amnuay. The application for employment, for international standards, was highly “politically incorrect”- for example, asking questions of , “what does your father do for a living?” “what is your religion?”. One massage therapist was very concerned that since he was Muslim and I, American, that I would not hire him due to his religion.
One of the questions that I found fascinating was, “what is your five year plan” and here are some of the most honest unrehearsed answers I have ever heard: (and wrote down after interviews- these are direct quotes)
“business oldner and many many monay. I think so.”
“get the good job, married and have warm family”
“to be the new learn”
“I want to learn new things that make me stronger than now”
“to get higher position, and fluent in it, and I think I am assured by my head to do anything in my position”
“I want to open up a tiny restaurant”
“Aim in life is be permanent income, have good family and higher promoted”
“to be the new learn”
I have to say that if someone asked me” what is my five year plan, I would have to say, go back to Thailand and make happy happy life!
Susan Gwaltney
Essential Spa Consulting- Spa Blog
