Appointed by Jumeirah Group as its first vice president of wellbeing, what does spa industry veteran Niamh O’Connell have planned for the global hospitality group? Julie Cramer finds out
O’Connell’s spa career spans three decades / photo: Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts
When Niamh O’Connell arrived in Dubai to take on the newly created role of vice president of wellbeing for Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts in June, she landed in a scorching hot Emirati summer. Having spent almost two decades working in five-star wellbeing in Asia – for Hyatt then Rosewood – Irish-born O’Connell was more than ready to take on the heat of the Middle East along with a whole new culture and career challenge.
“Asia stole my heart for 18 years and it was hard to leave. But when the offer came from Katerina [Giannouka, CEO of Jumeirah] it was impossible to say no,” says O’Connell. “The company has never had a dedicated VP of wellbeing before. It’s a massive opportunity and the scope of the work is vast, touching on all elements of the brand.”
Since starting, O’Connell has wasted no time in diving deep into Jumeirah’s current proposition and operations. She says: “Going forward, wellbeing will be a core pillar for the brand and very much at the forefront, which is very exciting. It’s so rare to be offered the chance to shape a brand and there’s so much appetite at Jumeirah for this change.”
Talise, Jumeirah’s in-house spa concept, currently exists in 14 of its properties along with a handful of other non-Talise facilities. While there’s a ‘golden thread’ of Middle Eastern influence that runs through the spas, they’re all adapted to their particular location and clientele.
Jumeirah is a subsidiary of Dubai Holding, the investment portfolio of the emirate’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid. It owns 27 properties, 12 are in Dubai and others are nearby in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia.
As part of the group’s Mission 2030, revealed in June, its goal is to become a global hotel leader. There are already sites in Bali, the Maldives and China, as well as the UK (London), Italy (Capri), Spain (Mallorca) and, most recently, in Switzerland following the acquisition of Le Richemond hotel on the banks of Lake Geneva.
The Dubai market For now though, at least, O’Connell’s remit is firmly on Dubai. She says: “Jumeirah properties are heavily patronised by the local market and visitors from the UAE. They regularly use the restaurants, spas and membership clubs or enjoy staycations on their time off. Local expats make up the next tier of customers, followed by international tourists, with many from Britain, Europe, Russia and CIS countries.
“Jumeirah welcomed a lot of tourists from new destinations during the pandemic because Dubai opened up when many other countries were still closed. For instance, the Chinese stopped visiting during COVID-19, but we saw a big rise in visitors from South Korea and they have continued to come.”
So gifted with almost a ‘blank canvas’ in terms of what comes next for wellbeing at Jumeirah, what is O’Connell looking at? While she hints at ‘new projects in the pipeline’ and creating brands, at the moment, the focus remains on the Talise spas and wellness interpretation and integration into all aspects of the estate. “We don’t want to see wellbeing isolated to spas – it’s going to be part of the overarching Jumeirah experience with different touch points throughout all hotels,” she says.
“We think the family market is hugely underserved, so we’re looking at how we create offers that parents and children actually want. Families face enormous time pressures these days, so how do we create an environment where they can come together, switch off from social media and enjoy healthy activities? It may be that only one parent visits the spa, but how can we ensure that the whole family can benefit from a wellness experience while they stay with us?”
Women’s wellness, in particular perimenopause and menopause, and the male equivalent ‘andropause’, will be brought more to the fore as well as more medical offers focused on longevity, with Jumeirah currently in ‘advanced talks’ with two potential medical providers.
While there are currently no medical offers across Jumeirah’s UAE properties, O’Connell says there is a medical spa in its Capri property that’s especially renowned for its Leg School, a unique programme developed by the resident professor Francesco Canonaco which treats vascular problems of the lower limbs. “I was there just a few weeks ago as part of my research and met two ladies who’d flown in from New York just for the Leg School. It’s highly regarded and very popular.”
She continues: “I believe medical offers and spas can coexist perfectly together. We need the medical tech to be able to offer diagnostics and a baseline that proves to guests that the programme they’re following is working. Incorporating nurturing experiences such as touch therapy or mindfulness can further enhance a medical offering.”
Other propositions in the planning are cognitive health programmes, incorporating hyperbaric oxygen chambers and the use of nootropics, as well as looking at gut health.
Wellness expansion While all these ideologies may take time to filter through the estate, we’ll soon get an insight into the future of wellness at Jumeirah with the much-anticipated opening in 2024 of its biggest property to date, the Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab. Commanding a prime location on the Dubai peninsula, adjacent to the group’s current iconic jewel, the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab, this new ultra-luxury hotel will feature 10 world-class dining concepts, a spa spread over three floors and rooms inspired by ‘glamour of a bygone era’.
“Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab will feature our most significant wellbeing offering so far, which will be very much ingrained in all aspects of the property from spa through to F&B,” she says.
As Jumeirah’s new world of wellness unfolds, O’Connell will most certainly be keeping a close eye on the business figures. She’s spent three highly productive decades in the spa industry across Asia, Europe and the US, including working for Steiner on its cruise ships in the early days, followed by 11 years with Hyatt and most recently six years with Rosewood in Hong Kong, where she was VP of wellness and brand experience. It’s fair to say that what O’Connell doesn’t know about running profitable and successful spas, isn’t worth knowing.
With the move to Jumeirah, she’s walked into a wellness business that’s showing healthy returns, but that also has huge potential for growth. She says: “Across its Dubai properties, Jumeirah welcomes around 40,000 unique visitors each month to its wellness offers (including gyms and membership clubs) with a 60/40 female/male split.
“Among the many KPIs we look at, some of the headliners are therapist utilisation, capture rate, guest mix and average cheque. From these metrics, we can gauge the success of marketing initiatives. Our therapist utilisation currently ranges from 52 to 73 per cent, the guest mix comprises 45 per cent from in-house and the average treatment time is 120 minutes. The spas have been excelling in the past two years, due in large part to the boom in ‘revenge travel’ post-COVID.
“The wellness aspect will evolve as part of Mission 2030 and our strategic growth plan. The interest in these new activities and products are intended to bolster the revenue streams from spas.”
Personalisation matters With such big plans ahead, it’s just as well that O’Connell managed to take her own extended spa break – an 18-month sabbatical immediately after leaving Rosewood, which saw her travel to India and Spain. She says: “I went to Spain to learn the language and of course indulge in all the wonderful cuisine. In India, I spent a lot of time doing yoga and enjoying traditional ayurvedic treatments.”
Refreshed and re-focused, O’Connell is now very much concentrating on the immediate tasks at hand, while keeping a well-trained eye on a future where the wellness landscape is ever-evolving.
“We’re currently piloting smart hotel beds,” she says, “which adjust to support the sleeping position of the guest as well as their body temperature, to help enable a healthy and uninterrupted night’s sleep. We’re also looking closely at our food and beverage operations. We don’t want to call it ‘wellness food’ but we’ll be creating more nutritious dishes to help people live well.”
While a high degree of customising is always expected by Jumeirah’s ultra-wealthy guests, it’s a central concept that has been fundamental throughout O’Connell’s career. So what does ‘personalised wellness’ mean to her?
“It’s about developing deep listening skills and anticipating what a guest wants and needs, perhaps even before they know it themselves,” she says. “My very first boss and mentor in Ireland was a nurse who had opened a small clinic to heal and really take care of people. This was way before wellbeing was even recognised as a thing. Through Helen, I learned about developing empathy and truly listening to a person’s needs. This approach lies at the core of everything I create and it’s something that makes for a standout and unforgettable wellness experience.”
With this deeply personal approach and an unparalleled knowledge of spa operations, all backed by the might of a formidable and ambitious luxury hospitality brand, it will certainly be interesting to watch where O’Connell takes Jumeirah’s spa and wellbeing offers in the years ahead.
FAVOURITES
Treatment – Choosing only one is tough! I’d say chi nei tsang
Spa – I’m still in search of the ideal spa experience destination
Film – Goodfellas
Book – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John Le Carre
Place – Southern Spain
Season – Summer (although in Dubai I prefer winter!)
Best advice – Gordon Fuller, who was an area VP at Hyatt, used to tell me: “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” He inspired me to challenge the norm and mentored me in change management
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Sponsored: Highest French distinction for RKF's CEO
After receiving the highest civilian award for services to the French nation, Riadh Bouaziz, CEO of RKF Luxury Linen, reflects on his company’s many achievements and considers what lies ahead
Association focus: Thermal Heritage
Jane Kitchen finds out how two key associations – the European Historic Thermal Towns Association and the Great Spa Towns of Europe – are protecting and promoting the unique cultural relevances of Europe’s spa towns
Interview: Paul Simons
As he retires from the Great Spa Towns of Europe, the industry leader reflects on his long and esteemed career
Sponsored: New ways with water
Working globally with architects and interior designers allows Myrtha Wellness to embrace the latest trends in the international hospitality sector, as director Stefano Cattaneo explains
Sponsored: Cutting edge
Ara Patterson from Equinox Hotels talks about a partnership with
Gharieni that’s delivering ROI and innovative treatments for guests
Interview: Niamh O'Connell
What does Jumeirah’s first vice president of wellbeing have planned for the Middle East-based hospitality group?
Sponsored: Lasse Eriksen on contrast therapy
Contrast therapy is gaining attention for its healing effects. We ask aufguss and sauna expert Lasse Eriksen to share his views on the perfect experience
Nature spas: Tree of life
Lisa Starr discovers two retreats in Austria and Italy which base their wellbeing concepts on forests
Sponsored: Spirit of Excellence
Rupert Schmid and Pierre-Louis Delapalme, owners of Biologique Recherche, discuss the global rollout of its ‘Ambassade’ flagship spas
Sponsored: Outstanding performance
Bicester Hotel & Spa is working with Matrix Fitness to enable wellness guests to train like athletes with a unique offering
Le Atelier by C.O.D.E. doesn't offer a standard bespoke service, it provides a highly
customised approach to designing massage beds and loungers in high-end wellness
environments. [more...]
Appointed by Jumeirah Group as its first vice president of wellbeing, what does spa industry veteran Niamh O’Connell have planned for the global hospitality group? Julie Cramer finds out
O’Connell’s spa career spans three decades / photo: Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts
When Niamh O’Connell arrived in Dubai to take on the newly created role of vice president of wellbeing for Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts in June, she landed in a scorching hot Emirati summer. Having spent almost two decades working in five-star wellbeing in Asia – for Hyatt then Rosewood – Irish-born O’Connell was more than ready to take on the heat of the Middle East along with a whole new culture and career challenge.
“Asia stole my heart for 18 years and it was hard to leave. But when the offer came from Katerina [Giannouka, CEO of Jumeirah] it was impossible to say no,” says O’Connell. “The company has never had a dedicated VP of wellbeing before. It’s a massive opportunity and the scope of the work is vast, touching on all elements of the brand.”
Since starting, O’Connell has wasted no time in diving deep into Jumeirah’s current proposition and operations. She says: “Going forward, wellbeing will be a core pillar for the brand and very much at the forefront, which is very exciting. It’s so rare to be offered the chance to shape a brand and there’s so much appetite at Jumeirah for this change.”
Talise, Jumeirah’s in-house spa concept, currently exists in 14 of its properties along with a handful of other non-Talise facilities. While there’s a ‘golden thread’ of Middle Eastern influence that runs through the spas, they’re all adapted to their particular location and clientele.
Jumeirah is a subsidiary of Dubai Holding, the investment portfolio of the emirate’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid. It owns 27 properties, 12 are in Dubai and others are nearby in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia.
As part of the group’s Mission 2030, revealed in June, its goal is to become a global hotel leader. There are already sites in Bali, the Maldives and China, as well as the UK (London), Italy (Capri), Spain (Mallorca) and, most recently, in Switzerland following the acquisition of Le Richemond hotel on the banks of Lake Geneva.
The Dubai market For now though, at least, O’Connell’s remit is firmly on Dubai. She says: “Jumeirah properties are heavily patronised by the local market and visitors from the UAE. They regularly use the restaurants, spas and membership clubs or enjoy staycations on their time off. Local expats make up the next tier of customers, followed by international tourists, with many from Britain, Europe, Russia and CIS countries.
“Jumeirah welcomed a lot of tourists from new destinations during the pandemic because Dubai opened up when many other countries were still closed. For instance, the Chinese stopped visiting during COVID-19, but we saw a big rise in visitors from South Korea and they have continued to come.”
So gifted with almost a ‘blank canvas’ in terms of what comes next for wellbeing at Jumeirah, what is O’Connell looking at? While she hints at ‘new projects in the pipeline’ and creating brands, at the moment, the focus remains on the Talise spas and wellness interpretation and integration into all aspects of the estate. “We don’t want to see wellbeing isolated to spas – it’s going to be part of the overarching Jumeirah experience with different touch points throughout all hotels,” she says.
“We think the family market is hugely underserved, so we’re looking at how we create offers that parents and children actually want. Families face enormous time pressures these days, so how do we create an environment where they can come together, switch off from social media and enjoy healthy activities? It may be that only one parent visits the spa, but how can we ensure that the whole family can benefit from a wellness experience while they stay with us?”
Women’s wellness, in particular perimenopause and menopause, and the male equivalent ‘andropause’, will be brought more to the fore as well as more medical offers focused on longevity, with Jumeirah currently in ‘advanced talks’ with two potential medical providers.
While there are currently no medical offers across Jumeirah’s UAE properties, O’Connell says there is a medical spa in its Capri property that’s especially renowned for its Leg School, a unique programme developed by the resident professor Francesco Canonaco which treats vascular problems of the lower limbs. “I was there just a few weeks ago as part of my research and met two ladies who’d flown in from New York just for the Leg School. It’s highly regarded and very popular.”
She continues: “I believe medical offers and spas can coexist perfectly together. We need the medical tech to be able to offer diagnostics and a baseline that proves to guests that the programme they’re following is working. Incorporating nurturing experiences such as touch therapy or mindfulness can further enhance a medical offering.”
Other propositions in the planning are cognitive health programmes, incorporating hyperbaric oxygen chambers and the use of nootropics, as well as looking at gut health.
Wellness expansion While all these ideologies may take time to filter through the estate, we’ll soon get an insight into the future of wellness at Jumeirah with the much-anticipated opening in 2024 of its biggest property to date, the Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab. Commanding a prime location on the Dubai peninsula, adjacent to the group’s current iconic jewel, the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab, this new ultra-luxury hotel will feature 10 world-class dining concepts, a spa spread over three floors and rooms inspired by ‘glamour of a bygone era’.
“Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab will feature our most significant wellbeing offering so far, which will be very much ingrained in all aspects of the property from spa through to F&B,” she says.
As Jumeirah’s new world of wellness unfolds, O’Connell will most certainly be keeping a close eye on the business figures. She’s spent three highly productive decades in the spa industry across Asia, Europe and the US, including working for Steiner on its cruise ships in the early days, followed by 11 years with Hyatt and most recently six years with Rosewood in Hong Kong, where she was VP of wellness and brand experience. It’s fair to say that what O’Connell doesn’t know about running profitable and successful spas, isn’t worth knowing.
With the move to Jumeirah, she’s walked into a wellness business that’s showing healthy returns, but that also has huge potential for growth. She says: “Across its Dubai properties, Jumeirah welcomes around 40,000 unique visitors each month to its wellness offers (including gyms and membership clubs) with a 60/40 female/male split.
“Among the many KPIs we look at, some of the headliners are therapist utilisation, capture rate, guest mix and average cheque. From these metrics, we can gauge the success of marketing initiatives. Our therapist utilisation currently ranges from 52 to 73 per cent, the guest mix comprises 45 per cent from in-house and the average treatment time is 120 minutes. The spas have been excelling in the past two years, due in large part to the boom in ‘revenge travel’ post-COVID.
“The wellness aspect will evolve as part of Mission 2030 and our strategic growth plan. The interest in these new activities and products are intended to bolster the revenue streams from spas.”
Personalisation matters With such big plans ahead, it’s just as well that O’Connell managed to take her own extended spa break – an 18-month sabbatical immediately after leaving Rosewood, which saw her travel to India and Spain. She says: “I went to Spain to learn the language and of course indulge in all the wonderful cuisine. In India, I spent a lot of time doing yoga and enjoying traditional ayurvedic treatments.”
Refreshed and re-focused, O’Connell is now very much concentrating on the immediate tasks at hand, while keeping a well-trained eye on a future where the wellness landscape is ever-evolving.
“We’re currently piloting smart hotel beds,” she says, “which adjust to support the sleeping position of the guest as well as their body temperature, to help enable a healthy and uninterrupted night’s sleep. We’re also looking closely at our food and beverage operations. We don’t want to call it ‘wellness food’ but we’ll be creating more nutritious dishes to help people live well.”
While a high degree of customising is always expected by Jumeirah’s ultra-wealthy guests, it’s a central concept that has been fundamental throughout O’Connell’s career. So what does ‘personalised wellness’ mean to her?
“It’s about developing deep listening skills and anticipating what a guest wants and needs, perhaps even before they know it themselves,” she says. “My very first boss and mentor in Ireland was a nurse who had opened a small clinic to heal and really take care of people. This was way before wellbeing was even recognised as a thing. Through Helen, I learned about developing empathy and truly listening to a person’s needs. This approach lies at the core of everything I create and it’s something that makes for a standout and unforgettable wellness experience.”
With this deeply personal approach and an unparalleled knowledge of spa operations, all backed by the might of a formidable and ambitious luxury hospitality brand, it will certainly be interesting to watch where O’Connell takes Jumeirah’s spa and wellbeing offers in the years ahead.
FAVOURITES
Treatment – Choosing only one is tough! I’d say chi nei tsang
Spa – I’m still in search of the ideal spa experience destination
Film – Goodfellas
Book – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John Le Carre
Place – Southern Spain
Season – Summer (although in Dubai I prefer winter!)
Best advice – Gordon Fuller, who was an area VP at Hyatt, used to tell me: “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” He inspired me to challenge the norm and mentored me in change management
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Sponsored: Highest French distinction for RKF's CEO
After receiving the highest civilian award for services to the French nation, Riadh Bouaziz, CEO of RKF Luxury Linen, reflects on his company’s many achievements and considers what lies ahead
Association focus: Thermal Heritage
Jane Kitchen finds out how two key associations – the European Historic Thermal Towns Association and the Great Spa Towns of Europe – are protecting and promoting the unique cultural relevances of Europe’s spa towns
Interview: Paul Simons
As he retires from the Great Spa Towns of Europe, the industry leader reflects on his long and esteemed career
Sponsored: New ways with water
Working globally with architects and interior designers allows Myrtha Wellness to embrace the latest trends in the international hospitality sector, as director Stefano Cattaneo explains
Sponsored: Cutting edge
Ara Patterson from Equinox Hotels talks about a partnership with
Gharieni that’s delivering ROI and innovative treatments for guests
Interview: Niamh O'Connell
What does Jumeirah’s first vice president of wellbeing have planned for the Middle East-based hospitality group?
Sponsored: Lasse Eriksen on contrast therapy
Contrast therapy is gaining attention for its healing effects. We ask aufguss and sauna expert Lasse Eriksen to share his views on the perfect experience
Nature spas: Tree of life
Lisa Starr discovers two retreats in Austria and Italy which base their wellbeing concepts on forests
Sponsored: Spirit of Excellence
Rupert Schmid and Pierre-Louis Delapalme, owners of Biologique Recherche, discuss the global rollout of its ‘Ambassade’ flagship spas
Sponsored: Outstanding performance
Bicester Hotel & Spa is working with Matrix Fitness to enable wellness guests to train like athletes with a unique offering
Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai in Hoi An, Vietnam, has put together a Global Wellness Day
(GWD) agenda with activations rooted in nature and shaped by four pillars of Joy – in
alignment with the day’s theme #JoyMagenta.
The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) will celebrate its 20th anniversary at the 2026 event in
Phuket, Thailand, later this year with the theme: The Science, Art and Soul of Wellness.
Auko, an all-inclusive development, is opening in Phong Nha in Vietnam in Q3 2026, with a
series of 30 tented eco-lodges and wellness hospitality operations by Lumina Wellbeing.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Naples Beach Club, a Four Seasons Resort, has opened a 2,800sq m spa called The Sanctuary,
with the design and concept inspired by the Native American people that populated Florida’s
Southwest coast – the Calusa.
Swire Hotels’ luxury hospitality brand Upper House has revealed it will roll out its two-day
House of Healing retreats at its three hotels in Hong Kong, Chengdu and Shanghai.
LVMH-owned beauty house Guerlain will launch up to five spas with partners a year as part of
its plan to expand globally, according to the brand’s international spa and wellness director,
Diane Davody.
A new global study by Kevin Kelly and Peter Yesawich, called WELLSurvey 2.0, has revealed
more than half of consumers in the UK, US and Germany would not choose numerous high-
profile wellness resort brands for a future trip.
Luxury hospitality and wellness pioneer Jeremy McCarthy has launched Leisure Alchemy, a
digital platform that will provide professionals with strategic guidance on how to build
transformational leisure experiences that drive profit.
Le Atelier by C.O.D.E. doesn't offer a standard bespoke service, it provides a highly
customised approach to designing massage beds and loungers in high-end wellness
environments. [more...]
