Attention to detail has helped McCarthy create exquisite spa facilities and experiences / photo: Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
One of the first general managers I worked for in the early 90s was Chris Hart at the Four Seasons Biltmore Resort in Santa Barbara.
Recently appointed supervisor of the pool area, I was doing a walk-through of the facilities with him. He paused for a moment and asked me to point out anything out of place. I glanced around – the pool was clean and tidy, towels folded neatly and loungers all in a row. “I don’t see anything in particular,” I told him nervously.
“Look at the cabanas,” he said. “The curtains are all raised to different heights. Most guests will not pick up on this or complain about it. But if you made them all the same height, the space would feel different and guests might notice that feeling. Details matter.”
This would be the first (of many) lessons in my hospitality career about attention to detail. Attention to detail, I’ve learned, is a superpower. When used well, it’s a powerful tool that means:
1 We create spaces that are relaxing, enjoyable and harmonious
2 We design flawless service interactions – “They thought of everything!” guests will say
3 We anticipate what guests want before they even know to ask
Practice makes perfect Throughout my career, I’ve had many opportunities to develop my attention to detail. I spent months at a hotel in Beverly Hills, for example, agonising over the best system for the perfect folding of pool towels. At a resort in Maui, the manager would check the cleanliness of the steamroom with a cotton swab to find any dirt or mould hiding in the creases of tiles. In another hotel spa, I fixated on sourcing the perfect container for tea bags so they neatly aligned, with just enough sticking out for guests to know what flavours were available. Details matter.
If you have this skill, it will serve you well in a career in wellness or hospitality. If you don’t have it yet, you can hone it with intention. The best way to practice is to walk through your department with the eyes of a guest. What do they see when they lie on your massage bed? When relaxing in your tea lounge? When sitting on the toilet in your changing room?
Working in luxury means we don’t just go from good to great. We strive for perfection – to eliminate flaws no matter how minuscule. Our job is first, to notice. Then, to fix it.
Everything matters Great hospitality professionals are known for obsessing over details. We fluff the pillows just so, fold our napkins into origami artwork and place a flower under treatment beds for something to look at during a massage. For the true hotelier, no detail escapes our attention. Everything matters.
And once you have this skill, it’s like a beacon you can’t turn off – even when you’re outside work. In every establishment we visit, we see the dust on the top of the cabinet. The employee noticeboard that’s obstructing the customer’s view. The ever-so-slightly misaligned merchandise on the shelf. Ask us about a recent interaction with any business and we’ll give 30 suggestions for details that could be improved.
It’s a superpower that means you become better at everything you do. Attention to detail helped me to be successful in creating exquisite spa facilities and experiences. And it surely helped Chris Hart, who climbed the ranks of Four Seasons for more than three decades, eventually becoming president of Asia and then the Americas.
photo: Mandarin Oriental
Jeremy McCarthy has worked in the spa industry for 34 years. As group director of spa and wellness for Mandarin Oriental, he oversees spa, wellness and leisure operations at 35 luxury hotels globally. Contact him with your views on Twitter @jeremymcc
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Profile: King of Bhutan
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Destination focus: London
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Jeremy McCarthy: Details matter
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Interview: Esin Güral Argat
The owner of Joali Being tells Neena Dhillon what inspired her to create an island dedicated to transformative wellbeing in the Maldives
Family matters: The Wilhelmis
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First person: By royal appointment
Lindsay Madden-Nadeau has a hypo-healing experience at Atlantis The Royal, Kerzner's sister property to the iconic Atlantis The Palm
Interview: Lyndell Nelis
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New opening: Kilolani Spa
Grand Wailea's famous Hawaiian spa has been transformed into a moon-inspired, open-air haven
Event report: Hotting it up
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Attention to detail has helped McCarthy create exquisite spa facilities and experiences / photo: Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
One of the first general managers I worked for in the early 90s was Chris Hart at the Four Seasons Biltmore Resort in Santa Barbara.
Recently appointed supervisor of the pool area, I was doing a walk-through of the facilities with him. He paused for a moment and asked me to point out anything out of place. I glanced around – the pool was clean and tidy, towels folded neatly and loungers all in a row. “I don’t see anything in particular,” I told him nervously.
“Look at the cabanas,” he said. “The curtains are all raised to different heights. Most guests will not pick up on this or complain about it. But if you made them all the same height, the space would feel different and guests might notice that feeling. Details matter.”
This would be the first (of many) lessons in my hospitality career about attention to detail. Attention to detail, I’ve learned, is a superpower. When used well, it’s a powerful tool that means:
1 We create spaces that are relaxing, enjoyable and harmonious
2 We design flawless service interactions – “They thought of everything!” guests will say
3 We anticipate what guests want before they even know to ask
Practice makes perfect Throughout my career, I’ve had many opportunities to develop my attention to detail. I spent months at a hotel in Beverly Hills, for example, agonising over the best system for the perfect folding of pool towels. At a resort in Maui, the manager would check the cleanliness of the steamroom with a cotton swab to find any dirt or mould hiding in the creases of tiles. In another hotel spa, I fixated on sourcing the perfect container for tea bags so they neatly aligned, with just enough sticking out for guests to know what flavours were available. Details matter.
If you have this skill, it will serve you well in a career in wellness or hospitality. If you don’t have it yet, you can hone it with intention. The best way to practice is to walk through your department with the eyes of a guest. What do they see when they lie on your massage bed? When relaxing in your tea lounge? When sitting on the toilet in your changing room?
Working in luxury means we don’t just go from good to great. We strive for perfection – to eliminate flaws no matter how minuscule. Our job is first, to notice. Then, to fix it.
Everything matters Great hospitality professionals are known for obsessing over details. We fluff the pillows just so, fold our napkins into origami artwork and place a flower under treatment beds for something to look at during a massage. For the true hotelier, no detail escapes our attention. Everything matters.
And once you have this skill, it’s like a beacon you can’t turn off – even when you’re outside work. In every establishment we visit, we see the dust on the top of the cabinet. The employee noticeboard that’s obstructing the customer’s view. The ever-so-slightly misaligned merchandise on the shelf. Ask us about a recent interaction with any business and we’ll give 30 suggestions for details that could be improved.
It’s a superpower that means you become better at everything you do. Attention to detail helped me to be successful in creating exquisite spa facilities and experiences. And it surely helped Chris Hart, who climbed the ranks of Four Seasons for more than three decades, eventually becoming president of Asia and then the Americas.
photo: Mandarin Oriental
Jeremy McCarthy has worked in the spa industry for 34 years. As group director of spa and wellness for Mandarin Oriental, he oversees spa, wellness and leisure operations at 35 luxury hotels globally. Contact him with your views on Twitter @jeremymcc
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Profile: King of Bhutan
Plans for a 'mindfulness city' nearly as big as Hong Kong have been unveiled by the King of Bhutan. Katie Barnes takes a closer look
Destination focus: London
Major hotel brands from Mandarin Oriental and Raffles to Six Senses are all investing in the UK capital, but how will they differentiate themselves asks Katie Barnes
Sponsored: Beltrami – made in Italy
Beltrami has more than 50 years’ experience creating bespoke textile products for spas around the world, with a focus on quality
Jeremy McCarthy: Details matter
Attention to detail is a superpower and necessity in the luxury spa arena, says our contributing editor
Interview: Esin Güral Argat
The owner of Joali Being tells Neena Dhillon what inspired her to create an island dedicated to transformative wellbeing in the Maldives
Family matters: The Wilhelmis
The father and son duo behind the Buchinger Wilhelmi fasting method share their exciting plans for research and innovation with Megan Whitby
First person: By royal appointment
Lindsay Madden-Nadeau has a hypo-healing experience at Atlantis The Royal, Kerzner's sister property to the iconic Atlantis The Palm
Interview: Lyndell Nelis
The wellness director for Atlantis Resorts explains how its two Dubai properties are 'smashing it' when it comes to spa performance
New opening: Kilolani Spa
Grand Wailea's famous Hawaiian spa has been transformed into a moon-inspired, open-air haven
Event report: Hotting it up
Jane Kitchen reveals the thermal spa issues and trends delegates were talking about at this industry gathering in California
Sponsored: High end
Hoar Cross Hall has a new gym to match its award-winning hotel and spa. We find out more about the transformation
Software: Building relationships
Using personal data to create tailored experiences is paramount for spas, but operators have been fined millions for breaching GDPR. How can software systems help navigate this?
Sponsored: Add life
Increasing life expectancy is one of the great achievements of our
times and Starpool is working to bring real meaning to longevity
A recent survey by the UK Spa Association (UKSA) into the industry’s approach to cancer care
has revealed that almost half of participating respondents (46 per cent) are unaware that
cancer is a disability and guests with a cancer diagnosis must be given
Mexican operator, Solmar Hotels and Resorts, is hosting a series of events in celebration of
Global Wellness Day, including a Temazcal ceremony at its Playa Grande Resort and Spa in Los
Cabos.
Mandarin Oriental has announced a standalone residence brand, Mansions, which will debut at
Emirates Palace, Mandarin Oriental Mansions, Abu Dhabi, in 2029.
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.
In the fast-paced world of fitness and wellness, where high-intensity workouts push us to
our limits and the sweat pours, the importance of efficient recovery cannot be overstated. [more...]
+ More featured suppliers
COMPANY PROFILES
Yon-Ka As pioneers in aromatherapy since 1954 and founders of the Yon-Ka brand, the Multaler Laboratories, [more...]
