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McCann is a key figure in the global spa industry and used to run Chiva-Som
An opportunity to delve deeper into the health and wellbeing arena, working alongside medical practitioners,” is what drew Sheila McCann to her new role of general manager for Lanserhof UK – as well as the chance to “apply the learnings from my now global experience to a new business model”.
In a notable move, she left her position as general manager of Thailand’s Chiva-Som early this year to head up two sites which form part of the ever-expanding portfolio of Austria-based health and medical resort specialists the Lanserhof Group.
One location, revealed in February, is a ‘medical gym’ opening this year. Lanserhof has partnered with the Dover Street Arts Club, a private club in Mayfair, London for the new wellness model.
The other is Grayshott Health Spa, an historic destination health spa in south England, which is to undergo a major refurb following Lanserhof’s acquisition last August.
With 59 rooms and 36 treatment rooms, Grayshott is known for its health-based programmes – ranging from those targeting the digestive system to regeneration following injuries or illness. And now Lanserhof plans to focus on its medical wellness offering.
“Both projects are very exciting,” says McCann, who’s most looking forward to being involved in their creative development. Yet, both are also very different. “Dovetailing the requirements and synergies between them will be a challenge – that and learning a bit of German!”
McCann is a key figure in the global spa industry and was at Chiva-Som for five years. The new appointment sees her career come almost full circle. “It’s an exciting challenge with a cutting-edge, high integrity health and wellbeing brand and a return to Grayshott where I spent seven years of my career in the 1990s.”
McCann started out as a therapist in Canada and over her 35-plus years in spas has worked for leading brands worldwide. Prior to Chiva-Som, she was corporate director of spa brand quality at Asia-based Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts, responsible for 35 sites.
In an interview with Spa Business last year, Lanserhof’s CMO Nils Behrens revealed that the UK was next on the group’s expansion “hit list”, adding to its existing portfolio of clinics in Lans, Austria; Tegernsee and Medicum in Germany, and the forthcoming location in Sylt, Germany.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
People profile: Garrett Mersberger
Garrett Mersberger on the overhaul of Kohler Waters’ flagship spa in Europe, plus his vision for ISPA following his appointment as chair of the association
Spa programmes: On the menu
Underwater yoga, healing breathwork and genetics all feature in Spa Business’ brand new series revealing the latest treatments, programmes and retreats in spas
Promotional feature: Zimmer MedizinSysteme
Cold therapy is suddenly all the rage, but Zimmer MedizinSysteme’s icelab takes it a step further, creating a cold sauna for the whole body. Rainer Bolsinger explains more about this cutting-edge therapy
Promotional feature: The Tides: pure Dutch nature inside
Modern living might be tough on our minds and bodies, but newly-launched Dutch wellness and self-care brand The Tides offers just the antidote with a new class of pure, raw products and treatments
McCann is a key figure in the global spa industry and used to run Chiva-Som
An opportunity to delve deeper into the health and wellbeing arena, working alongside medical practitioners,” is what drew Sheila McCann to her new role of general manager for Lanserhof UK – as well as the chance to “apply the learnings from my now global experience to a new business model”.
In a notable move, she left her position as general manager of Thailand’s Chiva-Som early this year to head up two sites which form part of the ever-expanding portfolio of Austria-based health and medical resort specialists the Lanserhof Group.
One location, revealed in February, is a ‘medical gym’ opening this year. Lanserhof has partnered with the Dover Street Arts Club, a private club in Mayfair, London for the new wellness model.
The other is Grayshott Health Spa, an historic destination health spa in south England, which is to undergo a major refurb following Lanserhof’s acquisition last August.
With 59 rooms and 36 treatment rooms, Grayshott is known for its health-based programmes – ranging from those targeting the digestive system to regeneration following injuries or illness. And now Lanserhof plans to focus on its medical wellness offering.
“Both projects are very exciting,” says McCann, who’s most looking forward to being involved in their creative development. Yet, both are also very different. “Dovetailing the requirements and synergies between them will be a challenge – that and learning a bit of German!”
McCann is a key figure in the global spa industry and was at Chiva-Som for five years. The new appointment sees her career come almost full circle. “It’s an exciting challenge with a cutting-edge, high integrity health and wellbeing brand and a return to Grayshott where I spent seven years of my career in the 1990s.”
McCann started out as a therapist in Canada and over her 35-plus years in spas has worked for leading brands worldwide. Prior to Chiva-Som, she was corporate director of spa brand quality at Asia-based Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts, responsible for 35 sites.
In an interview with Spa Business last year, Lanserhof’s CMO Nils Behrens revealed that the UK was next on the group’s expansion “hit list”, adding to its existing portfolio of clinics in Lans, Austria; Tegernsee and Medicum in Germany, and the forthcoming location in Sylt, Germany.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
People profile: Garrett Mersberger
Garrett Mersberger on the overhaul of Kohler Waters’ flagship spa in Europe, plus his vision for ISPA following his appointment as chair of the association
Spa programmes: On the menu
Underwater yoga, healing breathwork and genetics all feature in Spa Business’ brand new series revealing the latest treatments, programmes and retreats in spas
Promotional feature: Zimmer MedizinSysteme
Cold therapy is suddenly all the rage, but Zimmer MedizinSysteme’s icelab takes it a step further, creating a cold sauna for the whole body. Rainer Bolsinger explains more about this cutting-edge therapy
Promotional feature: The Tides: pure Dutch nature inside
Modern living might be tough on our minds and bodies, but newly-launched Dutch wellness and self-care brand The Tides offers just the antidote with a new class of pure, raw products and treatments
Global retreat trade show, Synergy The Retreat Show, has launched a resource called The
Source, which hosts an open-access online Transformation Series programme.
The Standards Authority for Touch in Cancer Care (SATCC) charity has announced its first five-
day Living with Cancer and Beyond retreat, which will be held at Carden Park Hotel and Spa in
Cheshire, UK, between 1 and 5 September.
Patmos Aktis, a Luxury Collection Resort and Spa, has opened in Greece, with a renovated and
rebranded wellness offering called Ansana Wellness and Spa.
The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, an Autograph Collection property in Hawaii, US, has opened its
22,000 sq ft indoor-outdoor Spa at Mauna Kea as the final step in the property’s overall
renovation, which has cost more than US$180 million (€166 million, £140 mill
The UK spa review and discovery platform for consumers, the Good Spa Guide, has announced
it will host the Good Spa Guide Awards 2026 during an event on 16 November at Sopwell House
Hotel in St Albans, UK.
Eighty-four per cent of consumers now say wellness is a top priority in their lives, with this
percentage increasing year on year, according to a preview presentation of McKinsey’s Future of
Wellness 2026 research report.
Mass protests have been taking place since Monday 1 June in Albania over the development of
a luxury resort by Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.
Global Wellness Day (GWD) marked its 15th anniversary on Saturday 13 June 2026, with the
theme: #JoyMagenta – a celebration of the healing qualities of simple gestures and activities
that spark joy.
Global luxury hospitality brand, Six Senses, has partnered with longevity healthcare provider,
HUM2N, to launch a clinic at Six Senses London, at The Whiteley.
As part of its first hotel partnership, Mayrlife – the medical health resort company known for its
site in Altaussee, Austria – has launched a day clinic at the Rosewood Vienna.
