Moore, a well-known industry figure, is tackling spa staffing issues head on with her new company
After six years at MSpa, overseeing spas for Minor Hotels across the world, Kathryn Moore has set up her own company to fill a training and recruitment void in the industry.
Moore, who most recently oversaw 60 facilities as MSpa’s director of spa in Asia, says the launch of Spa Connectors was inspired by her experience in the industry. “We saw the same problems, year after year,” she explains. “There’s always a shortage of therapists, and there’s always an issue with training.”
Spa Connectors works with colleges in China, India, Indonesia, Thailand and Morocco to source high-quality therapists – screening them for English fluency, experience, motivation and attitude – before interviewing them and doing reference checks.
Once selected, therapists can then take one of two courses: a three-month course for those with no experience, or a two-week course for experienced therapists. The courses include Spa Connectors’ X-factor module, which teaches employee engagement, anticipating guests’ needs, up-selling, empathy and more.
Spa Connectors is aiming its services at five-star resorts in the Middle East, Asia and the Indian Ocean, with plans to expand into China and Africa. The organisation will also train therapists in two specific protocols for the hotel they’re going to work in. “They’ll be ready to go and start generating revenue as soon as they start,” Moore says.
Hotels pay US$1,000 (€916, £698) for a trained therapist, and turn-around time is between two weeks and three months.
Spa Connectors also offers a corporate social responsibility division and has partnered with Harmony House in India and BaliWISE in Bali to help place disadvantaged women into spa careers.
“A lot of hotels have massive CSR budgets that they could use for this,” says Moore. Instead of spending that CSR budget on planting trees or painting a school, she explains, they can put their money towards training a disadvantaged woman to be a therapist who works for them – a win/win situation. “I’m really excited about this division.... I think we can make a really big difference,” she says.
Spa Connectors also offers spa pre-opening services and audits in addition to specialised spa manager training and recruitment. Moore says: “We’re working with a lot of consultants because they don’t want to do the training and recruitment, so they build our services into the package.”
Spa Connectors had a soft launch at the Global Wellness Summit in November, but officially got up and running in January and expects to have its first students ready at the end of March. The company also includes Julie-Anne Kelly, training and culture director; Simon Eadon, commercial director; Jaime Svensson, operations director; and Lisa McCarthy, marketing and PR manager.
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Interview: Kenneth Ryan
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Promotional feature: Steve Kass Consulting
Steve Kass, founder and former CEO of American Leisure, has launched a new business, Steve Kass Consulting. The global leader explains his goals as an innovative concept and design creator
Research: Work it out
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Promotional feature: Ojmar
A growing number of spa operators across the UK are working with Ojmar to upgrade their traditional keyed locking systems to electronic solutions
Moore, a well-known industry figure, is tackling spa staffing issues head on with her new company
After six years at MSpa, overseeing spas for Minor Hotels across the world, Kathryn Moore has set up her own company to fill a training and recruitment void in the industry.
Moore, who most recently oversaw 60 facilities as MSpa’s director of spa in Asia, says the launch of Spa Connectors was inspired by her experience in the industry. “We saw the same problems, year after year,” she explains. “There’s always a shortage of therapists, and there’s always an issue with training.”
Spa Connectors works with colleges in China, India, Indonesia, Thailand and Morocco to source high-quality therapists – screening them for English fluency, experience, motivation and attitude – before interviewing them and doing reference checks.
Once selected, therapists can then take one of two courses: a three-month course for those with no experience, or a two-week course for experienced therapists. The courses include Spa Connectors’ X-factor module, which teaches employee engagement, anticipating guests’ needs, up-selling, empathy and more.
Spa Connectors is aiming its services at five-star resorts in the Middle East, Asia and the Indian Ocean, with plans to expand into China and Africa. The organisation will also train therapists in two specific protocols for the hotel they’re going to work in. “They’ll be ready to go and start generating revenue as soon as they start,” Moore says.
Hotels pay US$1,000 (€916, £698) for a trained therapist, and turn-around time is between two weeks and three months.
Spa Connectors also offers a corporate social responsibility division and has partnered with Harmony House in India and BaliWISE in Bali to help place disadvantaged women into spa careers.
“A lot of hotels have massive CSR budgets that they could use for this,” says Moore. Instead of spending that CSR budget on planting trees or painting a school, she explains, they can put their money towards training a disadvantaged woman to be a therapist who works for them – a win/win situation. “I’m really excited about this division.... I think we can make a really big difference,” she says.
Spa Connectors also offers spa pre-opening services and audits in addition to specialised spa manager training and recruitment. Moore says: “We’re working with a lot of consultants because they don’t want to do the training and recruitment, so they build our services into the package.”
Spa Connectors had a soft launch at the Global Wellness Summit in November, but officially got up and running in January and expects to have its first students ready at the end of March. The company also includes Julie-Anne Kelly, training and culture director; Simon Eadon, commercial director; Jaime Svensson, operations director; and Lisa McCarthy, marketing and PR manager.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Interview: Kenneth Ryan
Marriott’s global head of spa talks exclusively to Katie Barnes about the new ‘game-changing’ Ritz-Carlton Spa brand and market domination
Promotional feature: Steve Kass Consulting
Steve Kass, founder and former CEO of American Leisure, has launched a new business, Steve Kass Consulting. The global leader explains his goals as an innovative concept and design creator
Research: Work it out
Ophelia Yeung gives a sneak preview of a new study on workplace wellness that debuts later this month
Fitness: Competitive edge
Could a touch of rivalry help spas to engage more people in fitness? Niamh Madigan finds out
Promotional feature: Ojmar
A growing number of spa operators across the UK are working with Ojmar to upgrade their traditional keyed locking systems to electronic solutions
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.
Premium London health club, KX Chelsea, will imminently unveil its most significant
redevelopment since its launch in 2002 to create an integrated wellness model combining
training, recovery and relaxation.
