This week we sit down with Wolf Hengst, a legend in the hospitality world and Chairman of Wahanda, to share his experience in spa and wellness. After nearly 30 years, Wolf recently retired as the President of World Wide Operations at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. In recognition of his contributions he was awarded the highly prestigious J.D. Power Founders award for outstanding, sustained contribution to customer service. He is only the 17th person (or company) ever to receive the award.
Wahanda: For 30 years you worked with the prestigious Four Seasons Hotel Group who were famous for opening the first full-service spas in hotels in the mid-80s. What involvement did you have in that decision and why did you think it was such an important area for hotels to branch into?
WH: More than 28 years ago when at Four Seasons we were planning the construction of the Four Seasons Hotel and Resort in Dallas, Texas, and our first major resort was under development in Maui, Hawaii, our founder Isadore Sharp, a self described fitness maniac and lifestyle visionary discussed with me the opportunity to do something quite different for our resorts and consider the inclusion of a spa. He sent me, along with our top design executive to a few highly regarded spas including Canyon Ranch to see how this could fit with Four Seasons in the future. I was immediately hooked and enthusiastically advocated the inclusion of a spa in Dallas and for that matter all future resorts. We felt that along with increased awareness of fitness as part of our guest’s lifestyle, spas were going to become a natural extension of guest services.
Wahanda: You’re certainly worldly-wise. Born in Germany, raised in Australia and trained in Switzerland, your job then took you from America to Hong Kong to Canada. What parts of the world are leading the way in the spa industry?
WH: During the years that I was training in Europe, Europe was the leader in wellness and water-based spas. It’s spa history is legendary – both for medical reasons and relaxation. One only needs to think of Evian and Bath as an example. Today, I believe North America and Asia are the trendsetters where life style, fitness, relaxation and holistic medicine converge. The reasons for this are the intense changes in the lives of the baby boomers and the growing affluence and lifestyle changes of the Asian population.
Wahanda: Apparently America has more spas than Starbucks, do you think this will become the case for the UK and Europe?
WH: As you know, Starbucks just announced the cutback of hundreds of stores in America so I believe the continuing growth of spas in the UK and Europe will certainly surpass the ambitions of Starbucks. Starbucks is about kicking into action each morning whereas spas are about maintaining lifelong action though wellness and healthy lifestyles.
Wahanda: What are you working on now?
WH: The most exciting thing I am working on now is my involvement with a fabulous group of young, ambitious, knowledgeable, keen men and women at Wahanda who are creating an e-commerce and online wellness community that is going to revolutionize access to wellness, spa and beauty businesses at a level not found before. I am on the boards of three companies as well as the University of Houston Conrad Hilton Hotel School, which is working towards creating a spa management programme. I am also on the board of the not for profit GMAC company based outside of Washington, DC.
Wahanda: What was it that attracted you to Wahanda?
WH: Wahanda’s business model, when first shown to me one year ago now, stirred great excitement in me because I realized that Wahanda’s Founders, Lopo Champalimaud and Salim Mitha, were on to something that was missing for the customer looking for an e-commerce site on the internet that was comprehensive, intuitive, user friendly, interactive as well as uncomplicated. It was going to be a site that was providing a perfect marriage between the customers and spa, wellness and beauty businesses. Not less important to me was the quality of the investors behind Wahanda who all have a history of successes both on the Internet and other businesses as well as a passion for wellness and spas.
Wahanda: How do you think the site will change people’s perceptions of the spa and wellness industry?
WH: The site will take away the mystique of spas and the perceived inaccessibility of wellness and beauty centres. Yoga is not a religion and hot stone massage is not a torture and you’ll find out if you have to take your shorts off for a massage. It will answer all the questions with understanding and a sense of humour too.
Wahanda: You recently spoke on a panel at the Global Spa Summit about the shortage of skilled labour in the spa industry. Can you tell us more about that?
WH: Labour shortage is an important, critical issue for the industry as reflected in the vote taken of participants at the Global Spa Summit. It ranked first amongst all issues for the industry that were presented. A task force had been established at the previous summit to assist members in discussing possible solutions. The short and long of it (and the long dominates) is that the industry as a whole needs to be better recognized as a place where there is money to be made as a therapist, aesthetician, wellness instructor and discipline manager and that there are long term careers to be had that are exciting, rewarding and meaningful.
What can be better in life than to help others to live a better, healthier and beautiful life? University and schools throughout the world need to understand the business and initiate programmes that will feed the industry with keen, excited managers for this growing, leading business in the leisure and hospitality industry.
Wahanda: You’re a (four) seasoned professional when it comes to spas, what tips or advice would you give to business owners and therapists to help improve the consumers experience?
WH: The consumer/customer experience is determined by the quality of the therapy and the intuitive, friendly, genuine service provided. It is a given that the spa owner or operator has a beautiful, clean, inviting environment. If there was ever a description of a business that requires “high touch” and less “high tech” then it is the spa and wellness business. So, train the staff, then train again and never stop listening to both your customer and your staff. Product and service of the highest quality provided will be followed by the highest profit naturally.
Wahanda: Finally, what treatment would you love to try that you haven’t already?
WH: Six hands massage ☺
Tags: Four Seasons, Four Seasons Hotels, hotel spas, J.D. Power, massage, spas, Wahanda, Wolf Hengst