Recruiting the spa team and spa manager

I prepare a team that understands the project before the first guest arrives.

Recruiting a hotel spa team starts well before the interviews. You need to know which roles to open, with which skills, for which hours and at what point in the pre-opening.

I define these roles from the operating model and write the corresponding job descriptions. I then take part in interviews with the hotel to assess candidates and explain the project. I worked as a therapist and spa receptionist before becoming Assistant Spa Manager, Spa Manager and Hotel Manager. I know what each role involves, from the treatment room to hotel management. Once the team is chosen, I prepare its onboarding, its procedures and the test days.

Defining the roles before recruiting

I start from demand scenarios to define staffing levels and schedules, then identify the roles required. Each job description covers the tasks, the skills expected and the role’s place in the organisation.

A job description is the basis for the job advert, the interview and onboarding. Together, the descriptions give hotel management a clear view of the team to build before recruitment starts.

The spa manager role

The spa manager looks after the team, the menu, service quality and the spa’s figures. I held this role at the Villars Palace, and the Assistant Spa Manager role at Antarès Méribel.

When the spa manager position is part of the recruitment, it follows the same process, with a job description and then interviews held with the hotel.

Interviews and choosing the team

During interviews, I present the project to candidates and assess with the hotel how well they fit the planned operation. Someone who understands the project from the interview knows what they are committing to.

At the Villars Palace, the team recruited for the spa opening counted nine members. At Antarès Méribel, I supported the recruitment of a four-person team for a temporary spa.

Preparing the team before opening

I prepare onboarding, procedures and coordination between the spa team and the wider hotel. The goal is for everyone to know how a booking, a welcome, a treatment and a departure unfold, and who to pass information to.

Test days allow the team to rehearse the real guest journey. Training in brand-specific protocols remains the responsibility of the partner brands, and I coordinate its place in the schedule so the team is ready for the tests.

Frequently asked questions

When should a hotel recruit its spa team?

The timing depends on the local job market, the season and the brand training sessions. Recruitment takes its place in the opening schedule, early enough for the team to settle in, train and rehearse the guest journey during the test days.

Should the spa manager be hired first?

It depends on the project and the schedule. A spa manager who joins early can take part in recruiting the team and in the preparation. If they join later, the job descriptions, procedures and schedules already written give them the structure to take over the project.

Do you train therapists in treatments?

Training in treatment protocols is provided by the partner brands. I prepare the team’s onboarding, the procedures, coordination with the hotel and the test days where the guest journey is rehearsed.

How many people does a spa team need?

It depends on the number of treatment rooms, opening hours, expected demand and seasonality. I build demand scenarios to size staffing levels and schedules before recruitment starts.