So, it’s no wonder she was chosen by Diane Nettleton, director of the Nettleton Collection to steer the ship at Boringdon Hall hotel’s luxury 12-treatment-room Gaia Spa. As group spa director, Hepburn’s not only in charge of the day-to-day operations at the 1,765sq m space in Plymouth, Devon, but oversees the treatment menu, membership and vision to make it a “destination spa for total wellness”.

It’s a big job and one that Hepburn is only a few months into. “I’ve worked in London for the past six years but I’m originally from Cornwall. I always knew I would come back to the South West someday but only for something really special,” she says. “Gaia just seemed like a great opportunity to do wellness in a different part of the country. It’s very spiritual down here and much more of a holistic environment.”

Hepburn’s previous high-profile positions have set her in good stead for the role, having learned operational skills at each one: “Pennyhill Park had 20 treatment rooms, so I learned a lot about volume and running a huge space; Bulgari was a bubble

of luxury where money was no object, so I could think outside the box in terms of its offering; and The Ned was a one-stop shop where my job was to tailor the treatments to its urban surroundings, creating an express bar that works for city-goers.”

Strategic growth

Although Hepburn’s still relatively new in her role, Gaia opened in June 2016 and has gone from strength to strength since launching. “It’s been received incredibly well and it’s a really successful spa. Now, it’s about pointing the business in the right direction for growth,” explains Hepburn.

One thing she is looking to implement as part of the growth strategy are wellbeing- inspired four-day retreats, “where people can take stock of their lives, think about their careers and relationships, and become more focused,” she says. The package will be aimed at small groups and incorporate healing treatments, such as crystal work, and the stunning setting of the Dartmoor moorland that surrounds Gaia.

The spa’s membership is another area set for development under Hepburn’s management. “Our main KPIs are creating a great concept, making money and hitting budgets, but it’s also about re-evaluating the footfall as it has gotten very busy,” says Hepburn. “It’s not about thousands of members, it’s about the right membership.”

Memberships start from £900 (US$ 1,209) per person and can range up to £2,040 (US$ 2,740) per couple, but Hepburn says prices will be reviewed in the coming months due to the spa’s success. Hepburn has now also

set the membership up as more of an application process, “looking at the numbers monthly rather than just taking members on, and making sure people who join believe in the spa’s ethos”.

Evolving offering

Recruitment is the other core focus for Hepburn and, like most spa directors, she finds recruiting great therapists a challenge. “It’s about finding the right people because the spa runs on good, quality therapists,” she says. Hepburn is this month launching her Step to Success concept for staff at Gaia, which maps out therapists’ growth plans for the next five years so they have clearly defined career paths.

“All too often a therapist will come in, do their treatments and after a year, get bored or lose direction. My programme will equip them with the right skills to work in a wellness environment, covering everything from commissions to training, because being a therapist is a tricky job, especially in terms of taking their massage skills to another level,” says Hepburn.

Hepburn currently employs 20 therapists, but she’s hoping to attract more, especially from overseas. “I want to draw quality people to this part of the world. There are also plans to expand the team to include more in-house experts who tie into the concept of Gaia as a destination spa. “In other roles I’ve had, I’ve worked with

acupuncturists, osteopaths and people who offer alternative treatments, and I want to bring some of these talents to Gaia,” she adds. “I want the spa to evolve along with the health industry.”

When the spa opened, it launched with an eponymous line of natural products. This is now one of the most important parts of the business, something Hepburn plans to make the most of. “The Gaia line outsells any other product house we have because people want something to remind them of their visit – a connection to how they felt in the spa. We’ve added a new serum in November, so it’s now nearly a full collection.” As for the future of Hepburn and Gaia Spa? Her objective, Hepburn explains, is “to create something really special for the South West”.

The stunning Gaia Spa Burst onto the scene last year , causing teacups to rattle in the hotels 16th- Centuary great hall. Three storeys of slate and bleached woods, with light – filled pool, an indoor hydrotherapy area and dainty ‘spatisserrie’ serving calorific cakes as well as rabbit food.

And there is no turning here if you ask for a glass of bubbly. The spa new director imaginative Shelley Hepburn , fresh from the launching of the Ned (see City) she has plans for moonlit walks on Dartmoor and out-there sessions involving healers and nearby ley lines.

UK: Shelley Hepburn is spearheading the spa and fitness offering at a luxurious new London hotel designed and operated by Soho House & Co and Sydell Group.

Set to open in early 2017, The Ned is situated in the Grade I-listed former Midland Bank headquarters designed by Sir Edwin ‘Ned’ Lutyens.

Featuring nine restaurants and bars, as well as 252 bedrooms, other facilities include event spaces and a rooftop terrace with a pool overlooking St Paul’s cathedral, as well as a members club.

The comprehensive health and wellness offering at The Ned spa will differentiate between members of the public and Ned’s Club members/hotel guests. Both will receive carefully curated menus with advanced services to look after their every need.

The public section will include a Cowshed spa with a complete range of treatments including tailor-made massages, body wraps and facials using natural and targeted products from the Cowshed product range.

There will also be Cheeky, a ‘one-stop beauty shop’ offering ten manicure and pedicure stations, and the traditional Neville barbershop offering everything from a quick trim to a luxury grooming package.

For members and hotel guests, Ned’s Club Relax includes a hammam, a sauna and a steamroom, while the fitness offering, called Ned’s Club Active, will provide high-intensity exercise, House Ride (spinning), boxing, hydro fitness, yoga, Pilates and rehabilitation.

“The Ned’s spa and grooming offer is like nowhere else in the City,” said Shelley Hepburn, former Bulgari Hotel spa director. “You can book a massage, have a facial, get your beard trimmed, book a make-up session, have dinner and stay in a hotel all under one roof.” www.thened.com

With a rich heritage in fashion and design, Bulgari spa occupies a high end exclusive position in the spa market.

The Bulgari spa brand is quite unique people will pay for that luxury says spa director Shelley Hepburn As well as a fitness room, treatment suite and relaxation zone, the spa, which occupies two subterranean levels of the Knightsbridge-based Bulgari Hotel, boasts a 25-metre colonnaded swimming pool with loungers and cabanas, as well as a vitality pool. The space is clad in the textured Vicenza stone that has been the signature of great Italian architecture since the time of Palladio.

Hepburn has created a premium treatment menu that caters for the ever increasing demands of an exclusive spa membership comprised of high-net-worth guests. “We work with fast-paced people; top business execs and a certain type of celebrity. Guests who are steering away from procedures such as Botox and towards results-driven treatments, so facial acupuncture has been hugely popular for us.”

The spa’s client mix is an even split between male and female guests. “I’ve never experienced a 50/50 split before,” admits Hepburn. “More men are coming to the spa, so a new barber’s suite is replacing the podiatry clinic. We looked at room utilisation and realised we could introduce the barber experience to add a more masculine feel.”

Adding value to treatments

Massage remains ever popular, but Hepburn points out that “in terms of revenue, advanced facials

These popular services can be included as add-ons and are ideal for staff to upsell. “We recommend
and advise thorough consultations – we teach staff about listening skills,” explains Hepburn. “An add-on service needs to be a proper up-sell of £100. It really needs to offer something tangible to the client in the form of a treatment that will provide great results.”

Booking patterns are quite last-minute and guests demanding appointments on the spot expect to be accommodated. Some treatments are conducted in-room, like the Pure Flow jet-lag treatment, while a core group of regular freelancers are on hand

to cover at busy times. The spa itself has two key periods, with personal training sessions dominating the mornings, and afternoons and evenings becoming more spa focused.

In addition to the evolution of men’s grooming and advanced facials, the spa is developing the Bulgari Corporate Membership, aimed at CEOs and upper-level management. “UK corporate companies are embracing staff wellbeing,” notes Hepburn. “We are investing in our team who are able to provide tailor-made journeys for clients.”

Blow dries remain a top take-up in Neville’s hair studio at the Bulgari Spa and fitness technology has been identified as a key growth area for the business. Reflecting on her journey as spa director at Bulgari, Hepburn says: “It’s been the most amazing couple of years, building the spa from nothing to where we are today.”