Wellness specialist Bryan Hoare has been named general manager of the upcoming 30,000sq ft (2,787sq m) ESPA destination spa that has just opened at the mega-resort Baha Mar complex in The Bahamas.
Hoare previously worked as a wellness consultant and as the clinical team wellness lead at the Naufar wellness centre in Doha, Qatar, a 75,000sq m (807,300sq ft) sanctuary for wellness and the treatment of substance use and addictive disorders.
A double-masters graduate, he has held leadership roles in the hospitality, fitness and healthcare industries for more than 20 years, and serves on the Mental Wellness Initiative of the Global Wellness Institute.
“I'm excited to join ESPA, a brand that has fantastic systems, from concept to training. plus, a strong vision and great innovation – especially as they have recently gone through a brand evolution,” Hoare told Spa Opportunities.
“Combined with the mega-resort that is Baha Mar, there are lots of synergies and a progressive vision, offering a unique position for ESPA within the resort. We are in early days and a soft-opening at the moment, but there is already a lot of excitement within the local community in the Bahamas, in the team that we work with, and in the guests that have experienced our services.”
Located within the 1,800-bedroom Grand Hyatt Baha Mar, the flagship ESPA spa draws on the brand's philosophy of creating bespoke experiences that reflect the culture and geography of the destination, and will offer signature treatments inspired by The Bahamas, including a Signature Sea Shell Massage. Indoor-outdoor spaces, ocean-view terraces and other areas have been designed for socialising or solitude, and the spa features 24 treatment rooms, including two couples' rooms and two express treatment rooms.
An 'Outdoor Reflex Chill Zone' offers lounge music and offers Chinese reflex foot massage or Thai/shiatsu massage. The spa also includes a nail studio, extensive fitness offering and spa lifestyle boutique.
Hoare said he relocated to The Bahamas from the Middle East in part because he was inspired by what ESPA is doing in evolving the brand, and also because he sees Baha Mar as “a great challenge and an even greater opportunity for bringing together so many aspects of business.”
“I see my role as GM will be to co-create a very strong vision with the team, and unify my diverse background – including wellness resorts, private member-clubs and recently a hospital whose focus was in mental health and addiction recovery – with ESPA; to bring out essence of Bahamas and its culture,” Hoare continued.
“We want to develop strong community relationships and to build a vibrant future – caring for the whole person and cementing ESPA's flagship spa in the Americas, with potential to evolve our integrated wellness offerings.”
The Baha Mar project was originally slated to be finished in 2014, but a series of hitches and legal battles – including a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in July 2015 – led to numerous delays.
Hong Kong-based global conglomerate Chow Tai Fook Enterprises Limited (CTFE) – parent company of Rosewood Hotel Group – bought the US$3.5bn mega-resort in December 2016, with plans to open it in phases.
The Grand Hyatt Baha Mar will also include a 100,000sq ft casino, a Jack Nicklaus Signature Design golf course, and The Baha Mar Convention, Art and Entertainment Center.
Located on 1,000 acres along Cable Beach in Nassau, the Baha Mar was masterplanned by Michael Hong Architects, and will also include the Rosewood Baha Mar, due to open in 2018, as well as the SLS LUX at Baha Mar and the Melia at Baha Mar.
