Spa+Clinic Team Chi Spa at Shangri-La Hotel Sydney wins Day Spa of the Year
Held at the prestigious Sydney Town Hall on September 5 and hosted by television personality Larry Emdur, the HM Awards have, for the 13th time, recognised the accommodation industry’s finest staff, properties, brands and chains across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.
The Day Spa of the Year Award was won by Chi Spa, Shangri-La Hotel Sydney, with Timeless Spa, Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa, receiving a commendation.
‘We are delighted to have received such a highly esteemed industry award, and to be recognised as the premier spa destination among Australian hotels,’ says Chaniele Erasmuson, Chi Spa manager. ‘The team and I have been working diligently to highlight Chi as an industry forerunner and winning this award is really a testament to the development of the spa.’
ABOVE: Chi Spa manager Chaniele Erasmuson (right) was presented with her award by Karen Prins, executive manager service and sales of Intrust Super.
ABOVE: Chaniele shares the award with the spa team – pictured with senior therapist Cassandra Holleley (right).
In congratulating Chi Spa on it’s win, Karen Prins of Intrust Super (the category sponsor) commented: ‘The day spa concept is a very distinct form of hospitality and in some respects is one of hospitality’s purest forms. While the experience for the customer is a comprehensive shift from the reality of day-to-day life, there’s an absolute bare minimum of interaction or effort required by the customer to have that experience. I guess the common term is ‘pampering’!
‘As the demands on professional and day-to-day life get heavier all the time, the limited time we have left to rejuvenate becomes more critical which is why we not only believe the day-spa subsector is important, but that it still has big growth ahead of it.
‘I extend a big congratulations to Chaniele Erasmuson and Chi Spa for winning this year’s HM Award for Best Day Spa. They’ve demonstrated that their unique blend of Asian and Australian themed treatments has enduring appeal and can stand out in a hotly-contested subsector that comprises some compelling recent entrants and re-inventions.
‘Indeed, all the nominees of this year’s HM Awards had compelling propositions and we’re simply amazed at how the standard across the industry manages to lift year on year. It just highlights the achievement of Chi Spa having won a category that was contested by entrants of such a high standard.’
It was still a big night for Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort and Sp, winning three awards on the night (Regional Property, Australian Lodge and Australian General Manager – Joost Heymeijer).
ABOVE: Some of the team from Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa with general manager and award recipient Joost Heymeijer.
Park Hyatt Sydney won for winning Luxury Hotel, while sister property Grand Hyatt Melbourne won the Upper-Upscale Property of the Year award.
Whitsundays star Hamilton Island was the recipient of four awards, winning: Resort (qualia), Marketing Campaign, Hotel Chef (Alastair Waddell, qualia), Communications Associate (Sophie Baker).
Sheraton Melbourne was named Best New Hotel, a tie with TFE Hotels’ Adina Apartment Hotel Bondi Beach.
The finalists in the Day Spa category were:
- Chahoya Spa by L’Occitane, Cable Beach Club Resort and Spa
- Chi Spa, Shangri-La Hotel Sydney Chuan Spa
- The Langham Melbourne
- One Spa, RACV Royal Pines Resort
- Salus Spa, Lake House Daylesford
- SpaQ, QT Sydney
- The Day Spa, The Langham Sydney
- The Spa at Chateau Elan
- The Spa, Park Hyatt Sydney
- The Waldheim Alpine Spa, Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge
- Timeless Spa, Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa
- Spa Vie Spa, Pullman Port Douglas Sea Temple Resort and Spa
‘HM magazine has again been proud to recognise the industry’s finest hotels, chains and, particularly staff, that have been doing an amazing job over the last 12 months,’ says HM magazine Editor-In-Chief, James Wilkinson. The 2014 HM Awards saw not just a huge crowd, but also a record number of entries with over 3000 this year.
‘It’s fantastic when a hotel can be rewarded for its aesthetics, style, design and comfort, but it is the people who work in hotels that give the accommodation industry in Australasia its soul,’ he adds.
On the night, a significant amount of money (final tallying is still being undertaken) was raised for the Garvan Institute of Medical Research through the Connie Johnson Fellowship in Breast Cancer Research.
The 2014 HM Awards were hosted by HM magazine; presented by Sealy; and co-hosted by AHS, the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School and Intrust Super.
Chi Spa features six private spa suites and offers guests 17 treatments consisting of body massages, scrubs, wraps, facials and movement of the mind through relaxation to assist the body’s natural renewal. Each of the six suites is a ‘spa within a spa’, providing private changing area and, in some, an aroma steam shower.
This year, Chi Spa at Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney took guests on a new kind of journey with the spa’s signature experience, the Sodashi Healing Chakra Treatment. Developed by Chi’s partner Sodashi Skincare, the Healing Chakra Treatment is perfectly suited to the spa’s unique concept inspired by the origins of the Shangri-La legend – a place of inner peace, enchantment and well-being.
