The advisory panel for the third annual Hotelier Middle East Spa & Wellness Forum highlighted a range of key issues and trends that will be debated at this year’s event, from licensing to recruitment and benchmarking

Meet the expert

Aoibheanna Bonner
Corporate director of spa operations, Rotana Hotels
Bonner began her Middle East career as the spa & recreation manager at ESPA at Yas Viceroy, Abu Dhabi in 2010 where she oversaw the implementation of the first branded ESPA spa in the UAE. She has held positions at the Caledonian Hilton Hotel, The Edge Health & Fitness Club, and Norton House Hotel & Spa. In her current role she is responsible for overseeing, supporting and developing all aspects of spa operations for all Zen Spas within the Rotana group.

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Beverley Spencer
Spa manager, Cleopatra’s Spa, Dubai
Spencer manages one of Dubai’s longest established day spas; Cleopatra’s Spa. Having worked across the UK and Middle East, Spencer has gained more than 20 years’ international spa and leisure management experience working across a number of sectors, including government and commercial entities, and a global hotel brand.

Galina Antoniouk
Complex director of spas, Le Royal Méridien Beach Resort + Spa and Grosvenor House Dubai
Antoniouk started her career in hospitality in 1998, as assistant recreational manager at the Ajman Kempinski Hotel. In 2002, she moved to Le Royal Méridien Beach Resort + Spa Dubai as assistant recreational manager, and in 2007 she took on her current role as complex director of spa. Spencer added B/Attitude Spa to her portfolio after Grosvenor House Dubai’s Tower Two was completed in 2011.

Ghassan Amer
Spa manager, Amara Spa, Park Hyatt Dubai
Ghassan Amer began his hospitality career with One & Only Royal Mirage Dubai and has been associated with brands such as Rich’s Spa & Beauty Salon Doha, Mövenpick Hotel Dubai and Cleopatra’s Spa, Wafi Dubai. Prior to moving to Park Hyatt, he was spa manager at Atlantis, The Palm Dubai.

Neil Hewerdine
Vice president of spa services, Atlantis The Palm, Dubai (Kerzner International)
Hewerdine has 25 years’ experience, having served globally in spas as both operations and leisure director, working for Cruise Lines and Atlantis Spa in The Bahamas. Hewerdine became GM of Consultancy Services for Spa Resources International in the UAE, where he successfully worked on several new concepts and led the brand development for the company.

Paul Hawco
Director of talise spa operations, Jumeirah hotels & resorts
Hawco spent nine years with the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts’ spa division, working across three properties internationally. His first spa director role was in Bermuda in 2004, where he held this position for six years before transferring back to Canada to spend two years opening and operating Fairmont’s first City/ Urban spa model. Following this, Hawco joined Jumeirah Group in 2011 and took on the position of director of Talise Spa operations in March 2013 and is responsible for the commercial, operational and development success of the Talise Spa brand.

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