Today we’d like to introduce you to Allen Hunt.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
An Australian native, I started my professional life as a stylist in Sydney Australia. To supplement the low salaries of the day as an apprentice, I took up part-time work bartending at a Hyatt hotel and quickly became aware of my love for hospitality. That love and passion drove me from food & beverage management roles to serving as the Director of Rooms in large city hotels, airport locations as well as luxurious resorts including Hyatt, Hilton International, Ritz Carlton and Hayman Island (One & Only) located on the Great Barrier Reef.
In 2000, I joined “Spa Chakra” who had formed an exclusive partnership with Guerlain, a wholly owned subsidiary of LVMH as General Manager of Spas with the mission to develop a spa concept that would cross borders and aid in presenting the high-end luxury brand to new markets. Over the following 11 years the company launched over 30 spas in the finest hotels in the world across the globe including destinations in Australia, Europe, Middle East and Asia. Throughout these 11 years, I lived in South Korea, China, Europe, and then finally settled in the United Sates where I worked for several years as Senior Vice President for an international spa and recreation management company travelling internationally in excess of 150K miles per year.
As it always does, in 2014 travel and being away from home caught up with me and I took on the challenge of revitalizing the well storied and infamous Watergate Hotel in Washington DC. In 2016, opportunity once again knocked at my door and I accepted the role of Director Spa and Recreation at Marriott Marquis Houston. The opportunity to launch yet another spa, and the challenge of activating what would become one of Houston’s newest attractions, the Parkview Terrace with its one-of-a-kin Texas-shaped rooftop lazy river was too much to resist.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The road is not worth travelling if there are not a few bumps along the way, these bumps allow an individual to grow and expand.
Some of the challenges I encountered along the way included living and working in remote locations where English, more often than not, was not widely spoken. I found that often there was a steep learning curve to understanding cultural nuances, customs and how these impacted everything you did from building brand to spas design. For example, in Juju and Seoul we needed to consider a place and process for the removal of shoes as outdoor shoes are never worn inside.
Some of the bumps in the road were more funny then others, during my time in South Korea I will always remember when the brand dictated that all providers learn how to wax, and since not a lot of my Korean colleagues required waxing, suddenly I was on a table serving as the hairy Australian model while five Korean ladies “learned how to wax.”
Pure Spa Marriott Marquis Houston – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
As part of Marriott International we have over 6,000 sister properties, and really function as one, large family, which provides a wonderful resource to Pure, allowing us to easily learn about new services and treatments from every corner of the globe. As Spa & Recreation Director my role is to ensure that we offer cutting edge treatments using the finest products available to both hotel guests and local area residents. We operate upon the belief that these days, in hotels and certainly spas, it’s more about creating an experience that “by-the-way” has a wellness aspect intended to help you feel better than you did when you arrived.
The other piece to my role is the activation of the Parkview Terrace and ensuing the many guests, sometimes numbering in the thousands that visit us each week, be they local staycation guests or from further afield, have a wonderful experience drifting around the lazy river, playing bocce ball or corn all while being entertained by some of Houston’s most talented DJs. The thing I am most proud of when I think about Marriott is its commitment to people, guests and employees alike. Marriott encourages diversity, fosters creativity, and promotes the idea of personal growth. With the support of the brand, Pure Spa has been able to source unique and inspiring products such as Cellcosmet, a highly scientific cosmeceutical line from Switzerland, and is a skin care line that is exclusive to Pure Spa at the Marriott Marquis. We also carry exclusively LondonTown, a beautiful and colorful line of nail polish that nourishes the nail plate while wearing it. Pure Spa is fortunate to have some of the very finest massage and skincare providers in Houston.
Contact Info:
- Address: Pure Spa
Marriott Marquis Houston,
6th Floor
1777 Walker St
Houston, TX 77010 - Website: http://www.purespahouston.com/
- Phone: (346) 229-2581
Image Credit:
Marriott Marquis Houston
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