Hotel Cateys 2011 – Spa Professional of the Year

**Hotel Cateys 2011 - Spa Professional of the Year
**Sponsored by Fresh RM

WINNER: Liz Holmes, Rockliffe Hall, Darlington

Described as the ultimate spa professional, this year's winner combines a finely-tuned business brain with a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of the spa business.

Liz Holmes joined Rockliffe Hall prior to its opening at the end of 2009. Since then she has developed a successful and award-winning operation that covers 50,000sq ft of facilities.

Responsible for a team of 40 spa professionals - including beauty therapists, physiotherapists, holistic specialists, fitness and group exercise leaders - Holmes has instilled a culture driven by hospitality.

Feedback is integral to the consistency of standards and as such, every spa visitor is given a postage-paid questionnaire to complete. Each one that is returned is read by Holmes and all respondents receive acknowledgement and, where necessary, further action is taken.

Behind every great leader is, of course, a great team and Holmes's team is no exception, as a result of her canny recruitment strategy to go for skills that complement and candidates that might not seem like the obvious choice. The spa team at Rockliffe Hall is immensely loyal and take great pride in their part of the bigger picture and most of the senior management has been promoted internally.

The three revenue-generating areas of the spa - membership, residential, day spa - are all expected to perform under the same mission statement of "creating exceptional spa experiences", which has certainly paid off. The premium £95-a-month membership has reached a maximum capacity of 600 and Rockliffe Hall now operates a waiting list.

As the demands of clients becomes ever more sophisticated, Holmes attends every major industry conference and researches products offers and treatment training to ensure she stays abreast of sector developments.

What the judges said…

"Liz showed that she goes above and beyond the daily job remit of her position. She takes a great interest both in the surrounding business and social community, but is also involved in the wider profession. Liz showed far-reaching passion and an energy that reflects positively into the business."
Andrew Onraet, founder, Aeon Architects

THE JUDGES
Daniel Gray, group wellness manager, Stoke Park
Giovanna Grossi, AA Hotel Services group area manager
Annette Hanford, freelance writer
Hannah Henley, spa director, Donnington Valley Hotel & Spa
Nicki Kurran, spa consultant, Nicki Kurran Spa Consultancy
Andrew Onraet, founder, Aeon Architects

THE SHORTLIST
Vladanka Manceva, K West Hotel & Spa
Janine Bradley, Malmaison Manchester
Liz Holmes, Rockliffe Hall, Darlington

FORMER WINNERS
2010 Hannah Henley, Donnington Valley Hotel & Spa, Berkshire
2009 Kerry Hole, SPA SPC, Stoke Park, Buckinghamshire
2008 Nicola Williams, Birmingham Malmaison/ Birmingham Hotel du Vin
2007 Nicki Kurran, Marriott Hanbury Manor