Robert Jeffers takes on global role at Kerzner International

Kerzner International, the ultra-luxury hospitality company, has announced the appointment of Robert Jeffers as global director of wellness and longevity.

In this new, group-wide role, which includes responsibility for Atlantis, One&Only, SIRO and rare finds, Jeffers will align wellness strategy across all four brands.

He is also tasked with driving the commercial performance of spa and wellness operationsand will work to shape new wellness, recovery and longevity concepts across Kerzner’s development, renovation and repositioning pipeline.

Commitment to wellness and longevity

“Wellness and longevity have moved from amenity to expectation for today’s luxury traveller and shaping that experience across our portfolio is a strategic priority for Kerzner,” said Philippe Zuber, chief executive officer, Kerzner International.

“[Robert’s] appointment reflects our commitment to putting wellness and longevity at the heart of every Atlantis, One&Only, SIRO and rare finds property, and to leading where this industry is heading next.”

Jeffers will lead the group’s response to longevity as one of the fastest-growing forces in luxury travel, tailoring concepts, treatments and partnerships to each brand’s identity – from Atlantis’ high-volume, family-oriented wellness operation to One&Only’s intimate, destination-led retreats, SIRO’s performance-and-recovery focus, and the bespoke requirements of rare finds properties.

Commercial success

Jeffers’ track record of turning wellness into a measurable commercial driver, rather than a cost centre, will shape how new developments and renovations are briefed.

This will include from the earliest design stages, ensuring spa and longevity facilities are built around guest outcomes and revenue potential rather than added on afterwards.

Strategic vision

Jeffers said he aims to bring an integrated model of wellness to Kerzner – one where recovery, nutrition and longevity science sit alongside spa and fitness. His vision is to make this a single, guest-facing discipline rather than separate departments.

He is equally focused on building the internal capability to sustain it. This will be achieved by developing specialist talent across the portfolio and establishing shared clinical and service standards. Jeffers will also create a pipeline of proprietary treatments and partnerships that give each brand a distinct point of difference.

His ambition is for Kerzner’s wellness offering to be recognised not just as a leader within the group’s own destinations, but as a benchmark for the wider luxury hospitality industry.

An industry veteran

Jeffers joins the role after two successful years as director of wellness at Atlantis, the Palm, where he led one of the largest resort wellness operations in the Middle East.

He helped to shape the resort’s integrated approach to guest wellbeing, achieving the highest Forbes Travel Guide audit score in the property’s history.

Before joining Atlantis, he led the wellness pre-opening at Raffles London at the OWO, partnering with Guerlain and Pillar.

He has also held senior roles at the Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, where the spa earned consecutive Forbes Five-Star awards, and at BodyHoliday, Saint Lucia.

Jeffers is also a published researcher, having led a study on carbohydrate mouth-rinsing and neuromuscular fatigue published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism.

Receive our newsletters directly to your inbox – sign up here