Exclusive interview: Teresa O'Farrell, new global head of wellness and spa for Dorchester Collection

The Dorchester Collection has announced the appointment of Teresa O’Farrell as its new global head of wellness & spa. Reporting to Dorchester’s chief culture and operations executive Eugenio Pirri, she has been tasked with the critical role to develop Dorchester Collection’s global wellness initiatives.

“With more than 25 years’ experience, Teresa is a passionate leader in the industry and I am delighted to announce her promotion,” said Pirri. “Wellness is a fundamental part of the guest experience and the introduction of this new leadership role reflects Dorchester Collection’s commitment to a global wellness and spa strategy.”

Having joined Dorchester Collection in 2018 as spa director of Coworth Park, O’Farrell talks to European Spa‘s Sarah Camilleri about her new leadership role to drive wellness growth for the Dorchester brand across its legendary properties in future.

What have been your spa career milestones?

I originally trained as an ITEC therapist and qualified in additional holistic therapies. In 1994 I opened my own holistic salon business and successfully managed this business for 10 years while raising my two children. Following the sale of the business, my keen interest in spa and wellness lead me to work at The Grove hotel where I worked my way up to eventually holding leadership roles before moving on to spa manager roles at both Luton Hoo and then Sopwell House. In 2018 I took up the role of spa director at Coworth Park.

How many spas worldwide will you be overseeing?

My key responsibility will be to develop and implement fully integrated wellness strategies and initiatives for Dorchester Collection within each of the hotels. Driven by the wellness of people and planet these initiatives will align with both our sustainability strategies and workplace wellness.

Dorchester Collection has nine iconic hotels globally and we are opening our hotel, The Lana, in Dubai in 2023. I will be based in the UK in London but will be overseeing properties as we will be implementing wellness strategies and initiatives across all of the spas and within all of the hotels. Each property will be embracing and celebrating its local traditions as well as the wider wellness branding and resources which will be introduced across all hotels.

Tell us more about Dorchester Collection’s ambition to deliver leading spa and wellness experiences

Dorchester Collection celebrates being a market leader as a luxury hotel brand. Wellness is a fundamental part of the guest experience and this reflects our commitment to deliver the ultimate guest journey where a guest’s health and wellbeing is at the core of everything we do. It is so important to prioritise a balanced lifestyle where health is wealth. The wellness traveller will seek an environment where they feel emotionally cared for and where they can maintain their wellness whenever they travel.

What spa developments are in the pipeline?

We have many wellness initiatives within the group. Currently, I am working with our property in Rome, Hotel Eden, to re-strategise and re-launch a new spa offering that will extend into the hotel experience. In the UK we are creating a unique wellness garden which will be very different to a traditional spa garden at Coworth Park, near Windsor. We are implementing some internal changes in the spa to fully embrace a complete wellness experience.

In London, The Dorchester Spa in London will be relaunching with some exciting new treatments this autumn following the major refurbishment works at the hotel. Also, The Lana in Dubai will be opening in 2023 with a very impressive range of spa and wellness treatments.

What are you looking forward to most in the year ahead?

For me as a passionate leader in the spa and wellness sector, I have always had a deep understanding of the need for holistic treatments to be recognised as a health benefit as opposed to just “pampering”.  Spa and wellness has gone from much more than a feel good luxury to a necessity due to the awareness of the need to build resilience as people are far more focused on their long term health and wellbeing. The pandemic highlighted the need for health to become a priority and the wellness traveller is more discerning and educated in their wellness practices.

I am extremely excited about my new role and the journey I will be leading to embrace wellness in every aspect of our guest journey and experience at Dorchester Collection.