Bliss Spa at the W Hotel Doha has cleaned up in the three categories it was short-listed for at the inaugural Middle East Spa Awards, held today at The Hotel Show.
Along with the coveted Best Spa title, Bliss was also given the Spa Marketing and Spa Design awards during the Business Breakfast ceremony at Dubai World Trade Centre.
Liliana Matic Moore, Director of Bliss Spa said: “The awards are recognition for all our hard work. There are so many beautiful spas around the Middle East but Bliss is different because it’s so modern but people took to it straight away. I’m overwhelmed but the team work really hard and they are the ones who make the spa.”
In the other categories, Thai Privilege Spa’s General Manager Dr Deepa Dharjekar took home the Spa Personality Award, while the Signature Body Treatment Award was won by The Spa, The Palace, The Old Town for its One Desert Journey treatment.
Now in its 11th year, The Hotel Show opened yesterday runs until tomorrow. The Middle East Spa Awards were introduced to recognise the outstanding quality of services and amenities provided by spas in the region while also providing a platform from which they can promote themselves as an award winning spa to their clients.
Ray Tinston, Sales Director, The Hotel Show, said: “We would like to congratulate all the winners. The calibre of entries was outstanding and as such the bar was set very high. Following the success of today’s awards, I hope they will continue and expand for many years to come.”
Overall, 25 spas entered the awards, submitting 45 separate entries across the five categories. These were then whittled down to the top three in each last week before the judges decided on the victors.
The judging panel was made up of top industry figures including media, spa and hospitality professionals, who have spent the past few months visiting spas across the region to find the best in each category. The five judges were: editorial consultant Kathi Everden, who specialises in the hospitality sector; Ebi Malekzadeh, owner of ESADORE in Dubai and Kiousati Malek in Melbourne, which specialises in spa and medi-spa resurrections and expansions; Sonette van Rensburg, who has been in the beauty industry for 22 years as a technician and assessor; spa and hotel architect Theodora Kioussis; and Tiina-Maija Bergman, part of the business development team at RMAL Hospitality.
Judge Sonette van Rensburg said: “Bliss is unlike any other spa concept I have ever come across. The concept is fun and exciting, with a very different and unique atmosphere, the design is clean, fresh and modern with a touch of Doha and signature elements of Bliss which are evident all over the spa but not over the top.
“The introduction of the Middle East Spa Awards is very important and an excellent way of recognising and awarding spas that are providing professional and exceptional services, quality products, innovative treatments and outstanding client care.”
The full Middle East Spa Awards winners is:
Spa Marketing
Winner: Bliss Spa, W Hotel, Doha
First runner up: Thai Privilege Spa
Second runner up: SensAsia Urban Spa
Spa Personality
Winner: Dr Deepa Dharjekar, General Manager of Thai Privilege Spa
First runner up: Mahendra Kumar Rai, Spa Head Therapist at Intercontinental Regency Bahrain
Second runner up: Margie Zanio, Head Spa Attendant at Cleopatra’s Wellness & Spa
Spa Design
Winner: Bliss Spa, W Hotel, Doha
First runner up: Six Senses Hideaway, Zighy Bay, Oman
Second runner up: Anantara Spa, Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort
Signature Body Treatment
Winner: The Spa, The Palace – The Old Town
First runner up: Amara, Park Hyatt
Second runner up: Spa Dunya
Best Spa
Winner: Bliss Spa, W Hotel, Doha
First runner up: Six Senses Hideaway, Zighy Bay, Oman
Second runner up: Amara, Park Hyatt
