Willow Stream The Spas At Fairmont, in partnership with Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, will offer the first spa management training program of it’s kind.Designed to give Cornell’s top graduates, with a passion for spas, the opportunity to
learn the industry first hand and to infuse Willow Stream spas with new
talent, ideas and leadership. The 18-month program will begin with the
first Cornell recruit training at the award-winning Willow Stream the spa
at The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess in Scottsdale, Arizona starting summer
of 2005.

Anne McCall, General Manager, Fairmont Spas Inc., initiated this
formal training program after meeting Associate Professor, Mary Tabacchi
(who teaches Spa Hotel and Resort Development and Management at Cornell)
and presenting to a group of her students. “At Willow Stream we realize to
operate the world’s best spas, we need the best spa talent. I was very
impressed with Cornell’s spa curriculum and the students that I met.
Graduating students learn about spa operations, marketing research, the
design of spa menus, mental and physical fitness programs, stress
management, spa treatments and other spa programs. This new spa management
training program turns this study into spa reality and provides Willow
Stream with additional management talent as we continue to grow the brand.”

“Building on Cornell’s long-standing relationship with Fairmont Hotels &
Resorts, Fairmont’s Willow Stream spas have taken a pioneering leadership
position by offering this program,” commented Tabacchi. “And it’s exciting
because it raises industry standards. Up until now, spa management has
typically been developed by offering these positions to aestheticians and
therapists who rise through the ranks or managers with no spa experience.
Cornell graduates bring a strong business mindset to the spa management
position, holding the spa accountable for revenue and profitability,
something hotel and resort organizations are very much interested in
seeing.”

Requirements and qualifications, according to the Willow Stream spa
training posting at Cornell include students graduating with a four-year
degree with a concentration in spa management, a strong business acumen, a
genuine interest and passion for overall wellness as well as previous
leadership experience on the job or through committees.

According to ISPA, 2003 revenues for the US spa industry are an impressive
11.2 billion dollars. That’s up from 2001 when the amount was 10.7
billion. With the continued growth, the spa industry remains the fourth
largest leisure industry in the U.S. Spa industry revenues continue to
surpass those of two very well-known industries - amusement/theme parks
and motion picture box office.

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, through its Willow Stream brand, is on a
mission to be the leader in the spa industry. “We know to be the best spas
in the world, we need the best managers, therapists, aestheticians, etc.
We are committed to attracting, training and rewarding the best the
industry has to offer so we can provide our guests with an amazing spa
experience,” commented McCall. “We have exciting initiatives planned in
2005 to provide us with the tools, talents and momentum to continue to
lead the industry, the first is our new program with Cornell.”
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