Karina Chung will always remember her first hotel and spa opening in Curacao, Netherlands Antilles. It was the first time she’d worked outside of the U.S., and the invaluable cultural insights she gained solidified that the spa is her calling in life. After working her way up the hospitality ladder, Chung became the spa supervisor and first spa corporate management trainee for Hyatt Hotels. Now, she serves as the prestigious area director of wellness, spa & beauty at Sense Spa at Rosewood Miramar Beach in Montecito, California. WellSpa 360 sat down and talked to Chung about her passion for wellness, favorite treatments and much more.
Karina Chung will always remember her first hotel and spa opening in Curacao, Netherlands Antilles. It was the first time she’d worked outside of the U.S., and the invaluable cultural insights she gained solidified that the spa is her calling in life. After working her way up the hospitality ladder, Chung became the spa supervisor and first spa corporate management trainee for Hyatt Hotels. Now, she serves as the prestigious area director of wellness, spa & beauty at Sense Spa at Rosewood Miramar Beach in Montecito, California. WellSpa 360 sat down and talked to Chung about her passion for wellness, favorite treatments and much more.
Who or what inspires you?
My family heritage inspires me and directed my path in wellness. My great grandmother, Mica, was well known in her town in Mexico for creating natural medicines. She would use plant remedies to cure sickness and develop natural hair and skin beauty rituals. She was very caring and giving to the people in her town by bringing natural medicines to help them. I believe this was the true beginning of spa and art of holistic healing. It inspired me to continue her craft by creating wellness rituals and treatments that heal the body.
What do you love about spa and wellness?
I truly enjoy making people feel good, healthy and happy! Spa is my calling; being an advocate for health and wellness is my passion. I believe that we can make a difference in the lives of others through holistic treatments, beauty services, mindfulness and movement.
In hospitality, we take care of people every day, but I truly can make a difference at the spa; we never know what a person is going through physically or emotionally—and spa associates are a form of energy healers. Not one day is alike and not one guest is the same, but the spa is the one place where you can be yourself and come as you are—and the team will take care of your mind, body and spirit.
What’s your favorite wellness treatment to receive?
Whenever I am looking at a spa menu, I like to find the most unique treatment on the menu. It’s usually a journey that includes body exfoliation, massage, a facial cleanse and, if possible, a bath experience.
The best treatment I have ever received was in an outdoor treatment room lined with palm trees and bamboo flooring. I soaked in a claw foot bathtub while the therapist washed my hair with natural shampoo and gave me a refreshing aloe facial. It was the ultimate spa indulgence!
What’s your greatest accomplishment?
I participated in “An Hour of Kindness,” a spa initiative during the pandemic. For one quarter, in-house practitioners and specialists gifted an hour per week of group and individual wellness experiences to the local community. Sense Spa partnered with Casa Dorinda, a life care program in Montecito, California, to bring spa-related activities to Casa Dorinda residents and essential workers. Activities included a master facial and skin care class, mindful meditation, meditative expression through art, group dance, stretch therapy for better posture and sleep, beach yoga at the Miramar, and spa treatments and gift bags donated by Kerstin Florian.
What’s on the horizon for Rosewood Hotels?
Rosewood Hotels has unique and exciting Asaya Spa openings in the pipeline, as well as wellness campaigns in 2023. Some exciting openings include: Kona Village (Summer 2023), Asaya Spa at Sao Paulo (opened in 2022, South America’s first Asaya) and Munich (late 2023, the brand’s first property in Germany and seventh property in Europe).
