When you are in a different country practically every day—and you have to be in Hong Kong tomorrow for just twelve hours—life is never dull. Such is the schedule of Susan Harmsworth, the intrepid CEO and founder of Espa International, the most talked-about spa brand in the business. If an upscale hotel or resort is considering a pampering retreat for its new venture, chances are it's calling on Harmsworth. From market research to design, from incorporating cultural therapies to training staff in a postgraduate program, Espa is a consultancy that takes the term "holistic" seriously. (Harmsworth's team will even map out the plumbing.)
Although the London-based company launched eighteen branded spas across the globe last year, its owner hasn't always been racking up air miles. In fact, after giving up a brief career as a journalist for such publications as British Vogue and Nova in the late sixties, Harmsworth was the proprietor of a hair salon in Toronto. "But it was way ahead of its time," she insists. "We were doing complementary therapies and steams and saunas. It was the precursor of what we now know as a day spa."
That visionary streak led the English native to the revered Grayshott Hall health farm, in Surrey, where she was hired to turn the center into a retreat for stress management and relaxation. "It was the early eighties, and things were changing," Harmsworth recalls. "People were starting to move around, and more women were beginning to work and travel. It was the era of Jane Fonda, and Canyon Ranch was opening, but a holistic health center didn't exist in Britain." With a seven-night minimum stay and 200 therapists, osteopaths, nutritionists and yoga trainers on staff ("we even had Pilates there, twenty-five years ago!"), Grayshott became an icon of health and wealth in the United Kingdom.
Cut to 2007, and Harmsworth is still on the rise. Since creating Espa, in 1993, this mother of two sons (both of whom work for the company) has designed nearly fifty spas, including the newly opened one at Acqualina, a Rosewood resort north of Miami Beach, and has fifty other projects under construction. "Spas used to be the domain of the affluent; then everyone began using them as a treat or a gift," she says. "Now we're seeing spa-goers who want more. They're not looking for a holiday with massages; they want sophistication, knowledge and seven days to learn how to eat right and stay healthy."
When did you start to travel?
My parents were very open-minded and wanted me to learn languages and experience other cultures. So at twelve, I was sent off to France on my own and stayed with a family who owned a hotel in the Haute Savoie. That was when I got hooked on hotels and food. In those days, the food in France was amazing everywhere, even at some little roadside farm. And travel then was exciting; the world wasn't as homogeneous, so your expeditions were richer. From that point on, every summer I went somewhere new in Europe. I also remember going to Southampton to see my mother off on the Mauritania, which was something else: the streamers, and everyone on the decks waving! She came back with silk stockings for me and an incredible haircut on her. My father had a fit! Since then I've had a strong attraction to the States.
Which places have made a big impression on you?
I didn't come to your side of the pond until I was twenty-five, with my first husband. We lived in Toronto and had a small house on Harbour Island in the Bahamas. That place has come full circle, with India Hicks there now: we should have kept that house! During my years in Toronto, I discovered the Caribbean. My father was a Francophile and introduced me to all things French, which is probably why I loved Martinique and Guadeloupe. I came across the island of Bequia in the early eighties; it was very raw then. I loved the water and sailing, and I used to dive there a lot, until I came face-to-face with a moray eel at some horrendous depth. I don't dive anymore, but both of my ex-husbands were huge sailors, and my sons sailed from a very early age. Water and the sea, to me, are magnetic.
What country has surprised you the most?
I love India and its softness. I like to explore the differences between the north and the south. We have two projects in Bangalore, and we look after Ananda, the wonderful destination spa in the Himalayas, so I get out there often. Indian therapists are the best: they have a cultural connection to Ayurveda, they are spiritual, they are educated in the proper techniques.
How do you like to travel?
I try to take trains, because you get to see a country better by moving slowly. Otherwise I'll hire a car and driver who can show me around. If I'm lucky, I'll stay with a family; I spend too many nights in hotels. You need energy to do a home stay, because you have to talk constantly, but you learn a lot about a culture that way. And because we work with local therapists, they will often take me to temples or neighborhood hangouts. That requires a lack of fear. I'm cautious, but I'm not scared of a little dirt, nor do I worry about food.
Is there anywhere you retreat to?
I live in a Georgian house in Surrey, about thirty minutes from Heathrow. It's very calming. There's also a place on the west coast of Scotland that I love: the Crinan Hotel, right on the sea near Oban. It has a working harbor with very basic accommodations but fantastic food. They send the trawler out every day to get fresh fish and lobsters. The boat comes back at 3:30 P.M., and dinner is served at 7:30. The walking there is great, but the hotel is not luxurious, which is one of the reasons I like it. When you are in luxury hotels all the time—lately I've been at the Peninsula Hong Kong and Castello del Nero, in Tuscany—you want an escape from that. You want isolation, serenity, authenticity. I go up to Scotland with some mates and find all of that.
Any travel rituals?
When I fly, I always bring my noise eliminators; my Bose headphones are crucial. If I'm going on a long-haul flight, even though I fly business class or first, I take my own pajamas and remove my makeup. I can't live without a spritzer to keep me hydrated. I put Espa 24 Hour Eye Complex on my pressure points three or four times during the flight, and that way my eyes don't get puffy.
When you arrive, you've got to get moving, but then you need to go to sleep—even if you've slept on the plane. I will walk if it's appropriate or do some yoga and meditation and stretching. I always scrub my skin, apply eucalyptus or tea-tree oil to my chest and body, and get in a bath with Espa Resistance Bath Oil. Then I have two or three hours of sleep, depending on the time of day. Sleep is very important.
Has being on the road made you passionate about any one thing?
My Italian hotel owners are all winegrowers, and they keep me in olive oil and wine. I get bottles from L'Andana, the inn in Tuscany that is owned by Alain Ducasse, and from the Vidago Palace, which is near Porto, Portugal, and is getting a makeover now. That owner is one of the largest wine producers in the country. I love wine, so I'm fortunate that a lot of my clients are manufacturers.
Harmsworth's Hot Sports
Shopping: Liberty is my favorite store in London. It's very eclectic. It's got everything: clothing, handbags, shoes. I use the personal shopper. Regent St.; 011-44-207-734-1234; liberty.co.uk.
In Hong Kong, I really like Shanghai Tang. It's not well known that the company makes clothes for customers. And I'm so tall—five foot nine—I have to get custom pieces. The shop has in-house tailors and great fabrics, and they'll make a suit in two or three days, which is brilliant. Pedder Building, 12 Pedder St., Central; 011-852-2525-7333; shanghaitang.com.
Jewelry: I love the new Swarovski line, but I have been devoted to Georg Jensen for thirty years. Whenever I walk into the London store, the salespeople pounce on me, because I'm wearing all the vintage pieces they want. 15 New Bond St.; 011-44-207-499-6541; georgjensen.com.
Wine: In England, I go to Corney & Barrow. They specialize in small upmarket wines from France, as well as Italy, Australia, Chile and South Africa. 011-44-207-265-2500; corney-barrow.co.uk.
Espa's Latest Projects
Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo An urban spa with subtle Asian touches. 4 Ave. de la Madone, Monaco; 011-377-9315-1515; metropole.com.
One & Only at Reethi Rah, Maldive: A series of glass-walled spa villas and overwater bungalows, all opening onto the sea. North Male Atoll, Maldives; 011-960-664-8800; oneandonlyresorts.com.
Peninsula Hong Kong: Classic Chinese design inspired by a Yunnan forest. Salisbury Rd., Kowloon; 011-852-2920-2888; hongkong.peninsula.com.
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