INTERVIEW: KATHY VAN NESS
Branded yoga matts and yukatas are all part of the plan to leverage the Golden Door name and boost business
It’s not a spa, it’s not a wellness centre, nor a retreat, nor hotel. It’s the Golden Door with its own iconic place in the universe
at the time of acquisition. A one-property brand once more, the Golden Door Spa was ready for its makeover.
Different perspective To restore the business, Conway turned not to a wellness aficionado, but to fashionista Kathy Van Ness who she’d been introduced to at the World Presidents’ Organization peer network. Having worked for names such as Diane von Furstenberg and Speedo, Van Ness was a specialist in brand DNA/ development. She recalls “I initially helped Joanne with branding challenges at the time of acquisition because my background is in the high luxury status market. I worked on everything that had to do with the look and feel – from getting the perfect colour of gold and brush for the iconic pagoda [doors] to the paper collateral and uniforms.” Shortly after, Conway asked Van Ness
stay on to oversee the full refurbishment and operations. “A lot of people said ‘oh my god, she’s not from hospitality’, but fashion – like spas – is all about luxury and
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spabusiness.com issue 2 2015 ©CYBERTREK 2015 It’s a change which dovetails neatly with
her future plans to leverage the Golden Door name in other ways. “Just like Ferragamo has gone into cars, cutlery and sheets and towels: the hospitality industry doesn’t really do that,” she says. The aim is to create Golden Door
The goal is for Golden Door to be known as a respected food brand
lifestyle. It’s just that I approach it with a slightly different perspective.” A simple yet significant first change
was to drop the ‘spa’ moniker from the title to solidify its repositioning as a lifestyle brand. “It’s not a spa, it’s not a wellness centre, nor a retreat, nor hotel,” says Van Ness. “It’s the Golden Door with its own iconic place in the universe.”
jewellery and clothes (think stylish Japanese yukatas), while produce such as preserves, teas and spices are already sourced, made and sold on-site and online. “People go crazy about our gluten free ginger cookies, I’m not kidding!” says Van Ness. Golden Door has also teamed up with a local company to create a branded skin, body, bath and haircare line and this sits alongside products supplied by Éminence and Coola (suncare). Another crossover from the fashion
world Van Ness quickly implemented was a strict, no-discounting policy. “What I saw in the hospitality industry when I first came on board was a number of promotions or gimmicks to convince customers to choose your room over a neighbour’s room – much like the retail world,” says Van Ness. “But one of the
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