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Hyatt’s head of wellness: ‘Everything is on the table right now’

Mia Kyricos’ book of business has two chapters: Not only is the senior vice president and global head of well-being leading Hyatt Hotels’ wellness initiatives, she is shepherding wellness strategies for the company’s 110,000 employees around the world.

“It’s the first position I’m aware of, having worked across hospitality as well as spending time in the workplace wellness world, that I’ve seen a company of any kind put a senior leader in charge of both,” says Kyricos, who joined the company in August 2018. “It’s ultimately what attracted me to Hyatt. They’re thinking about wellness and well-being quite differently, and it was something I wanted to be a part of.”

Mia Kyricos joined Hyatt in August 2018.
Mia Kyricos joined Hyatt in August 2018.

Kyricos joined Hyatt after heading a boutique consulting firm and stints at Spafinder Wellness, Exos and Starwood Hotels & Resorts. While it might be a challenge to balance dual roles – partnered with the chief human resources officer and commercial services teams – she points to the synergy.

“They are also wanting to make sure that what we offer in the marketplace can somehow be offered to our colleagues as well so we’re not just … taking care of others, we’re also taking care of ourselves.” That may include a technology platform or immersion programs for employees at more than 700 properties in over 50 countries.

“Everything is on the table right now,” Kyricos says, “as well as how we tie in our Miraval and Exhale brands on the commercial side of the equation.”

Miraval, which has several U.S.-based spas, was purchased by Hyatt in early 2017 for US$215 million; later that year, it purchased Exhale, a U.S. spa and fitness boutique with about 25 locations, for an undisclosed amount. Are they the future of wellness at Hyatt?

“They’re part of the story, but I would not say that they’re the entire story,” Kyricos says. “There could be more (wellness-related brands) over time.” The expertise will be leveraged to build other products or services that might not carry those brand names, she says.

Wellness, as Hyatt and Kyricos are defining it, is the road, and well-being is the outcome: “Very simply, we want to positively impact how you feel, fuel or function every day, and that applies to our customers and guests but also to our colleagues,” she says. “And so we have this one vision of well-being and the relationship to wellness and well-being that will cascade on both sides of the equation.” It’s a message she says has resonated internally and in the marketplace.

“I also felt there’s a great opportunity to not just ‘well wash’ the world but really to – the best way I can describe it is, really, I feel like the world is over-indexed on all things well, but they’re under-indexed on human truths,” she says. “How do we make well-being as approachable and as grounded as you can be and map that to an overall hotel experience? Because if we’re successful we’ll have relationships with our employees, our customers and guests that extend between hotel stays, not just during hotel stays, because they trust us to care for their well-being more than the next guy.”

‘Perfect timing, perfect role’

Kyricos says her toolbox of skills is a good match for the challenges ahead. “I happily live at the intersection of brand strategy, hospitality, wellness and global sensitivity… I didn’t even realize how rare it was until I had these conversations during the interview process,” she says. “It just ended up being perfect timing, perfect role.”

Hyatt needs to prove that its wellness brands, including Miraval, which is highly regarded in the U.S., “can travel,” says Roger Allen, CEO and founder of consultancy Resources for Leisure Assets. “The expectation of that brand – they’ll need to communicate that in different cultures, in different marketplaces.” Allen adds that Kyricos’ dual role makes sense. “If you’re aiming to be a leader in the wellness market, then you want your employees to be the most key element of that experience.”

Kyricos’ own wellness journey, she says, started with her upbringing in a “big fat Greek family. If you show up at the door we’re going to feed you, clothe you if you need it. Make sure you get a good night’s sleep and be on your way.” The hospitality industry’s own journey, from swimming pools to fitness centers and then spas, has been bumpier. “I’ve been part of all that and I’m grateful for it, but I think a lot of times in retrospect, I don’t think we were as approachable and as accessible as we needed to be successful.” Her goal is to make wellness and well-being something that every individual believes can be achieved.

How does she do that herself? Meditation for 20 minutes a day, a habit she started in the past year; journaling; and a positive outlook, a practice she undertook after reading the book “Positivity” by Barbara Fredrickson – finding “more good in a good situation,” as she puts it.

Mindfulness practices, she believes, pave the next steps in the wellness journey for hospitality. “I think the mind’s the next frontier… And I really do feel things like meditation, journaling, positivity, these are all things that are evidence-based but actually stand a chance of connecting the mind with the great body therapies and services out there that we know already exist.”

Miraval, which Hyatt acquired in 2017, is a big component of Hyatt’s wellness strategy, says Mia Kyricos, but it’s not the whole picture.
Miraval, which Hyatt acquired in 2017, is a big component of Hyatt’s wellness strategy, says Mia Kyricos, but it’s not the whole picture.
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