FRHI Appoints Andrew Gibson as VP Spas & Wellness

FRHI Hotels & Resorts (FRHI) has appointed Andrew Gibson as vice president, spas & wellness.

Based out of FRHI's regional office in Dubai, Gibson will be responsible for the development and execution of the company's spa strategy, including defining and implementing spa standards globally across all of FRHI’s leading hotel and spa brands.

"I’m very pleased to be welcoming Andrew to the FRHI team," said Jennifer Fox, president international, FRHI and president, Fairmont Brand. "He is a visionary who has had a significant influence on the spa industry over the course of his career, and he will undoubtedly bring a fresh and revitalized approach to our health and wellness strategies. Given each of our brand's varied offerings in this area, his wide range of experience will also be an asset, particularly as our spas move to a renewed focus on overall wellness and fostering healthy lifestyle choices for our guests."

Gibson brings over 25 years of international hospitality experience in the fields of spa, wellness and leisure to his new role. He joins FRHI from his most recent position as Group Director of Spa, Mandarin Oriental Hotels Group.

He began his career in England, where an early role was Leisure Centre Manager at an airport hotel close to London Gatwick Airport, which was one of the first hotels in the United Kingdom to build significant leisure facilities. Gibson held several progressive positions in the Middle East with Abu Dhabi InterContinental Hotel and the Al Bustan Palace Hotel in Oman. He also contributed to leisure services in Oman through tennis, squash, sailing and diving and helped design, build and project-manage the first ladies-only spa in Muscat.

Gibson's extensive experience in spas included time in Cyprus as investor and owner of the Retreat, a luxury health resort at the Aphrodite Hills Integrated Resort. As Managing Director of the first introduction of Six Senses Spas, he grew the portfolio from four spas in Asia to 33 spas worldwide. During a brief spell with Raison d’Etre Spas Discovery, Sweden, he worked on projects such as the Atlantis Dubai, One & Only Resorts, Capella Hotels & Resorts and many other leading names in the hospitality sector. He moves to FRHI from Mandarin Oriental after almost seven years with the luxury hotel group.

Gibson holds a Bachelor of Arts with distinction in Recreation Management and Environmental Conservation from the University of Manchester, England.