Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel

Four Seasons Tenure

• Since 2000
• First Four Seasons Assignment: Pool and Fitness Attendant, Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel

Employment History

• Burke Williams, Sherman Oaks, California

Birthplace

• Manila, Philippines

Education

• Institute of Psycho-Structural Balancing at Life Energy Institute, Culver City, California; a2z Massage Schools, Santa Monica, California and Newberry School of Beauty, Granada Hills, California; De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, Manila, Philippines

Languages Spoken

• English, Tagalog

Gillian Garcia grew up loving the movie Pretty Woman. She would watch it every Friday night with her best friends from grade school. But Gillian never thought she would one day be the Lead Spa Therapist at the very same hotel of which she grew such a strong affinity for while growing up in the Philippines.

After Gillian graduated Magna Cum Laude from De La Salle University in 1999, she made her way to the City of Angeles in 2000. Three days after her move, her oldest brother took her to see the “Pretty Woman Hotel.” Well, a few interviews later, and the rest as they say, is history. She started out at the pool and the fitness centre as an attendant at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel, embracing her interactions with the diverse cultures of the Hotel’s guests and learned very quickly that she was now immersed in the Beverly Hills “culture” that she had only seen on the TV and in the movies.

Inspired by the then staff at The Spa at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel, Gillian realised she would need to go to massage and aesthetician school in order to gain the trust of the management and therapist teams.  “I knew I had to learn the craft of the spa team if I was to become an amazing leader.” And while Gillian’s ultimate goal at the time was to become Spa Director, she soon realised skin care was her passion. “I’ve suffered from cystic acne my whole entire life; I knew what facials and skin care products were at a very young age and the benefits they bring. So while in my training, it was like ‘ok yeah – this all just feels so natural for my professional progression.’”

In 2005, The Spa at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel underwent a renovation and this is where Gillian learned the pillars of opening a spa. Soon after the then Spa Director, realising Gillian’s talent and drive to push the Spa forward through innovation, created the title of Treatment Supervisor for her, overseeing all aspects of treatments as well as the therapists. And at the time of the opening, she was the only dual therapist on the opening team.

Gillian is a healer, in every sense of the word. After a particularly traumatising car accident in 2011 and going through the diagnosis and treatment of her mother’s breast cancer, she gained valuable insight on what it takes to recover from surgery, and how to find resilience and compassion for those suffering from a serious medical condition or accident. It was also through this that Gillian realised the importance of customising treatments for her guests. “Every treatment on our menu originated from creating something specifically for a guest, based on their needs and what they’re going through. There are no two guests or therapists alike - so there should be no cookie cutter protocol in any spa treatment.” So what does it boil down to? “You are unique, and so are we,” says Gillian, which has now become the Spa’s slogan.

Gillian is a trailblazer in the spa industry, known for finding upcoming and unknown brands and making them popular such as Knesko, Natura Bisse and Elemis. So when it came time to yet again change the feature skincare line of choice for the innovative Spa, Gillian went back to the books and started researching. She came across a cream with black diamonds. Not knowing whether it was real, she continued her research and knew it was “divine intervention” when one of her clients told her about this new product line out of London, 111SKIN that featured the same black diamond cream she had found earlier. A year later, the Spa at 
Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel launched 111SKIN as their west coast flagship. “I use the products from 111SKIN and create signature treatments that you cannot find anywhere else in the world. We’re the first Spa to combine a celestial black diamond cream with a cryotherapy machine, and the same cream with HydraFacial,” she proudly states. For instance, one of the Spa’s signature treatments uses HydraFacial to resurface the skin, followed by incorporating the celestial black diamond for anti-ageing and anti-inflammatory properties, basically combining two facials in one. “Most of our guests are busy and don’t have much time to spend on themselves so if they’re going to give us an hour in their schedule, it better be worth it.” And being an iconic property that embraces innovation, Gillian says, “I’m blessed to have an amazing platform to build, grow and find the latest effective and cutting-edge technology that our guests have come to know, love and expect.”

Dubbed as the "skin angel" by her regular clients, and numerous published articles later featuring Gillian’s expert opinion, she says, “I feel humbled and honoured to be given the opportunity where I can truly be of service to others while living out my greatest passion.” And with almost 20 years now at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel, her passion for the spa industry continues to fuel her quest in creating personalised, advanced, luxurious and love-filled spa experiences. So it’s no wonder that her A-list clientele travel around the world for a treatment from her.

The Spa has been awarded numerous accolades and awards, all lead by Gillian, with the biggest accomplishment she claims, being awarded the Forbes Five Star. “Flawless customer service is in our blood – it has to be. Our facilities are beautiful, but it’s the people that make unforgettable moments for our guests. "And with a foundational belief in divine intervention, Gillian says “everything happens for a reason. It doesn’t happen TO you, but FOR you. And that is how I know that I’m meant to be right here.”