Argentta at The Watergate Hotel (Washington, D.C.) has named Stephanie Rest as spa and wellness director. Renowned in the spa industry, Rest brings a wealth of hospitality, travel, and spa experience to the hotel, which reopened this past September following a $200 million renovation in June. In her new role, Rest is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the spa, as well as conceptualizing new programming and membership opportunities. Rest plans to launch membership offerings to the Washington community and will partner in March with the Washington Spa Alliance (WSPA) for a grand opening party at the annual WSPA Symposium, which will be hosted at The Watergate Hotel. “We are thrilled to welcome Stephanie Rest to our amazing team,” says Rakel Cohen, co-owner of The Watergate Hotel and senior vice president of design, development, and communications at Euro Capital Properties. “With her entrepreneurial spirit, leadership skills, and commitment to quality service for the community, we know she will be a huge asset to the hotel.”
As for her previous experience, Rest is the founder of Caribbean Wellness & Education and creator of Spa Camp, which is a week-long program for teenagers that serves as a fun and integrative way to create interest in a spa and wellness career. Spa Camp also results in camp participants earning an internship or achieving a technical certificate in spa. Rest serves on the International Spa Association’s (ISPA) Speaker Task Force and the Global Careership Committee for the Global Wellness Institute. She is also an ambassador for Global Wellness Day. "Argentta, meaning silver in Italian, is a healing and restorative place,” says Rest. “Our spa menu is curated to meet the needs of the traveling hotel guest, as well as residents in the D.C. area. We are returning a sense of community to the waterfront through our membership and wellness programing.”