'Everyone has given me unconditional love'

It has been over a year since Ayuko Suzuki came to Bangalore and she is loving it. The spa director of Ritz Carlton has travelled around the world and terms Bangalore as a City that is “easy to adjust to”.

“I had visited Delhi a long time ago and found it hot. But here, the weather is nice and the people are welcoming,” she tells Metrolife. “Every time I am in a new place, I look for Japanese associations. And it’s great to see a lot of Japanese people in the City,” she notes.

Brought up in Tokyo, Japan, she studied in Maldives and has worked in countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, China, Australia, Indonesia and even Pakistan to name a few.

She feels that each country has a personality of its own. “But the level of hospitality that you find in Asia is different. It comes naturally to us,” she smiles.

With over a decade of experience of the field of spa and hospitality, Ayuko Suzuki is the director of spa and fitness at The Ritz-Carlton Spa. She manages and leads the operational, strategic and financial performance of the spa. Over 17,000 square-foot, this spa is one of the largest in Bangalore.

She is a qualified clinical aroma therapist and has worked with many international luxury resorts and spa brands.

Passionate about lifestyle and wellness, her aim is to make all her guests feel at home. “When you work with an international brand like our hotel, everyone knows what to expect,” she explains.

The spa is on the fifth floor of the hotel while her job is riddled with challenges.
On a daily basis, she has to attend meetings, greet guests and assist in operations, sales and marketing.

“I also try to spend two hours everyday with my staff. They are here for a reason and their personal growth is very important.” Speaking of her customers, she adds, “We have a lot of members coming to the spa and they end up becoming more than just guests.”

Speaking of her colleagues, she says, “Everyone has given me unconditional love here and I shared a very good relationship with my colleagues.” She admires the family bonding in the country as well.

Ask her how different is pursuing a career in India when compared to other countries and she says, “Indians are more career-oriented. They really want to go a step ahead when it comes to work.” She adds, “Another great thing here is that everyone speaks English. When I was working in China, I would communicate with difficulty. In India, communicating is so much easier. At the same time, everyone is focussed on the future.”

Has she faced any issues with the City? “The food is spicy! I have a stomach issue,” she laughs. “The other day, I was eating lunch with my colleagues when they passed me a vegetable gravy. It was so spicy that I started to sweat,” she recalls.

Her favourite place to hang out is UB City. “I miss Japanese food at times though,” she notes. “But there is a lot of variety when it comes to food here,” she says.

She goes to Japan once a year to visit her family. “The climate there is similar to that of Bangalore,” she says.

 Pointing out the crisis faced by the country, including the tsunami, she says,
“On surface, everything is good. We are a strong nation. Despite all the crisis, we have come a long way. We can make things better overnight.”

She has visited Agra, Delhi and Udaipur and plans to trek in Nepal in future. “I just love nature!” she gushes. And as she sums up her experience in India so far, she says, “I have learnt to lead, adapt and adjust easily.”