Soul Spa Concepts, a spa design and consultancy company, has partnered with dR Global Dubai – the spa training and education consultants who distribute top cosmetic brands to offer knowledge to clients from design and pre-opening through to ongoing management contracts.

Helen Coulon, managing director of Soul Spa Concepts – which has operational bases in Romania, England and France – is working with brands such as Buddha-bar, Starwood, Marriott, Hyatt and many others in more than 20 countries.

dR Global, run by Daniella Russell, will provide the partnership with its experience of spa project management, distribution strategies and training programmes – currently employed across the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Russell will operate as development and operations director in her new role.

“We have some amazing interest for new projects in a variety of locations from the Maldives to Brussels and realised we needed to join forces as quickly as possible to achieve the best for these tremendous Boutique Spa opportunities that have come our way,” said Coulon in a statement.

This collaboration will also aim to create training schools for therapists with emphasis on retail and customer care.

Russell and Coulon first worked together 20 years ago at the spa retreat Chiva Som International, Thailand. Coulon was part of the opening team and Daniella was the health and leisure operations director.