Macquarie Medispa named the creme del la creme

The medispa won best Luxury Skincare Clinic (continent) and best Spa Manager (global) for 2022. Incredibly, its the second time the spa has been awarded best Spa Manager in the world, with it's owner Karla McDiarmid picking up the award back in 2016.

"I never ever thought I'd get that twice," Ms McDiarmid said.

The winners of the annual World Luxury Awards were announced on October 22 at a glitzy affair at Swandor Topkapi Palace, Antalya, Turkey.

This was the sixteenth event of its kind and more than 300 guests flew in from around the world to celebrate their awards which recognise hotels, spas, restaurants and travel establishments for world-class service excellence.

Awards are presented on a country, regional, continent and global basis. Winners were selected by public vote online, providing true recognition that reflects the hard work and dedication exhibited by staff. This year the focus was on outstanding environment, elegant design and international service excellence.

Ms McDiarmid said she wasn't able to attend the function this year, although has attended in the past. Instead she had planned to watch the live stream but unfortunately it clashed with the Bathurst Business Awards, which the business was also attending.

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She said she found out about the win the next morning when the email came through.

"I sat on it for a little bit. I didn't tell anyone, I think I was in shock," she said.

"To see that global win, that's the amazing one."

She said what makes the win more special is the fact its voted on.

"It tells me our clients voted, we've got an incredibly loyal community who have always supported us in any awards," she said.

She also said judges look at what businesses are doing on social media.

"Because they are international, they are based in South Africia, all they can go off is what they see online and what we do.

"And I think they watch what we do for the community they ... see we've been doing the CEO sleep out and Ronald McDonald House.

"We do a lot for charity and I think that's where the difference comes from.

"Other spa managers might be working for a multi-billion dollar hotel but no one knows who the manager is.

"I think that is the difference, they see what we do for the community."

She said her team were a huge part of the success.

"Everyone was so excited, we have a relatively new team, so this is new to them.

"To get up on stage at the Bathurst Business Awards and then follow up with this, it's a really good pat on the back, we're in the right place."

She said the win at the Bathurst Business Awards was also a nice surprise.

"It was another shock because it was for retail.

"Obviously retail was all we could do for so long with Covid-19 our industry was shut down twice because of lockdowns, and again it comes back to the community.

"They all supported us, during Covid, our job became delivering products 24/7," she said.

She said it was a difficult time.

"Without the retail part of business, we would have been broke, gone bankrupt," she said.

"We we're lucky, we had our website ready to go.

"The salons who didn't have retail, didn't have a website, they are not going too good now or they don't exist," she said.

She said she also puts the success down to being an industry leader.

"We are always evolving and looking at what else can we add that's different," she said.

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