A spa director whose 25-year career has taken her from five-star cruise ships and award-winning Dubai spas to one of Suffolk’s best-known luxury hotels has left spa management to launch a new wellbeing concept of her own.
Alexandra Hurt officially opened Alex Feels in the picturesque Suffolk village of Kersey in July, bringing together more than two decades of international spa experience with acupuncture and a highly personalised approach to wellbeing.
The private, one-to-one studio marks a major career change for Alexandra, who began as a therapist aboard luxury five-star cruise ships before spending a decade working in Dubai’s booming luxury wellness industry.
She said: “Alex Feels isn’t me walking away from those 25 years – it’s really the culmination of them.
“I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have a career that has taken me around the world and allowed me to work in some amazing luxury and award-winning environments.
“I’ve always approached the businesses I’ve managed as though they were my own and put an enormous amount of myself into developing them, their teams and the experiences we offered.
“I reached a point where I realised I was finally ready to put that same energy into something of my own.”
Alexandra spent six years at the award-winning Cleopatra’s Spa, progressing from Assistant Manager to Spa Manager, before becoming Director of Group Operations for SensAsia Urban Spas.
Her work with the boutique spa group included operating and opening spas across some of Dubai’s most prestigious locations, including Palm Jumeirah, Emirates Golf Club, Downtown Dubai, Mall of the Emirates and Jumeirah.
Alexandra later returned to Suffolk and spent more than a decade as Spa Director at Weavers’ House Spa at The Swan at Lavenham Hotel & Spa.
Now, after more than 25 years of building and managing wellness businesses for others, she has taken the leap to create her own.
At the heart of Alex Feels is auricular acupuncture, but Alexandra deliberately wanted to create an experience that went far beyond a conventional treatment appointment.
A first session lasts around two-and-a-half hours, following a complimentary discovery call of between 30 and 60 minutes.
Clients arriving at the private Kersey studio are welcomed with a ginger shot before sitting down with Alexandra to talk.
They choose an essential oil for their treatment before moving through breathwork and Qigong in preparation for auricular acupuncture.
The acupuncture needles remain in place for around 40 minutes while Alexandra incorporates restorative elements which can include a warm foot cleanse, aromatherapy massage and head and scalp massage.
Afterwards, clients are served fresh ginger tea and a macaroon and given time to relax and reflect, either inside the studio or outside on its countryside terrace.
“It is deliberately unrushed,” Alexandra said. “That time is theirs.
“Acupuncture is absolutely at the heart of what I do, but Alex Feels isn’t simply about coming in and having acupuncture.
“I wanted to create somewhere people could have uninterrupted time to be looked after, listened to and allowed to exhale.
“We spend so much of our lives rushing from one thing to another, looking after everybody else and telling ourselves we’ll slow down when life gets quieter. Often that moment never comes.”
Alexandra says discovering acupuncture ultimately changed the direction of her career and gave her the confidence to step away from spa management.
She added: “I’d spent my career understanding what makes people feel cared for, but acupuncture opened up an entirely new direction for me.
“Seeing what individual clients get from their sessions made me realise that this was what I wanted the next stage of my career to be about.”
The location was also fundamental to the Alex Feels concept.
Alexandra chose Kersey after falling in love with the historic Suffolk village and finding a private studio overlooking the surrounding countryside.
“Kersey reminds me of a miniature Lavenham,” she said.
“The studio is incredibly peaceful and private. When you’re there, it almost feels as though you have an entire little spa to yourself – except everything is completely one-to-one.
“As soon as I found it, I knew it was exactly where Alex Feels needed to be.”
Alex Feels opened in July 2026. Initial appointments last approximately two-and-a-half hours and cost £140, including a complimentary discovery call ahead of the visit. Follow-up sessions are around two hours and cost £120.
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