From prodigy to pro
At six years old, Lima, Peru, native Ashley Perez’s nanny would park her in front of the TV for long stretches of time. That’s when the young girl got hooked on cooking shows, and she quickly began experimenting in the kitchen.
“My mom would get scared and surprised—she’d come home and see her baby, six years old, making chicken noodle soup,” says Perez during a recent interview. “I always wanted to give [to my parents] like they gave to me, and I think food was a good way to do that.”
Today, at just twenty-four years old, she has studied at one of the most prestigious culinary schools in the world, worked in multiple countries and for a Michelin-starred restaurant, and is now working as the chef de cuisine at Woodcliff Hotel & Spa.
The chef attributes her success to her discipline and attitude.
“I’m also really mature, I believe, for my age. I don’t have that big ego some people have when they get big titles early. I think I can learn from everybody, no matter who you are,” said Perez during our conversation in the dining room of Horizons Modern Kitchen & Wine Bar at Woodcliff.
It’s easy to believe there is no big ego there. As we sit at a table, she speaks softly while peppering the conversation with funny anecdotes, smiling, and laughing warmly.
It is surprising that she could maintain that respectful demeanor after coming up in the industry with the training and mentorship she had.
In 2018, Perez started her schooling at famed Le Cordon Bleu in her hometown. She describes the experience as scary at first; some of her chefs were “old school” and would often yell and scream if she made a mistake.
But the school is also where Perez learned much of her discipline. Classes started at 7 a.m., but all students were expected to be outside of the class, dressed and ready to go, by 6:45.
The chef took a hiatus from her schooling when she received an opportunity to work in a hotel and restaurant in Spain with three Michelin stars. While it was a great experience and Perez was able to learn a great deal while she was abroad, the older chefs didn’t make it easy.
“There were hard times when I was asking myself if it was worth it. … The chefs are rough, yell at you, throw your things around, and I’m not even close to that. I think I’m really friendly. And my face can say a lot, so the team here knows when I’m serious and getting upset,” says Perez.
Once COVID hit, her assignment in Spain ended, and she went back to finish her schooling in Lima. In 2022, she moved to Rochester after her brother made the move first.
Perez found a position as a sous chef at Char Steak & Lounge at Strathallan Hotel and Spa before landing the chef de cuisine title at Woodcliff.
For her current role, she wrote her first menu in spring, with the intent to put the “modern” back in Horizons Modern Kitchen & Wine Bar.
Menu items include a Thai scallops entrée ($45); roasted halibut with beet puree, kale, bacon, pine nuts, and pickled daikon ($44); and chicken Milanese ($28), to name a few.
“I know sometimes people get scared of what they don’t know, so we’re going slowly by making small twists on items that people already enjoy and seeing how people react,” says Perez.
The feedback and reviews received so far have been positive, and she’s excited to learn more about what her customers enjoy and what dishes are selling and then implement more advanced techniques and dishes when appropriate.
“At the end of the day, it’s about putting a smile on customers’ faces,” she says. “I like to make people happy, and if they’re happy, I’m happy.”
Reimagining the spa experience
Similarly, Sheila Bracewell, director of spa and wellness at Woodcliff, says her industry is one of very few where customers leave feeling markedly better than when they came in.
“I love going to work in a place where— I don’t care how (customers) come in— when they leave, they feel better. You can’t beat that. That’s the best job ever . . . You’re touching people, and your ability to make their life better is why you’re doing this,” she says during a recent interview in the hotel’s Serenity Suite. The suite is a new addition to the hotel, a place where bridal parties can get dressed and ready for their big day.
Bracewell began her career in the travel industry, but, after several years, she found herself burnt out. Going back to school for massage therapy was her next move, and it was the right one for her. After working in her new field, it wasn’t long before she was leading a team of seventy massage therapists, and her career grew exponentially from there.
Her career path has led her to director-level roles for industry giants like Hilton, Westin, Ritz Carlton, Marriott, and more. Bracewell’s experience has taken her all over the country, but it was her time in Maui, Hawaii, and the “culture of aloha” that made a major impact.
She describes that culture as one where staff put others first, see the experience from the point of view of the guest, and make them feel at home. She tries to bring that culture wherever she goes.
Last year, Bracewell brought that ethos to Woodcliff.
Part of what drew her to her current position was the ability to step in toward the end of a major renovation to the spa, which was completed in September 2023. When she arrived in June, there was still work to be done: Bracewell coordinated all moving parts, added finishing touches, and helped the staff transition.
“We’re trying to bring . . . a seamless and fun atmosphere to work in. When you do a huge renovation, there’s a big upheaval and there’s new management . . . it’s very stressful for the people involved,” Bracewell explains. “The way I manage is by leaning on the team and they on me . . . [I try to] provide consistency and structure and have everyone buy into that.”
After a year and a half of construction and a $2.7 million investment, the Woodcliff removed eleven hotel rooms to make a total of thirteen treatment rooms in the spa (all large enough to accommodate couples or double treatments); expanded the salon to include four chairs, seven pedicure stations, and four manicure stations; introduced the Serenity Suite; and more.
The renovation paid off. In addition to setting itself apart from other area spas with new offerings, according to the director, the Spa at Woodcliff won “The Best New or Newly Renovated Spa in the US” title by American Spa Magazine, beating out thirty-two other spas in the country in a March Madness–inspired contest.
“It was really a high point for us as we evolve . . . to be able to elevate to that and win through many rounds. In the beginning, it was, ‘Oh, we won the first round—that’s cool,’ and then, ‘Oh my god, we won the next round,’” says Bracewell. “As it got momentum, everyone got more and more excited about it . . . It was special for everyone, and we had a really nice celebration for staff.”
While she took time to revel in that win and celebrate it with her team, the director is now focused on a question it’s easy to imagine she often asks herself: “What’s next?”
The spa has no problem booking appointments, says Bracewell, with weekend massage slots filling up three to four weeks in advance. At the time of our interview, she was looking to hire fifteen more massage therapists as well as a couple of nail techs and hairstylists.
She is looking for candidates who can go with the flow while ensuring a positive guest experience—people who can take the good with the bad.
“Working in a spa is like being a duck,” the director explains. “On top, everything has to roll off. … But underneath, your feet are going 100 miles per hour . . . That’s the team we’re trying to put together, and I think we have a really good start to that team. I’m super excited about what the future will bring.”
This article originally appeared in the September/October 2024 issue of (585).
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