Independent hotel group Hastings Hotels has named Niamh Rice as the new spa manager at the Culloden Estate & Spa in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Rice has been working at the Culloden since 2015, when she joined as a spa supervisor before becoming the assistant spa manager.

She has more than 12 years experience in the spa and beauty industries and holds a BTEC National Diploma in Beauty Therapy Science and HND in Beauty Management.

As the spa manager she will be responsible for the day-to-day running of The Spa at Culloden and will oversee a staff or more than 20, including spa therapists and attendants, personal trainers and juice bar employees. Rice will also manage the spa's exclusive brand partnership with luxury product house ESPA.

She said: "I am really excited about this new journey as spa manager and everything the role entails. We have an incredible team of staff and are continuing to expand. We're continually updating the spa facilities as well and will be announcing some very exciting plans in the next few months."

"We are delighted to continue our work with ESPA too, one of the world's leading spa companies. This includes regular training on new spa therapies and products that they introduce."