When Kimberly Roberts completed massage school in 1998, her goal was to get as much experience as possible. So she went to work at the New Moon Spa inside the 1886 Crescent Hotel.

Twenty-five years later, Roberts is still there, now serving as director of the New Moon Spa and Salon. She celebrated a quarter-century of employment with the spa on Monday, April 10.

“I went to massage therapy school, and I actually lived in Springdale at the time,” Roberts said. “And some of my instructors actually worked here. They said there were openings here. And I thought: ‘What better place than a tourist town to get as many different bodies underneath my hands as I could.’ So I came over here, did my interview and I’ve pretty much been here ever since then.”

Over the course of her career, Roberts said she’s seen a lot of changes at the New Moon.

“We had four massage tables,” she said. “We now have 10, plus two aesthetician rooms. There used to be an aerobics room. There used to be a gym, and in 2003, we converted it to a salon. We’ve had a lot of growth.”

One thing that hasn’t changed, Roberts said, is the family atmosphere among the staff at the Crescent and the New Moon.

“The creed of the hotel is building the individual,” she said. “They’ve definitely done that for me because I’ve gone through so many phases of the New Moon Spa and Salon. And protecting the irreplaceable, which is just all the work that’s been put into the actual building.”

Roberts said she is especially fond of the hotel’s owner, Elise Roenigk.

“I love Elise,” she said. “A lot of historic buildings are not individually owned but are more corporate- owned. So I feel like there’s a little bit different feel because of that. She lives here. This is her home. And I just appreciate the fact that she’s continue to support us through all the years.”