The wellness trade in the present day caters to customers searching for to protect and enhance their bodily, psychological and emotional wellbeing — a shift from an area as soon as predominantly peddling inflexible exercise routines to now extending longevity and nurturing the holistic self.
Consequently, the wellness and tourism industries have more and more converged to fulfill the expectations of well-travelled luxurious customers who want to preserve their wellness and health routines whereas on the transfer — integrating experiences that foster steadiness and connection. A 2025 Altiant report discovered that greater than 90 p.c of luxurious travellers need wellness choices, prioritising psychological well being assist, nature immersions and cutting-edge expertise.
The international wellness tourism market is in the present day valued at over $650 billion, in keeping with the Global Wellness Institute — and is projected for extra development as travellers throughout demographics search to additional combine wellbeing into each their work and leisure journey.
Luxury resort, resort and residence firm Auberge Collection has spent the final two years creating a brand new strategic imaginative and prescient and ethos for its wellbeing strategy, entitled “The Joy of Wellbeing”, to fulfill the expansive wants of its visitors and residents.
Across its international properties — from Stanly Ranch nestled in California’s Napa Valley to Collegio alla Querce in Florence — Auberge Collection redefines what it means to really feel nicely whereas away. Long recognised as a pacesetter within the house, the posh hospitality group now centres its strategy on a easy philosophy: pleasure is greater than a sense — it’s a confirmed pathway to lasting well being and longevity.
“The Joy of Wellbeing” framework is guided by 4 core rules — Awe, Connect, Excel and Nurture — and options collaborations with trade consultants reminiscent of best-selling self-help writer Gabby Bernstein. It invitations visitors to expertise wellness that’s each emotionally resonant and scientifically validated, tailor-made to every property.
To higher perceive how Auberge Collection is reshaping the way forward for wellness in its hospitality providing, BoF sits down with Vivianne Garcia-Tunon, its vice chairman of wellbeing, to uncover the technique behind the “Joy of Wellbeing” programme, its translation throughout all Auberge Collection properties and the way the enterprise hopes to set a brand new benchmark for the wellness tourism trade.
What market wants did you determine that impressed the ‘The Joy of Wellbeing’ framework?
We spent almost two years finding out the wellness panorama and noticed a chance to place our wellbeing providing round a common, science-backed idea: pleasure.
There’s unbelievable analysis displaying that pleasure is a key driver of each wellbeing and longevity and we wished to make it central to how our visitors expertise Auberge. Before becoming a member of the corporate, I labored at a long life startup as a practitioner, meals scientist and therapist. I’m deeply conscious that probably the most highly effective developments nonetheless come from foundational human practices. Joy is a type of pillars.
We noticed two extremes. On one finish, there are generic spas targeted on facials and massages. On the opposite hand, you’ve extremely medicalised programmes — that are extraordinary, however very prescriptive.
In hospitality, the visitor — not the physician — is the precedence. Our purpose was to create a particular, emotional and accessible strategy that naturally aligns with who we’re as a model and helps visitors rediscover the on a regular basis vitality that comes from being current, linked and joyful.
How has Auberge Collection developed its wellness philosophy to fulfill altering shopper expectations?
The pandemic accelerated a shift in what folks worth. Guests are not searching for wellness as a guidelines of actions — they need experiences that really feel private, restorative and joyful.
For us, that begins with the fundamentals. You want an unbelievable health centre, the place 80 p.c of the tools is weight-bearing, and, sure, nice matcha. It’s not nearly spa therapies — it’s about creating a way of wholeness by way of moments of presence and pleasure. That may imply journaling, spending time with family members over a gorgeous, regionally sourced meal, reconnecting with a beloved one throughout a portray class within the breathtaking mountains, or taking a night bathtub infused with herbs from our gardens.
We’re additionally being intentional about making wellbeing approachable, not intimidating. In the US, wellness has nearly grow to be a supply of stress — one other to-do. We’re demystifying it with experiences like our Happy Four class, which focuses on naturally boosting serotonin, oxytocin, dopamine and endorphins. It’s scientific, nevertheless it’s additionally easy and joyful.
Can you walk us through the four pillars of ‘The Joy of Wellbeing’?
Each pillar expresses a different facet of what it means to live well. Each one manifests differently depending on the location.
First off is Awe, which reminds us that beauty is a healing force. Whether it’s a sunrise, a perfect cup of coffee, or our immersive sensory rooms at Cambridge House in London — that are designed to calm the mind, restore balance and reconnect guests with their senses through sight, sound and touch via haptics, guided movement and scent integration. Awe reconnects guests to wonder and joy.
The next is Connect, which is all about relationships — with ourselves, our families and our communities. The Harvard Study of Adult Development shows that connection is the number one predictor of happiness and longevity, so we design programming that fosters genuine human connection.
The next pillar is Excel, which represents vitality. Hospitality has grown sleepy about fitness, but we’re reigniting that energy through weight-bearing offerings, high-intensity training and partnerships with exercise physiologists that allow you to reach your full potential. Muscle is the organ of longevity, so we’re helping guests move better and feel stronger.
And finally, Nurture focuses on care, for both the body and the mind. From targeted bodywork for chronic pain to our new Deep Calm treatment, which activates the vagus nerve, we want our guests to truly feel cared for. It’s about balance, recovery and skin health – not just relaxation.
These four pillars provide a flexible framework that can expand or contract depending on the property and its unique identity.
How do local partnerships and cultural connections shape ‘The Joy of Wellbeing’ across your properties?
Authenticity is everything. We have a pre-opening team that works years in advance to curate hyper-local experiences and find practitioners who often operate outside of traditional wellness circuits.
In Los Cabos, for example, we partner with local healers. In Utah, we have a partnership with Shoshone Chief Darren Parry, which invites guests to experience a traditional Sweat Lodge ceremony. Following custom, the lodge was assembled with intention and care by local leaders. If something is not authentic, we don’t offer it.
Collaboration also extends globally. Our partnership with Gabby Bernstein, the New York Times bestselling author, has been central to “The Joy of Wellbeing.” She has created unique, seven-day content material for our visitors, affirmation turn-down playing cards, a journaling programme and pre-treatment respiratory rituals designed to domesticate pleasure and presence. Gabby’s first-ever hospitality retreat — The Power of Joy — will debut at Auberge’s The Lodge at Blue Sky in Utah, next spring April 30th till May 3rd, 2026.
Through partnerships, such as this one with Gabby, and with practitioners like TV personality and fitness instructor Amanda Kloots — guests can engage directly with leading voices in wellbeing, not just online, but in person — through retreats, talks, and Masters in Residence programmes across our properties.
How does Auberge adapt its wellbeing programmes by guest type and destinations?
Residents are our permanent guests, so their needs are more routine. We expand fitness centres, increase weight-training areas and ensure there’s a balance of protein-rich and vegetarian food options to support daily wellbeing.
Hotel guests, on the other hand, are often seeking novelty. The human brain loves newness, so we offer rotating Masters in Residence programmes, unique treatments and community-led classes that make each stay feel fresh and inspiring.
Our upcoming openings reflect this philosophy. In Florida, we’re focusing on Pilates, weight training, and social thermal bathing. Puerto Rico — my home — will offer nature-immersive, high-intensity experiences rooted in the island’s active culture. London’s Cambridge House will feature immersive visual experiences and world-class bodywork and fitness programmes, while Dallas will lean into our Nurture pillar, offering one of the most extensive skin-health programmes in hospitality.
Each destination feels different, but all embody “The Joy of Wellbeing” at their core.
How do you foresee wellbeing becoming a deeper part of your hospitality experience?
We view wellbeing as a 360-degree lens through which every guest experience is designed — from the quality of your sleep, the oils used in your food and the rituals surrounding your stay.
That means thoughtful food sourcing, a richer variety of non-alcoholic beverages and organic wines and reimagining wellbeing beyond the spa — through cooking classes, lunch-and-learns or movement in nature. The idea is that guests don’t need to book wellbeing services — it’s woven into everything.
Ultimately, “The Joy of Wellbeing” makes joy central to real health. Science shows that people who regularly experience joy live, on average, ten years longer. For us, joy isn’t a fleeting feeling — it’s an international skill, a lever for longevity and the essence of living well.
This is a sponsored function paid for by Auberge Collection as a part of a BoF partnership.