The wellness industry today caters to consumers seeking to preserve and improve their physical, mental and emotional wellbeing — a shift from a space once predominantly peddling rigid workout routines to now extending longevity and nurturing the holistic self.
Consequently, the wellness and tourism industries have increasingly converged to meet the expectations of well-travelled luxury consumers who wish to maintain their wellness and fitness routines while on the move — integrating experiences that foster balance and connection. A 2025 Altiant report found that more than 90 percent of luxury travellers want wellness offerings, prioritising mental health support, nature immersions and cutting-edge technology.
The global wellness tourism market is today valued at over $650 billion, according to the Global Wellness Institute — and is projected for more growth as travellers across demographics seek to further integrate wellbeing into both their work and leisure travel.
Luxury hotel, resort and residence company Auberge Collection has spent the last two years developing a new strategic vision and ethos for its wellbeing approach, entitled “The Joy of Wellbeing”, to meet the expansive needs of its guests and residents.
Across its global properties — from Stanly Ranch nestled in California’s Napa Valley to Collegio alla Querce in Florence — Auberge Collection redefines what it means to feel well while away. Long recognised as a leader in the space, the luxury hospitality group now centres its approach on a simple philosophy: joy is more than a feeling — it’s a proven pathway to lasting health and longevity.
“The Joy of Wellbeing” framework is guided by four core principles — Awe, Connect, Excel and Nurture — and features collaborations with industry experts such as best-selling self-help author Gabby Bernstein. It invites guests to experience wellness that is both emotionally resonant and scientifically validated, tailored to each property.
To better understand how Auberge Collection is reshaping the future of wellness in its hospitality offering, BoF sits down with Vivianne Garcia-Tunon, its vice president of wellbeing, to uncover the strategy behind the “Joy of Wellbeing” programme, its translation across all Auberge Collection properties and how the business hopes to set a new benchmark for the wellness tourism industry.
What market needs did you identify that inspired the ‘The Joy of Wellbeing’ framework?
We spent nearly two years studying the wellness landscape and saw an opportunity to position our wellbeing offering around a universal, science-backed concept: joy.
There’s incredible research showing that joy is a key driver of both wellbeing and longevity and we wanted to make it central to how our guests experience Auberge. Before joining the company, I worked at a longevity startup as a practitioner, food scientist and therapist. I am deeply aware that the most powerful advancements still come from foundational human practices. Joy is one of those pillars.
We saw two extremes. On one end, there are generic spas focused on facials and massages. On the other hand, you have highly medicalised programmes — which are extraordinary, but very prescriptive.
In hospitality, the guest — not the doctor — is the priority. Our goal was to create a distinctive, emotional and accessible approach that naturally aligns with who we are as a brand and helps guests rediscover the everyday vitality that comes from being present, connected and joyful.
How has Auberge Collection evolved its wellness philosophy to meet changing consumer expectations?
The pandemic accelerated a shift in what people value. Guests are no longer seeking wellness as a checklist of activities — they want experiences that feel personal, restorative and joyful.
For us, that starts with the basics. You need an incredible fitness centre, where 80 percent of the equipment is weight-bearing, and, yes, great matcha. It’s not just about spa treatments — it’s about creating a sense of wholeness through moments of presence and pleasure. That could mean journaling, spending time with loved ones over a beautiful, locally sourced meal, reconnecting with a loved one during a painting class in the breathtaking mountains, or taking an evening bath infused with herbs from our gardens.
We’re also being intentional about making wellbeing approachable, not intimidating. In the US, wellness has almost become a source of stress — another 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, but it’s also simple 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 exclusive, seven-day content for our guests, affirmation turn-down cards, a journaling programme and pre-treatment breathing rituals designed to cultivate joy 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 feature paid for by Auberge Collection as part of a BoF partnership.
