Our latest Beauty Boss is Vivianne Garcia-Tunon, Global Vice President of Wellbeing for Auberge Resorts Collection—a portfolio of extraordinary hotels, resorts, residences, and private clubs. Each property is unique, and they all share a crafted approach to luxury and bring the soul of the locale to life through captivating design, exceptional cuisine, innovative spas, and gracious yet unobtrusive service.

Spa Profile: Edge Spa at The Lodge at Blue Sky, Auberge Resorts Collection

Garcia-Tunon brings to Auberge a career characterized by more than 25 years of experience creating forward-thinking, holistic health solutions in the hospitality industry. She holds multiple credentials and degrees in the fields of hospitality, hotel management, nutrition, body work, esthetics, and healing. Over the last decade, Garcia-Tunon has led operations and development as senior vice president at THE WELL, and her previous roles include serving as group spa director for Mandarin Oriental and Senior Vice President of ESPA.

California Spa Guide: The Best Spas in Napa Valley

In her new role as the company’s first-ever Global Vice President of Wellbeing, Garcia-Tunon will elevate Auberge’s positioning as a leading brand in the wellbeing space. She will conceptualize, develop, and oversee the wellbeing strategy at each property while maintaining its unique personality and staying connected to the brand’s overall spa and wellness philosophy and, in parallel, working closely with the design, creative, and operations teams to create truly unique and curated experiences that are locally inspired and connect guests to the soul of the place.

California Spa Guide: The Best Spas in Calistoga

“At Auberge, I am looking forward to exploring the concepts of health span, longevity, salutogenic design, and human rewilding—in the luxury hospitality space,” says Garcia-Tunon. “I plan and strategize as an operator, but my creativity is born from a deep understanding of the human body, the physical and subtle.”

We chatted with Garcia-Tunon who shared more about Auberge Resorts’ unique approach to wellness, her favorite beauty tips, best advice, and much more.

Garcia-Tunon is Auberge Resorts Collection’s first-ever Global Vice President of Wellbeing.

Tell us about your journey in the industry and how it led you to where you are now.

I started my career at 16 through fitness, working for a female-only gym chain called Mary Taylor in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Making others feel better made me happy and filled my soul. After graduating high school, I moved to Miami to study nutrition and work at a nearby hotel as a spa receptionist. The decision led me to a few promotions, a 5-year career with Mandarin Oriental, and the opportunity to travel the world.

I was then recruited by ESPA International, the world's first luxury operator of spa, wellness, and fitness. My 10 years with ESPA were career-defining as I had the pleasure to work hand in hand with the woman responsible for luxury wellness spas and wellbeing destinations, Susan Harmsworth.

She taught me everything I know about what it means to be a career woman, how to take care of guests and clients to grow a successful branded business, development, spa therapies, aromatherapy, wellness operations, design, marketing, and public relations. The ESPA years allowed me to open over 30 award-winning spas and wellness centers together with brands such as The Peninsula, One&Only, Four Seasons, and Ritz-Carlton Reserve.

In tandem, I returned to school and became a licensed massage therapist, skincare specialist, and energy medicine practitioner. ESPA believed that to manage a spa and wellness business successfully, you needed to understand the practitioner's point of view. This decision would fuel a successful spa consultancy that I started in 2013, after a decade with ESPA.

The past 10 years have taken me to incredible locations including projects for Faena, Four Seasons, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In 2018, I met the founders of THE WELL to collaborate on a new New York-based wellness start-up centered around ancient wisdom and modern medicine. That collaboration led to a formal appointment as their Senior Vice President of Operations and Development to lead their expansion into the hospitality world with Auberge.

After six wonderful years of hard work and the exhilarating energy of building a brand from the ground up, I had the opportunity to join Auberge Resorts Collection as their first Global Vice President of Wellbeing. As of 2023, I have done 46 openings worldwide and can’t wait to get to 50 with Auberge.

Mayflower Inn & Spa is a luxury property in Washington, Connecticut that defines New England elegance.

What inspired you to join Auberge Resorts Collection?

I am a passionate wellness practitioner, but I am, first and foremost, a luxury hotelier. I fell in love with Auberge when I arrived at Mayflower Inn & Spa, their Connecticut location. Auberge’s design-led hospitality approach and immersive experiences are aligned with my values and career aspirations. There are very few things in this life that can replicate the energy of a beautiful hotel filled with guests enjoying the thoughtfully curated experiences created for them by a team of curious and dedicated hoteliers. I wanted to be part of that team!

The Global VP of Wellbeing role was the dream opportunity to join a best-loved luxury hotel group with an impressive portfolio in some of the world’s most desirable destinations, which includes a robust pipeline of new openings.

Why is wellness an important part of the Auberge experience, and how are guests empowered to achieve health and happiness during their stay?

Wellness is essential to the Auberge experience, where our mission is to enrich guests’ lives. Prioritizing health-centric programs is now a fundamental shift in how luxury hotels cater to the evolving needs and preferences of today's travelers.

We encourage our guests to live healthier lives by providing experiences that improve their physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. The collection embraces this holistic approach, positioning Auberge as a leading brand in experiential and immersive wellbeing.

What sets Auberge Resorts Collection’s wellness approach apart from other hospitality brands?

Auberge Resorts Collection’s portfolio comprises 27 completely unique and original properties, which are essentially independent brands. Each property has a distinctive identity, design, concept, and soul. In keeping sacred the properties’ individual personalities and approaches to wellness, this translates to our spas and wellbeing programs as well.

However, they all have a thru-line of our overall brand philosophy to offer opportunities to decompress, reflect, and reconnect to health. Our mission is to not just help our guests achieve health and happiness while traveling, but we want that transformation to be long-lasting and linger well after departure.

We are also establishing innovation and creating trends by bringing in new experiences, often immersing guests into the destination’s own unique healing properties and traditions—advanced bodywork, extremely niche treatments, and some of the world’s most beloved experts and brands.

Just two hours’ drive from New York City, Mayflower Inn & Spa is nestled in 58 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens and woodland.

Future plans for the company in terms of spa and wellbeing?

We currently have nine spas in the pipeline, so this is a key moment of development for each of those unique concepts. Besides an incredible lineup of upcoming visiting masters and retreats, we also have a partnership coming down the pipeline in 2024 that will be exciting for the wellness community. This is a collaboration that I am very passionate about and will be the first of its kind in the U.S.

Do you have a favorite Auberge property?

Our entire portfolio is filled with incredible properties, it is impossible to pick a favorite one, but I will mention the ones with the most extensive wellness offerings which are the ones I frequent the most:

How do you like to relax?

I relax inside any body of water: my backyard pool, the beach, a river, or an oversized bathtub. Once I am inside the water, it is tough for me to get out. My family knows it will take an average of six hours before I am ready for dry land. My husband is confident that I am half-mermaid since he knows water is the quickest way to make me smile. At the end, spa—salud per agua!

Best advice?

There are two key lessons from my mentors:

In life, many will want you, but few will deserve you! Learn to know the difference and act accordingly.
Women need to prioritize their happiness. Your happiness has a direct effect on your partner and your children; don’t leave yourself for last. Never be afraid to ask for what you want.

The WELL at Mayflower Inn offers restorative spa treatments and brings an innovative level of holistic health to one of New England’s most exquisite country retreats.

Secret to success?

The secret to success is hard work! I have now worked with some of the most successful CEOs, owners, and operators in the world, and they all have a few things in common that I have incorporated into my life:

Start your day early and create a few wellness rituals to ground you.
Be willing to work harder than most and finish what you start.
Always do right by your clients and your team members. They will take care of you if you take care of them.
Don’t let your ego cast a shadow on your ability to lead and make conscious decisions. You are never too important.
Be mindful with your revenues, learn how to sacrifice now for a larger reward in the future.
Experience is always your number one asset. There are no shortcuts.
Never take no for an answer.
Be a master problem solver and manifest your desired outcome.
Always look the part and have pride in presentation.
Be genuinely interested in what you are doing and exude that energy to influence others. Don’t complain, it is a waste of time and resources.

Etereo is an oceanfront retreat set in the peaceful luxury Kanai development along the Riviera Maya in Mexico.

Who inspires you?

Kemper Hyers, Chief Branding Officer, Auberge Resorts Collection.
I had heard Kemper's name for decades. Whenever I point out something incredible at a new hotel, I hear, "That was Kemper's idea." It was finally in 2020 that I met this astonishing design genius at an Auberge meeting in Mexico. Kemper's natural celebrity energy is complemented by his innate ability to make everyone feel special. He is a mentor to many, a master designer, a victorious storyteller, and the ultimate experience curator. I now get to work with him every week!
Frida Kahlo, Mexican artist and multihyphenate.
During my formative years, I was deeply involved in the arts, using oils and pencils as my medium and competing in local poetry competitions. I was drawn to Frida’s art at an early age, and now, as an adult, I follow her exhibitions worldwide. Her uncompromising and colorful art, which deals with subjects such as identity, the body, the human condition, and birth has been a source of inspiration and strength for me. She aptly said, “At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.”
Andrew Huberman, Neuroscience Professor and host of the Huberman Lab podcast.
Aside from art, my other big passion is science. Thankfully, my job in the wellness industry is the perfect combination of art and science! Professor Andrew Huberman, who now hosts the number-one podcast in the world, has been able to present very complex matters in simple and digestible ways that appeal to a broad audience. Through his work, he is opening the door for everyone to learn about their bodies and ultimately provide them with the tools to take agency over their health. As a practitioner and food scientist myself, I reference his studies and health advice frequently. His work truly inspires me!

The resort is designed to connect with nature and features dramatic forest and ocean views, architecture and interiors that juxtapose contemporary aesthetics with regionally-inspired design elements and natural materials.

Wellness tips?

I am a safe-proclaimed wellness bon vivant with my unique view of health and wellbeing. Optimal health requires balance and moderation (in moderation!). My type of wellness is ever-evolving, depending on where I am in the world, what my schedule looks like, and how I am feeling at the moment, but I do try to be consistent with a few things:

Progressive weight lifting. In the practitioner community, muscle is the organ of longevity. Weight lifting not only helps our body composition, but it also helps me run through airports, allows me to lift heavy equipment with ease during spa installations, and keeps my blood work markers at the perfect range. I mix weightlifting with Pilates to improve my posture and yoga to improve my brain.
Eating for pleasure. I only eat what I find to be incredibly delicious and nourishing, which includes a diet high in vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, and seeds with a small side of an animal-based protein. Eating for pleasure includes eating until you are well and satiated. It has taken years to embody this approach, but I have taken the guilt away from food and genuinely enjoy eating for its pleasurable qualities. This philosophy, at times, includes a slice of chocolate cake and a glass of excellent skin-contact wine, which I enjoy with gusto!
Sleep. This has been a difficult one to master due to my ever-evolving travel schedule and family duties, but I have made significant progress in the past three years. I have improved my sleep hygiene by 80% by turning off mobile devices an hour before, consistently taking a magnesium supplement, avoiding any shows or reading materials centered around stressful topics, and being in bed no later than 10 p.m. most nights unless there is a party!
Functional Medicine. Prevention is the most essential part of living a healthy life. I look for professionals in the medical community who want to help me create new lifestyle choices now to prevent or delay any degenerative illness in the future. Functional practitioners perform in-depth blood work analysis to establish patterns and what works best for my body. I champion medicine that moves away from sick care in preference of well-care.
Acupuncture. I complement all of the above practices with a bi-weekly visit to my acupuncturist, who cares for my subtle body. It is in the unseen movement of energy that we find true healing!
Wellness is my wellness. I am fortunate that as a practitioner actively working in the wellness field, I learn from my peers, including my experience working with guests and creating protocols. There is an incredible amount of misinformation and noise in the wellness industry. When committing to a wellness program, it is vital to check for credentials, years of experience, and their reason for joining the industry.

Garcia-Tunon brings to Auberge a career characterized by more than 25 years of experience creating forward-thinking, holistic health solutions in the hospitality industry.

Beauty secrets?

As a Latin woman, I could write a series on this topic! Beauty secrets are passed on from generation to generation in great detail and with strict adherence, sometimes exhausting!

With that said, a positive attitude, a joyful disposition, and some of that Latina spice makes me feel beautiful without adding anything else (maybe a bit of red lipstick)! Beauty is a state of the spirit, not something that you acquire from doing a million things outside of yourself.

As I get older, I have been focusing on what matters and what has authentic pro-beauty results, such as spending quality time with girlfriends who make me laugh until my cheeks hurt, nurturing my relationship with my partner, approaching fun with abandon, and always making sure that I am the last person on the dance floor, viewing everything with a curious attitude and not letting stress get the best of me since stress ages you; and lastly, being spontaneous, there is natural beauty in the unknown. Life is happening now, so get out, dress up, and enjoy the moment—you are beautiful!

For more information about Auberge Resorts Collection, visit their website and follow on Instagram: @aubergeresorts. For Mayflower Inn & Spa deals and to book a stay, click here. For Etereo deals and to book a stay, click here.

[Images courtesy of Auberge Resorts Collection]

Beauty Boss: Vivianne Garcia-Tunon, Auberge Resorts Collection's Global Vice President of Wellbeing