The Wellness in Hospitality Podcast

Most landowners don’t fail because their vision isn’t good enough. They fail because they’re following a playbook that was never meant for them. A playbook designed for large hotel portfolios and real estate ventures, not deeply personal, legacy-led projects. If you're trying to create something meaningful on your land… Something that reflects your values, gives back to your community, and le...

If you’ve hired multiple experts, commissioned beautiful renderings, and still feel no closer to building your boutique wellness retreat, this episode is for you.  Because the truth is, more consultants don’t fix confusion.  They amplify it.  What moves your project forward is Clarity.  Clarity of vision, and clarity of identity.  In this episode, I break down the two clarities that separate those...

You’ve got the vision.  You know the feeling you want your guests to walk away with.  You’ve walked your land, journaled your dreams, and maybe hired an expert or two.  So why hasn’t your project started yet?  In this episode, I dive into the hidden reason so many brilliant boutique wellness retreats never make it past the idea phase. I’ll talk about what it really takes to move from having a drea...

Have you ever walked into a space that felt absolutely perfect, but couldn't explain why?   Or visited a beautifully designed spa that somehow felt... off?     The secret isn't in the fixtures or finishes. It's in understanding the invisible forces that make or break your wellness offering.  I see it time and again. Boutique hotel owners invest heavily in stunning spa facilities, st...

What if I told you that the wellness model you're following was designed for a business reality that no longer exists? In this episode, I'm calling out what I believe is the broken wellness model that's plaguing the boutique hotel industry, and why it's costing you guests, revenue, and authenticity. Here's the problem:  the wellness model we're all following was built...

What if the best GM for a wellness-led hotel isn’t a hotelier at all? Hylton Lipkin didn’t follow the typical path. He started in fitness, became a spa director, then got “kicked” into roles like housekeeping and sales, before eventually leading entire hotels and now 10 wellness cruise boats in Vietnam. His journey reveals how wellness leaders can lead entire properties, but only if they’re willin...

Why do incredibly talented boutique hotel owners, brilliant business minds with purpose-driven visions, find themselves completely paralysed when it comes to creating their wellness offering? You're a savvy boutique hotel owner. You've done your homework, attended every conference, read every trend report, and consulted with the best minds in hospitality.  You have inherited land, want t...

If your wellness project starts with design, you’re already too late. In this episode, I sit down with Alberto Apostoli, architect, operator, and one of the most experienced minds in wellness design.  We talk about what it takes to create a wellness concept that performs emotionally, financially, and strategically. Alberto’s been designing wellness spaces for over 20 years. But as you’ll hear in t...

"It’s not just the packaging. It’s what’s inside." - Saawan Logan In today’s episode I have a very special guest, Saawan Logan, who shares the story most companies don’t like to talk about, and that is of how plastic waste, microtoxins, and misguided industry priorities are quietly sabotaging wellness, and what hotels can do to change that. When Saawan returned home to Fiji and discovere...

If you’ve ever walked out of a meeting thinking, “They just don’t get it…” This episode is for you. Because here’s the truth: You don’t need your GM to believe in wellness. You need to speak, build and lead in a way they can’t ignore. You don’t need another certification. You don’t need more team trainings. And you definitely don’t need to wait for your GM to “get” wellness. What you need is a new...

Here’s how the top 1% of wellness leaders are being built. If you’ve ever thought: “I know I’m meant for more than just managing treatments and rotas.” “I want to lead wellness like a real business, but no one ever taught me how.” Then this episode is for you. Inside this special session, I take you behind the scenes of The Wellness Asset Academy: my signature 10-week program that’s helping wellne...

Do you think you need to change everything to succeed in your new role?  Think again. The truth is: wellness directors don’t fail because they’re not skilled enough—they fail because they try to do too much, too soon. And that kills momentum before it even begins. In this episode, I’m breaking down the One Win Rule—a mindset shift and strategic approach every wellness leader needs when stepping in...

Ever feel like you’re torn between two worlds at work—juggling guest satisfaction and business performance, team morale and P&L? If you’re a wellness leader in a hotel, chances are you’re leading from the middle. And that is, hands down, one of the toughest roles in the industry. Today, I share what it’s really like to stand in that space—and why it’s not about your competence, it’s about your...

You don’t need another theory on wellness. You need to hear from someone who’s living it. In this episode, I sit down with Ram Chatterjee, Country Wellness Director at Six Senses Bhutan, to talk about what it actually means to be a wellness leader—not just by title, but by embodiment. Ram doesn’t just run wellness operations across five stunning lodges in Bhutan. He’s been in the industry for 25+...

Today’s a controversial one--- one that will ruffle feathers. So, here we go. You don’t have a wellness problem. You have a wellness director problem. And here’s the harsh truth—you might be the one who created it. Last week, I was sitting in the café of a hotel in Spain, observing the dynamics between the GM and his department heads. The Director of Rooms? A solid handshake and a planning session...

The Real Story Behind “I Don’t Have Time” It starts small. You cover one shift. Skip one team meeting. Handle one guest complaint yourself—because it’s just quicker. Before you know it? You’re doing everything. → Running from treatment room to reception. → Coaching therapists during your lunch break. → Answering emails on your day off. → Still being told you’re not hitting budget And somewhere alo...

Have you ever walked into a finance or strategy meeting… …with something important to say— …and walked out without saying anything at all? You nod. You smile. You try to take notes. But deep down, you’re thinking: I have no idea what just happened. And I definitely don’t feel in control. If that’s you—I see you. And this episode is for you. Because today, we’re talking about the hidden reason so m...

What if waiting for your company to invest in your training is the very thing holding you back?  In today's episode, I'm tackling a controversial but important mindset shift—why relying on your employer to fund your growth might be costing you more than you think in an industry worth trillions. I've never believed that my career growth is someone else's responsibility. Watching...

You’ve spent years building your wellness career.  You know the value wellness brings to hotels. But every time you propose something new, it feels like you’re speaking a different language. Budgets get cut. Promotions turn into discounts. And instead of being seen as a driver of revenue, wellness is treated as an afterthought—if it’s even considered at all. So, what’s the point? If you’ve ever th...

Be honest—have you ever thought this? “My GM doesn’t care about wellness.” “All they see is numbers.” “They say there’s no budget—every time.” You’re not alone. I used to think that too. Until I realized I was presenting my ideas the wrong way. Here’s the truth: Your GM and owners do care about wellness—but you’re making it hard for them to say yes. Have you ever brought an idea to leadership, con...

Ever feel like your GM, owner, or even guests just don’t get wellness? You’re not alone. Many wellness directors, practitioners, and boutique hotel owners struggle with this exact frustration. But what if the problem isn’t that they don’t get wellness—but that we aren’t positioning it in a way that makes sense for them? In this episode, I break down: → Why thinking they don’t get it is holding you...

Ever caught yourself thinking, “I want my wellness concept to be like so and so?”  You’re not alone.  But what if I told you that blindly following someone else’s success formula could actually set you up for failure?  Today, I’ll break down the "I Want to Be Like..." Syndrome—why it happens, how it holds you back, and what to do instead. In my 20+ years in the wellness and hospitality i...

Most boutique hotel owners and wellness leaders start with a clear vision for their wellness offering. ✔️ You’ve invested in expert consultants. ✔️ You’ve designed a stunning space. ✔️ You’ve created a wellness concept that feels just right. So why does it still feel like something is missing? In this episode, I’ll break down why your wellness reality doesn’t align with your vision—and the exact s...

Are plant-based ingredients the future of wellness in hospitality?  From skincare to scent design, plant-based formulations are transforming the wellness industry—but with that comes challenges like greenwashing, sustainability, and sourcing the right ingredients. In this episode, I sit down with Jimm Harrison, founder of the Phytotherapy Institute, to uncover what it really takes to integrate pla...

“Wellness feels so expensive to do properly.” Sound familiar? In today’s episode I talk about the conundrum many boutique hotel owners face – the expense of running wellness facilities. If you're a boutique hotel owner and wellness is an important part of what you offer your guests, you've probably thought "wellness is just so expensive to do right."  And you're not wrong...