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 willing to leave the comfort of the spa.

My boutique hotel clients often ask me to recommend a strong wellness director to take on the General Manager role of their hotel.

They are clear that they don’t want someone who has followed the traditional route because the traditional way of hospitality is something they precisely don’t want in their property.

But, when they look at strong wellness leader candidates, they quickly realise that although these leaders tick all the boxes when it comes to understanding wellness, what they lack is the business acumen to make their property commercially sustainable.

So, the question is, which is the right way forward? The answer it appears, would be in having a wellness leader who has worked their way up to GM.

But, the problem there is that in my 20+ years in the industry, I’ve only known 2 such people!

In today’s episode, I sit down with one of those people, Hylton Lipkin, and we talk about:

→ The Owner’s Dilemma
You want a wellness-led property, but traditional GMs don’t get wellness, and wellness leaders aren’t ready to run hotels. Who do you choose?

→ The Numbers Problem
Wellness leaders have the heart, but most don’t know their revenue share, can’t write a budget, and have never managed beyond their team.

→ The Rare Example
Hylton didn’t just become GM. He did housekeeping. He did sales. He ran operations. That’s how he became the 1%, with wellness still at the core.


And here is where we have the bottleneck. Wellness is growing fast, but the leadership pipeline isn’t.

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Are you ready to take wellness to the next level?


Here are 2 ways I can help:


1️⃣ WHO: Wellness directors who want to join 1% of wellness leaders


📌 WHAT: The Wellness Asset Academy
A 10-week online group programme where I guide you through my 7-step ESSENCE framework. Achieve higher pay and secure a genuine seat at the hotel’s big table—so wellness is no longer the most neglected area in the hotel.

→ Join the waitlist here.



2️⃣ WHO: Owners of small, independent hotels with a strong wellbeing focus


📌 WHAT: Asset Builder Mentorship
Exclusive 6-month 1:1 mentorship programme to master creating a wellness asset, build a proud team, and deliver transformative experiences for your guests.

→ Become a steward of true hospitality.



💡 Why work with me?

I know what works with wellness and I also know what doesn’t. I’ve made the mistakes so you don’t need to – saving you thousands of dollars on bad decisions.

✅ #1 best-selling author, global wellness expert
✅ 40+ projects in 20+ countries across Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific
✅ Top brands: Abadía Retuerta, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, Accor, Six Senses Resorts & Spas
✅ Interviewed over 150+ hoteliers worldwide