Meet Paul Nunez, director of spa and wellness at The Sanctuary at Naples Beach Club, A Four Seasons Resort (FL), who has 32 years of experience in the spa and hospitality industry.
What was the path that led you into the spa industry?
From a young age, I thought I would follow in my parents’ footsteps and become a psychologist. That changed in high school when I injured my back playing sports and sought care from a chiropractor. During that experience, I had my first massage—and it was a true epiphany. I went straight to massage school after high school and quickly fell in love with the wellness industry. What began as healing my own body became a calling centered on helping others feel better, both physically and emotionally.
What are the most challenging and rewarding parts of being in the spa industry?
At its core, the spa industry is about taking care of people, and not many industries can honestly say they make people feel better every day. That said, caring for people isn’t easy—it requires a great deal of patience and emotional intelligence. Spa professionals, especially massage therapists, are artists in their own right, which makes them incredible at what they do and, at times, complex to lead. At my level, what I find most rewarding is helping develop those professionals—creating an environment where they can grow, refine their craft, and build lasting careers. Watching the progression of my team is the most fulfilling part of my role.
What is your proudest accomplishment?
First, it’s the sheer volume of people we’ve helped feel better—literally thousands of guests who have come through the spas I’ve operated over the years. Equally meaningful is the legacy of leadership development: no fewer than nine of my former managers have gone on to become successful spa directors themselves. Beyond that, there are the hundreds of massage therapists I’ve hired, trained, and mentored—professionals whose careers I’ve had the privilege to support. That is what I’m most proud of.
What has surprised you most about working in the spa industry?
What has surprised me most is just how quickly this industry has grown. When I first started, I could count on one hand the number of people I knew who had ever had a massage, and back in 1994, the only people I knew who practiced yoga were former hippies. Today, most of the guests who come into our spas have experienced massage before, and the children who join our yoga classes have often been introduced to yoga and mindfulness right in school—which is truly amazing. I’ve had a front-row seat to witness the rise of wellness in our society. On a personal note, I’m continually struck by how kind the people in the spa industry are. Over the years, I’ve built incredibly close friendships with people who are supportive, generous, and genuinely caring—just truly beautiful human beings.
Where do you think the industry is heading?
Over the last few years of working with robots that do massage, my perspective on the future of the spa industry has changed dramatically from where it was even seven years ago. The rise of wellness in society, combined with the integration of technology into a traditionally low‑tech field, has shifted things considerably. Where intuition once dominated, the infusion of tech has now stepped in. I believe the next major focus will be our ability to measure the physiological impact of a spa experience—to quantify, in real time, how a massage affects cortisol levels, dopamine production, or endorphin release.
Imagine also being able to understand, through analytics, why one therapist is more effective at inducing deep relaxation than another. Not to replace human touch, but to better understand it, train it, and elevate it. That intersection—where technology helps decode human experience—is what I find most exciting.
What’s your favorite skincare ingredient?
Coconut oil, pure and simple. It feels good and smells good, I am a simple man when it comes to skincare!
What positions have you worked in that you feel have been most influential to your career?
All of them have been influential, but being an educator has shaped me the most. It has given me the ability to stand and deliver information with confidence, and lead my teams with the patience that only a teacher can have.
Was there a time you had to make a decision in your career that ended up changing your destiny?
Moving from education into operations was the decision that changed my life and career more than anything else I’ve done. It took me all over the world, but it also dropped me straight into a really steep learning curve. Hospitality, especially, was something I knew very little about. I messed up a lot. It was hard on the ego and there were moments when it really knocked me around. But each mistake forced me to grow, and over time I learned how to actually learn from failure instead of just surviving it. What got me through it was the people. Every time I fell down, there was someone in the spa community there to help me back up. And the belief my teams had in me—sometimes more than I had in myself—kept me going when things felt shaky.
If you could work in any other profession in the world, what would it be?
I might like to actually be a sports psychologist, that seems like a fantastic but demanding job, but if I am dreaming big it would be to play golf professionally. And that is a dream, because I am only a marginal golfer at best!
How would you sum up your personal philosophy?
Be curious about the world, how it works, and the people in it.
How do you like to spend your time away from work?
Hanging out with my daughter, and on the golf course with my friends. Now if I could just get my daughter to want to play golf!
What are your three greatest priorities in life?
First, my daughter and my family. I am very close with my father and brothers. Then would be my friends and coworkers. But taking time for myself, to be alone is also a huge priority when your role is to take care of people. Having downtime for yourself is vital. And of course, reading books, can't leave that out. I love a good story.
What’s the best advice you’ve received?
That "reality has a surprising amount of detail." I take that to mean that the sheer fact that we are here in this universe, and that we all exist in the first place is a miracle in itself. And to never lose that perspective.