Jennifer Lynn is one of the most respected—and beloved—spa leaders in the United States. Known affectionately as the “Godmother of Las Vegas Spas,” she began her storied career at Treasure Island more than 30 years ago and today serves as Director of Spa & Fitness at Lapis Spa & Wellness at Fontainebleau Las Vegas.
The lobby at Lapis Spa & Wellness, Fontainebleau Las Vegas
I first met Jennifer during her tenure at Bellagio, and spent time with her at the newly opened Bacara Resort & Spa in Santa Barbara, back in 2000. Her energy and entrepreneurial spirit were already shaping the spa landscape. Throughout her career, she has earned numerous accolades, from opening landmark properties like Qua Baths & Spa at Caesars Palace to introducing the European tradition of Aufguss to the American spa scene.
At Lapis Spa & Wellness at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, she is once again leading with vision—building a groundbreaking wellness experience, mentoring the next generation of spa professionals, and redefining what it means for spa to be both a destination and a dynamic business. In this conversation, she shares her journey, her passion for innovation, and why she believes the best leaders are always willing to keep learning.
When did you become involved with Fontainebleau, and what drew you to the project?
In June of 2022. Fontainebleau had reacquired the project in 2021, and as they were working through design and development—picking up where they left off—it became necessary to get the [spa] operator involved.
Spa is such a specialty and such a big part of the overall scope. Fontainebleau is a beautiful heritage brand from Miami that has had a strong legacy for so many years. Everyone seems to have a memory of Fontainebleau Miami, I’ve found.
We wanted to evolve the brand. We knew we had a lot of new programming and wanted that to weave into the overall vision. So, in June of 2022, I joined Fontainebleau to support brand development, construction management, and heading straight into operational programming and planning for our launch in 2023. [The spa officially opened on December 14, 2023, one day after the resort’s grand opening.]
“I felt like I had just begun to scratch the surface of Aufguss, sauna, and sauna culture—bringing that to the U.S.”
What aspects of your experience made you the right fit for Fontainebleau?
I’ve had a lengthy career in Vegas and a lot of connections—my name preceded me. My Resorts World experience lent itself well to a project of this size, and also, Resorts World was where we introduced the first Aufguss in the U.S.
Jennifer Lynn, Resorts World Las Vegas, 2021
My nature is to fully immerse myself, and I felt like I had just begun to scratch the surface of Aufguss, sauna, and sauna culture—bringing that to the U.S. in many ways. As I learned more about the project, I realized I was exactly the right person—and they thought so, too. I have to say, our owners are such visionaries in many ways, bringing the Miami concept to Vegas and doing things differently.
In many ways, it had been a “copy-and-paste” approach on the Strip over the years. Very successful programming, but here we are, 15 or 20 years past the original design of many resorts. It was time to take things to the next level with what was happening on the wellness side of things.
Spa for many years had meant facials, body treatments, and massages—but wellness is pressing into the spa industry now. I think it had been a “spa industry” for a long time—and now it’s becoming a “wellness experience,” where spa is the destination and wellness is the activity.
Where do you believe the shift between spa and wellness began?
Allow me to explain through my hospitality lens. Spa began to proliferate in the U.S. through hospitality destinations, mostly hotels. In its original inception, spa was seen more as an amenity—you had to have a pool in the ‘70s, a fitness center in the ‘80s, and by the ‘90s, spas were starting to emerge. But they were simple: reception desk, locker rooms, maybe a steam room, a small vitality pool, and mostly focused on treatments.
I don’t think it’s a divide—it’s an evolution.
Another part of it is that not all consumers are educated about spa etiquette. So it’s been a gradual shift. Spa is no longer an amenity—it’s big business now, as we know. When I first started, there were fewer expectations around financial performance. Today, spa directors need strong business and financial acumen. It’s a dynamic business now.
What was the most challenging aspect of building Lapis Spa?
I felt I was in a great place, especially after the Resorts World grand opening and all the brand development work there. Things were fresh in my mind—you learn something every time you go through a project, and every project is a little different. Candidly, I didn’t run into a lot of challenges—until we got to staffing. You can have all these beautiful designs and visions, but at the end of the day, you need people to bring it to life.
“The best leaders are the ones who never stop learning.”
Tell us about your staff.
The women’s wet area at Lapis Spa & Wellness
Our staff is about 150. We have a leadership team of eight, plus managers, supervisors, concierge, hosts—about 40 people in all. The rest are treatment providers: massage therapists, master estheticians (with at least 10 years of experience), nail techs, and our Reboot therapists.
I call them master estheticians because they’re passionate—they’re the ones reading about skincare, trying new products, they’re all in.
What are the Reboot therapists?
It’s an apprentice program I created. Staffing was part of the challenge. Most luxury spas require massage therapists to have two years of luxury experience—but how do you get that if no one gives you the chance?
Our Reboot Lounge focuses on foot and lower-leg treatments, set in a room with three walls of digital nature immersion—slow-moving landscape and calming visuals. The massage schools were putting out quite a few graduates, and I do believe people can come out of school with natural talent. We’re helping them hone that under luxury standards.
We recruit straight from school, give them six to nine months of training in the Reboot Lounge, and depending on readiness, they transition into the full treatment room team. It’s beautiful: they learn luxury standards from the beginning, without having bad habits we’d have to adjust later. It’s our quality-control feeder program.
We just hired a second team of eight. Our first “graduating class” from our grand opening had 12 people. They had more time before opening, so they got extensive training with outside trainers. They’re now working in the treatment rooms, side-by-side with seasoned therapists—and still have mentors. There’s a lot of nuance that takes a massage from good to great, and mentors help with those small but important skills.
“You can have a beautiful design, but you need people to bring it to life.”
Let’s talk about the Aufguss experience—you introduced it to the American spa-goer.
My first introduction was in 2021, while I was at Resorts World. It was presented as, “This is the concept we’re bringing.”
On a side note, I have a history degree from UNLV, but I had no idea it would blend so perfectly into my professional career. So many people used to ask me what I would do with a liberal arts degree—and here I am! My nature is to want to understand the history and the culture behind things. With that said, it was hard to find information on Aufguss during lockdown—we couldn’t bring international trainers over. Most of what I found was through internet research.
What drew you into Aufguss?
The eternal cheerleader—Jennifer Lynn, longtime UNLV Cheer alumna
It’s just my nature. I want to understand everything, from the history to the culture.
Knowing that Resorts World was going to be the first spa in the U.S. offering Aufguss, there was professional pressure—and personal pressure, too—to get it right.
As soon as international travel opened, we were able to welcome my sauna guru, Rob Keijzer, from the Netherlands—he’s a three-time World Champion at the Aufguss World Masters. Rob and I developed a wonderful friendship. His respect for the authenticity of Aufguss helped us bring it to life in the U.S. the right way. We launched it at Resorts World in September 2021.
You’ve shared that you attended the Aufguss World Masters in Europe. What was your biggest takeaway?
The responsibility I have as a spa operator to introduce Aufguss authentically to the American consumer. When guests experience it for the first time, it’s awe and shock—they don’t know what to expect. It’s powerful. It builds a sense of community, and it’s deeply physical and emotional.
Last year, I was invited to speak at Finnish Spa Week. Finland is a nation of purists when it comes to sauna culture—you don’t see the flashy Aufguss shows there, just pure sauna culture.
I told them about what we’re doing in Las Vegas—300 guests a day experiencing sauna culture. They were amazed. They never thought about it that way—how many people we’re introducing to something they grew up with.
How do the Aufguss shows differ at Lapis Spa?
We do four Aufguss shows a day. We have six Sauna Meisters—and I’m the backup plan!
We have about 25 pre-programmed shows with lighting, music, and video. Each Meister chooses based on the mood of the guests—kind of like a yoga instructor reading the room. It’s about doing it right, doing it authentically—not just putting on a flashy show.
When did you first get into spa, and where?
Qua Baths & Spa days, with Melissa Fielding, left, Jennifer Lynn, center, and Andeen Rose Clark
My first spa job was at Treasure Island, from 1993 to 1998. I started as a spa manager and grew to spa director. I’m born and raised in Las Vegas, a UNLV grad. I always thought I’d have a glamorous hotel front-desk job, maybe living in Paris. But I found spa—and it became a lifestyle career for me.
Then I went to Bellagio, then Bacara in Santa Barbara. I was at Bacara when 9/11 happened, and that changed my path for a time. I consulted for about four years before returning to Vegas to open Qua Baths & Spa in 2005.
What made Qua Baths & Spa special at the time?
The Roman Baths. That’s where we really started to see spa evolve—not just treatment rooms and a steam room, but an immersive environment. It was our first big brush with branding: creating a physical and emotional experience. We had a snow room, crystal body art—it was really fun and new back then.
What drives your passion for leadership?
That’s the only place I feel comfortable—leading.
If I’m going to do something, I dig deep, do the research, and try to be forward-looking. I’m lucky: Fontainebleau leadership is visionary, and they see spa and wellness as major parts of the business. Every opening is hard work—a giant puzzle to solve—but I love it.
You’ve chaired the Las Vegas Spa Association for more than 20 years. Tell us about that.
The Mandarin Oriental days: Michael Garvey, President, Las Vegas Spa Association, Jennifer Lynn, Chair, and Donald Bowman, General Manger
They call me the Las Vegas Spa Godmother! We have 35 spa members and 150 vendor affiliates. Mentoring the next generation is very important to me. It’s about exposing young spa professionals to networking, to soft skills, to educational opportunities. It’s very rewarding.
One of these days, I’ll have to pass the baton—but not quite yet.
Where are you finding the most excitement or inspiration these days?
Learning.
I never thought I’d be learning something brand new at this stage of my career. Sauna culture blew my mind. In America, sauna used to mean sitting in a warm room. Now, understanding the connection, the aromatherapy, the role of a Sauna Meister—it’s transformed my view.
Whatever’s next, I’ll dive deep into it.
Mary Bemis
Mary Bemis is Founder & Editorial Director of InsidersGuidetoSpas.com. An advocate for all things spa, Mary forged a vocabulary for spa reportage that is widely used by those who cover the issues today. Recently honored as a Top 30 Influential Voice Transforming Wellness by Medika Life, Mary is an inaugural honoree of Folio’s Top Women in Media Award. Her spa media roots run deep—in 1997, she launched American Spa magazine, in 2007, she co-founded Organic Spa magazine, and in between serving on the ISPA and NYSPA Board of Directors, she was on the launch teams of Luxury SpaFinder and New Beauty magazines. Named a "Wonder Woman of Wellness" by American Spa magazine, Mary was honored by the International Spa Association with the distinguished ISPA Dedicated Contributor Award. She is a special advisor to the non-profit Global Wellness Day.
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