Luxury Texan retreat La Cantera Resort & Spa has appointed Anne Melby as the new director of spa and recreation at its Loma de Vida Spa & Wellness in San Antonio.

In her new role, Melby oversees the daily operations of Loma de Vida, a 25,000sq ft center offering an array of spa services, treatments and wellness classes, along with recreation and retail for La Cantera.

She said: “I’m excited to get back to my luxury resort and spa roots. The incredible beauty of La Cantera, the elevated skill level of the 100 spa and recreation team members as well as the other 600 associates with their passion for guest service makes it a joy to join this team.

“I look forward to enhancing our wellness and recreation programming and building programmes that will be fun and healing, creating lifelong memories.”

Melby’s career track record encompasses leadership roles in spa, wellness, hospitality and med-spa operations.

Prior to joining Loma de Vida, she served as president and COO of Fractional COO Hospitality Spa & Wellness, specialising in remote operational services tailored for new business owners.

Before this, Melby led ISM Spa as SVP launching a new business division, Privai Spa + Salon plus managing ISM Spas for a total portfolio of 22 luxury spas.

Melby was also VP of operations for Elizabeth Arden and Red Door Spa + Salons, managing 15 of 28 spas.

In addition, Melby has held medical-spa leadership positions, including regional director roles at VIO Med Spa and 4Ever Young Anti-Aging Med-Spas. Melby has also held several luxury hospitality leadership roles with five-star resorts and hotels for brands including Rosewood and Ritz-Carlton.

Beyond her wide-ranging career in the industry, Melby is a registered massage therapist in Texas, holds a Project Management Professional certification, has a Project Management Certification from Cornell University, is an LCAM (Florida Community Association Manager) and is a certified ISPA spa supervisor.

She has degrees in Political Science and International Relations from the University of California and is fluent in four languages.