BY KAROLINE PFEIL
What the experts say
Who benefits
residents have shown increasing interest recently, Jones said. “Our No. 1 market for the resort is Dallas-Fort Worth and then right after that, surprisingly, is Austin,” Jones said. “A few years ago, it would have been DFW, Houston and Austin being No. 3.” Lake Austin Spa Resort also reported shifting customer demographics. Although just a few years ago the resort was primarily visited by senior women, younger people have begun to show up in great numbers, Lenhardt said. “It’s ... really more diverse now than it ever has been,” Lenhardt said.
An expert in the field, Cohen said that increased interest is at least partially due to growing awareness of personal health and well-being following the onset of the pandemic. “COVID[-19] has made everyone more health conscious … and rather than looking to the traditional medical system, which is really focused on illness and correcting disease, people are looking to enhance their health,” Cohen said. Wellness trends extend beyond resorts, and many businesses offering wellness treat- ments and services can be found in Austin and neighboring cities such as Bee Cave. “There is 100% a trend of wellness spas opening in Bee Cave,” said Jeanne Wolf, president of the Bee Cave Chamber of Com- merce. “I’ve seen a handful of the med-spas open up that do IV drips, cold plunge, red light therapy.”
People of any age or background can benefit from retreats, said Bradford, who said she’s recently seen more young people visiting Moona- cre Ranch. “I see a lot of mother/daughters that like to come out, and I’ve also had young college-age women come out in groups,” Bradford said. “I do feel like our teenagers are experiencing a mental health crisis, and there’s nothing like getting out in nature.” Jones with Omni Barton Creek said that individ- uals seeking solo retreats have made up a larger part of their clientele in recent years. Of those visitors, most come from Dallas, but local Austin
Hotel occupancy tax revenues Cities that do collect HOT taxes receive these funds from hotels and wellness resorts within city boundaries.
Staying local
Local economies are impacted by resorts like Lake Austin Spa in a number of ways, Lenhardt said. Her business employs over 200 local resi- dents and supports several local charities, includ- ing the Center for Child Protection, Fight for the Forgotten, and the Central Texas Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. At Omni Barton Creek, local businesses can be bolstered by the visitors Omni attracts, Jones said. “Obviously, being a resort, there is a tourism boost,” Jones said. “We attract guests to the resort and ultimately to Austin. ... It has a trickle-down effect on the overall economy.” In Moonacre’s case, taxes collected go to the state and Burnet County as the resort is in Spice- wood, an unincorporated region. However, cities
Fiscal year
Lakeway*
Bee Cave
Area wellness openings in 2024
2019-2020
$862,624
$32,395
2020-2021
$1,124,588
$113,816
3 boutique fitness centers
2021-2022
$1,465,319
$132,312
4 medical spas 2 wellness centers
2022-2023
$1,299,157
$115,179
SOURCE: CITY OF LAKEWAY, CITY OF BEE CAVE/COMMUNITY IMPACT *LAKEWAY DATA GATHERED AS OF DEC. 31 EACH FISCAL YEAR
such as Bee Cave and Lakeway collect additional hotel occupancy taxes, which can be put toward various local city programs to promote tourism.
2 infusion centers
SOURCE: PREVIOUS COMMUNITY IMPACT REPORTING
Looking ahead
Omni Barton Creek, with its growing number of local Austin visitors, is focusing on expanding its local market, Jones said. “We want to open the resort up; we want to kind of have a little bit of an open house approach,” Jones said. “Our intention is for this local audience ... to know that we’re here, we welcome them, and that we want them to experience just how transformative and how rejuvenating the property is.”
Meanwhile, Moonacre hopes to expand its capacity for lodging and programming by adding an additional building to the property, Bradford said. “I’m actively looking for investors and partners to take it to its full potential, which would include adding at least another building to host additional programming in larger groups and also more lodging options,” Bradford said.
As the industry grows and wellness trends change, Lake Austin Spa Resort aims to keep up with demand for new types of offerings, such as red light therapy, Lenhardt said. ”With more and more information on social media about how important it is to take care of yourself, I think all ages are realizing ‘I need to start early, and I need to maintain [my health] if I want to live a long healthy life,’” Lenhardt said.
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LAKE TRAVIS - WESTLAKE EDITION
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