Just west of Austin in the forested region of Spicewood, yurts, hammocks, and 13 acres of quiet Texas Hill Country welcome visitors to Moonacre Ranch, a local wellness retreat owned by business executive Liz Bradford. Founded in 2018, the ranch was created with the goal of providing peace and quiet for its guests, many of whom are working women seeking a respite from stressful corporate environments, Bradford said.
“They do come away more peaceful, more invested in themselves, and not apologizing for taking that time for self-care,” Bradford said.
The wellness industry, which encompasses a wide range of businesses that provide services to reduce stress and improve quality of life, is quickly growing in Austin, and over 50 wellness-focused businesses can be found in the Lake Travis-Westlake area alone.
The overview
Moonacre Ranch is one of many wellness-focused resorts in the Western Travis County area, with other destinations including Omni Barton Creek, Lakeway Resort & Spa, Lake Austin Spa Resort, and Miraval Austin Resort and Spa. Canyon Ranch, a resort chain with several locations throughout the United States, has also announced plans to open in Spicewood.
Though representatives for the company have not provided comment as of press time, development of Canyon Ranch will involve constructing facilities for lodging, dining, a spa and a medical clinic. The estimated completion date is Aug. 31, 2026, for a total cost of $121 million according to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
Wellness retreats are an increasingly popular choice for those seeking relaxation and rejuvenation, said Professor Marc Cohen, an integrative doctor and founding member of the Global Wellness Summit.
These retreats offer a range of wellness programs and offerings including natural outdoor environments, physical activity programs, dining, spa treatments and, in Miraval’s case, a policy limiting the use of digital devices, according to the business’s website.
Retreats in this region are just a small part of a larger global trend, according to market analysis by research and consulting groups Grand View and McKinsey & Company, which has seen increasing numbers of individuals seeking to improve their physical and mental well-being.
The context
Reports on wellness spending show interest in the industry ramping up worldwide in the years following 2020. A study published by Grand View shows that while the United States’ wellness industry was valued at $153 billion in 2020, it shot up to $234 billion in 2021, and is expected to continue growing steadily over the coming years. On a global level, wellness tourism market revenues in 2020 were estimated at $433 billion, and are projected to grow to $2.1 trillion by 2030.
In Austin, local businesses such as Lake Austin Spa Resort have reported widening interest in their services and shifting visitor demographics, General Manager JoAnn Lenhardt said. Omni Barton Creek is also seeing changes in its visitorship, with certain regions showing increased interest in the resort in recent years, Director of Marketing Christian Jones said.
Some reasons for increased interest in wellness, according to the Grand View report, include an increase in lifestyle-related diseases, such as diabetes and high cholesterol; rising demand for anti-aging products and services promoted on social media; and increased consumer disposable income in emerging markets.
What experts say
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 treatments 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 Commerce. “I’ve seen a handful of the med-spas open up that do IV drips, cold plunge, red light therapy.”
According to previous Community Impact reporting, the Lake Travis and Westlake areas saw the following wellness businesses open in 2024:
- 3 boutique fitness centers
- 2 wellness centers
- 4 medical spas
- 2 infusion centers
People of any age or background can benefit from retreats, said Bradford, who said she’s recently seen more young people visiting Moonacre 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 individuals 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 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.
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 residents and supports several local charities, including 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 Spicewood, an unincorporated region. However, cities such as Bee Cave and Lakeway collect additional hotel occupancy taxes, which can be put toward various local city programs to promote tourism.
Looking ahead
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.
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.
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.”
