What it is

A 40-room lakefront icon that pampers in every way, from an award-winning spa to its all-inclusive dining program with locavore fare.

What it isn't

Limiting the spa experience to massages and facials. Activities abound here, whether you want to take a wine cruise with bento box appetizers or practice your Warrior II pose at a morning yoga session in their treehouse loft.

What we think

Former first lady and Texas icon Lady Bird Johnson adored this place so much that they named her former quarters after her—the Lady Bird Presidential Suite—and then festooned it with pampering touches like an 18th-century Chinoiserie writing desk, fireplaces, and a private garden replete with a hot tub under the stars. But have no fear; “starter” rooms at Lake Austin Spa Resort are every bit as luxe. You’ll have a private meditation garden with a gurgling fountain, 12-foot ceilings, a Kohler soaking tub, infused water, and flowers cut from the resort’s own gardens scenting the air. Interior design is instantly restorative, with neutral palettes and calming botanical patterns at every turn.

You're here because

All-inclusives are sooooo relaxing. Plus: you love people and places that make great first impressions, and here, you can opt to arrive by breezy Water Taxi from one of many docks in Austin.

The Moment

After a morning of plying the waters on a paddleboat, you couldn’t be happier to be ensconced in a fluffy robe in the spa—until, that is, your treatment begins. The Lime and Ginger Pick Me Up Scrub leaves you feeling as footloose and fresh as the great blue heron you saw taking off on the river beyond your windows at dawn, and it’s just heaven.

Restaurants & Bars

- Resort Dining - lunch and dinner menus changes seasonally

- - Aster Café - Wine and champagne

Location

Perched on the Colorado River 23 miles upstream from downtown Austin, but a leafy world away. Just across the river: Barton Creek Habitat Preserve, where golden-cheeked warblers frolic on 4,084 acres abutting the Austin Zoo.