Lake Austin Spa Resort

I recently spent a day at Lake Austin Spa with a friend, and while our spa services, including massages and facials, were satisfactory, the overall experience was not worth the $1,500 spent. The facility itself is in dire need of renovation; the decor feels incredibly dated. The restroom in the massage room was reminiscent of one from a public middle school, with a non-functioning faucet. The included lunch at the buffet was disappointing, consisting of just pita, hummus, and chips, with no fresh vegetables. The main dish was bland and served cold. Additionally, when we inquired about pre-service mimosas on a Saturday, we were rudely dismissed by the receptionist. We then ordered a glass of wine only to learn they were out of Sauvignon Blanc. The outdoor "private" area adjacent to the women's locker room was filthy, and the furniture appeared as though it was scavenged from a roadside bulk pick-up. I attempted to contact the manager via email three times to discuss our unsatisfactory experience but received no reply. The negative reviews you see are accurately reflective of the condition and service here.

I’m sorry to say after having been to Lake Austin many years ago, I was sorely disappointed! There was nothing redeeming about it. It has so much potential under the right management but totally missing it. While in the only ladies restroom in the main building staff member had her makeup spread out on counter and was brushing her teeth! Also large sign at main pool said no pets allowed in pool and if you’ve had diarrhea in the past few weeks stay out of pool. That’s very inviting! I don’t know how they can charge what they are charging and have any repeat guests. You can only go on your past reputation so long! I won’t be back!

Sadly, this resort falls far short of what one expects at this price point. I have stayed at many highly rated resorts and spas and was very underwhelmed by Lake Austin Spa. To be fair, the setting is lovely and weather was nice but the potential is not being met at this place. To begin with, the grounds are not kept nicely—broken landscaping lights, bags of fertilizers left out, multiple old pool sites or fountain pits empty and overgrown with weeds, cars parked in middle of resort giving old school motel vibes. Additionally the staff does not offer the level of service and hospitality one would expect on a vacation of this type. A few examples: non-stop maintenance crew loudly blowing each time we sat outside by the lake and weed eaters going ( ironically since grounds still weren’t impressive), difficult to get in touch with front desk operator when in room, dirty sock found in my sisters room from previous guests. They simple didn’t seem to care to accommodate guests. The food was fine (dinner much better than lunch) but was not seasonal or locally sourced. Wait staff was nice but seemed inexperienced and not well trained. Just not a fine dining experience at all. Coffee was self-serve coffee vending machine (not good quality) even when dining. There was a wine vending machine type thing as well but it wasn’t yet working yet which made it tricky to get a glass of wine or something to take to the pool. No bar on site and no wait staff tending pool or spa. The spa relaxation room (blue room) was lovely but uncomfortably warm (80+ degrees with fireplace going). When we reported to them we’d be waiting somewhere else for our services , they told us that we MUST be in that room to wait for massage—therapists would not come get us anywhere else. Also notable, the skin boutique was just outside this relaxation room and kept a non-stop noise drifting into the “quiet” room. Hard to even read over all the chatter from the shop next door. Spa services were pretty good. The activities and classes were ok but the whole place just felt like a step back in time, but not in a good way. The laid back vibe was nice but they need to drop their prices significantly if they aren’t going to step up their service and make some improvements to the place. I would not recommend at stay here; it’s definitely not worth the money.

I have been to many spa/resorts like Lake Austin (Miraval, Canyon Ranch, etc). This was a big disappointment for many reasons: 1. Price-essentially paid $1000/night in a SHARED room and it didn’t feel luxurious. Staff didn’t cater to us (in fact it was often difficult to reach the front desk by phone). My friends who were in their own room paid the same exact rate as me and my friend who each paid $3000 EACH in a shared room. 2. Didn’t have hot water x >4 hours. Had to dress/undress x 2 before issue was resolved….only concession was a bottle of “we can offer you a middle-tier” wine at dinner. 3. Self-serve coffee in the morning (they have a coffee machine similar to ones you see at car dealerships). You have to make your own coffee from the machine. They do not offer custom coffees/teas. 4. Food was “mid”. Pork tenderloin special was not tender and we were not given a knife to cut it-had to use the butter knife to cut into it-not easy. Soft serve machine was “broken” one of three days we were there. My friend was charged for a mocktail (no alcohol, but she had to pay and additional $16 for it) plus, extra 23% service fee added (to it and everything else). 5. Got charged for a service that should have been included in my “spa allowance” because I got the service on the day of checkout and “the systems sometimes get crossed”….CHECK YOUR CREDIT CARD STATEMENTS AFTER CHECK-OUT FOR UNAUTHORIZED ADDITIONAL CHARGES!!!! I had to call to get them to credit me back (my friend had to do the same!)

I really enjoyed my hydrofacial with Francis. She was extremely kind and attentive, made me feel comfortable and relaxed, and helped me understand the treatment. I really saw the results of my treatment and felt restored by the calming and peaceful environment of the spa in general.