A Wellness Resort Opened This Week With a Soundtrack Made From Plants

Canyon Ranch Austin was scheduled to open on October 15, bringing the long-running wellness brand to the Texas Hill Country for the first time. The resort sits on a bluff above Lake Travis near Spicewood, on a former hunting ranch known as the Flying X, and its grounds run to more than 600 acres with about a mile and a half of lakefront and a hidden beach.

There are 141 rooms, dozens of spa treatment rooms, several pools, yoga studios and a large fitness centre. Rates start at $1,325 a night and include meals and many activities, while spa treatments are billed on top. Architecture is by Lake Flato, which designed the buildings to blend indoor and outdoor spaces, and dining is led by Estella, a restaurant run by the chef behind San Francisco’s Californios.

The sound is where the resort gets unusual. Guests can listen to a 90-minute soundtrack called The Living Hill, built from sensor readings taken from the land and its plants. A resident singer-songwriter performs on site, instruments can be rented, and a treatment called Vinyl Revival syncs massages to full albums.

The project is owned by Fort Worth billionaire John Goff, who also owns two other resorts in the United States. The company’s chief executive ties the music-heavy approach to what he calls brain health, positioning the property as a creative retreat as much as a spa stay. Reservations opened ahead of the launch through the brand’s website.

Sources: Texas Monthly, Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce