Would You Spend Four Figures On A Spa Treatment?

Media Contact: Darlene Fiske, 512-331-7755/[email protected]

Austin Monthly (June, 2022) – As I lay on a heated table, listening to the sounds of crashing ocean waves, a massage therapist slathered my cheeks with a tingling potion before rubbing my scalp with her fingers, sending chills down my body. Ahh, this is so relaxing, I thought to myself before pondering: Would it be worth a rent payment?

Although my day job is mostly filled with an unglamorous stream of emailing writers and transcribing interviews, I’m also lucky enough to test out exclusive experiences in the name of “research.” But when I heard that Lake Austin Spa Resort had a new four-figure treatment that I could come in and preview, even I was taken aback. Dubbed “The Regal by Valmont,” the $1,050 facial exclusively uses products by La Maison Valmont, which hail from the famous Valmont Spa in Verbier, Switzerland. (Apparently, Coco Chanel, Charlie Chaplin, and Ingrid Bergman were once among the spa’s devotees.)

Before it began, I sat on the spa’s second-story balcony in a plushy white robe, listening to chirping birds and the rustling of palm trees. My massage therapist, Suzanne, arrived to walk me back to our treatment room. I changed into a towel robe that left my arms and décolleté exposed and laid down on the warm table. The experience began with a softening toner, creamy makeup remover, and foaming cleanser. To exfoliate, Suzanne gave me a mini hydrafacial using vortex therapy, which can only be described as putting a Wet Vac to your face that removes the impurities. She then began to massage the pressure points along my cheeks and forehead. But just as the pampering had started, so did the growling.

Since the service clocked in at a whopping two hours and 15 minutes, I had made the gamble to eat some avocado toast at the spa restaurant about 30 minutes before. The result was the audible rumbling of my stomach throughout. As I listened to the cacophony of my digestive tract paired with the soothing ocean soundtrack, I was equal parts mortified and amused.

While Suzanne applied my first mask (or “pack,” as the Swiss call it), she warned that the menthyl lactate would be a little “bitey,” and indeed it did sting. We moved on to Valmont’s L’Elixir Des Glaciers products, which are powered by anti-aging sturgeon caviar DNA. One massage included the lifting Masque Majestueux (pronounced “mah-juh-stew”), while the next was a Japanese kobido face massage for firming.

The strangest element was the collagen bovine mask, an icy cold concoction that congealed across my chest, eyes, and lips. Once the mask was applied, Suzanne put me under an ultra-bright LED light and let it sit for 30 minutes. I could see where some would feel unnerved by the thick mixture, which felt as if I was frozen inside of a glacier. She had offered to cut a hole over my mouth if I felt claustrophobic, but after 90 minutes of indulgence, I was relaxed enough to ignore my cryonic state. In fact, once the mask was on, I had to actively try not to fall asleep.

By the end of the luxurious treatment, I had received six masks, four massages, and the upper-body bovine treatment. As I walked back into the spa locker room, still high from all the pampering, I peered into the mirror. My skin was glowing, with a dewy texture and newly plump lips from the collagen. Provided it’s not a financial strain, the indulgence seemed worth the price for radiant skin and unparalleled relaxation. I just have one piece of advice: Save the avocado toast for afterwards.

ABOUT LAKE AUSTIN SPA RESORT

Nestled along the shores of scenic Lake Austin in the beautiful Texas Hill Country, Lake Austin Spa Resort offers guests the sanctuary of a world-class spa and the warmth of a best friend’s lake house. Lake Austin Spa Resort offers all-inclusive vacation packages, which include accommodations in one of 40 charming lakeside guest rooms, three gourmet meals daily, indoor and outdoor fitness activities and classes, and a selection of more than 100 spa and body treatments in the 25,000-square foot spa.

The resort has consistently been recognized for its excellence and as a result has received numerous industry awards.  Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, Town & Country Magazine and Southern Living have honored Lake Austin Spa Resort as one of the best in the country and in the world.

For additional information and reservations, call 800-847-5637.