Posted: Thu, 3 Sep 2009 12:31 PM - 7,159 Readers

By: Helen Anders

You might have heard of The Crossings,
the wellness spa resort out at Lake Travis, is undergoing some changes.
I just sat down with co-founder Joyce Beck and her new Amstar Group
(real estate investment) partner Chris Manning to talk about it. Here’s
what I found out:

First of all, the place isn’t closed down.
It’s still hosting corporate retreats and other groups while it makes
some changes. The spa is expected to reopen sometime later this fall,
with the entire property re-opening late this year or early next year.

No,
they’re not touching that pool, which for my money is the best in
Texas. And they’ll keep the emphasis on greenness. In fact, they’re
going for Platinum LEED certification. And they’re not doing what I
thought they’d do, which is to take the price point skyward. It will be
a higher-end experience, but they assure we it won’t be really pricey.


photo courtesy of The Crossings

Right
now, they’re doing a lot of internal/infrastructure stuff that wouldn’t
interest you. The big change for you is that they’re going to add a lot
of activities with the aim of increasing their overnight business and
giving you a total package of fitness/wellness activities when you do
go up there.

A few specifics:

• They’re adding a fitness center.
  
  
• They’re
  changing the food & bev to more a la carte service, breaking up the
  huge dining room, which always sort of felt like a summer camp thing,
  into more intimate dining areas. The food will emphasize sustainable,
  organic eating. They might even start their own garden.
  
  
• They’re planning to align with a high-end hospitality group (not quite
  ready to announce the name yet), and they’re going to make room
  improvements, including better bedding and linens.
  
  
• They’re aligning with the Twin Creek golf course so that Crossings guests can use the course.
  
  
• They’re going to extend and improve the hiking paths.
  
  
• They’re
  going to add more body-mind synergy experiences, with the idea that
  you’ll come out there once and do a few things, then want to go back to
  do more, in what Joyce calls “a continuum of themes to deepen the
  experience.” They’ll have everything from cooking demos to riding,
  yoga, interactive art… . all sorts of stuff to “get into your bones.”
  
  
• Spa additions will include ayurvedic holistic mind/body treatments
  (look it up; I had to) and others focusing on inner well-being.

“It’s
travel with a purpose,” Joyce says. “You choose your purpose.” Pricing
will continue to be all-inclusive. You pay one price — and, again, it
won’t be crazy-expensive, they say — and get your room, your meals, all
your activities, maybe a spa treatment.

I, for one, can’t wait to get out there and check it out later this year. I’ll report back when I do.