This rendering shows a basic layout of the Canyon Ranch Austin resort, which should be opening in Spicewood in September 2026. Courtesy image
Canyon Ranch Austin, a 600-acre wellness retreat, should be opening in Spicewood by September of this year. The resort, with an estimated $130 million price tag, is expected to bring hundreds of job opportunities to the Highland Lakes area.
The retreat’s sprawling property is just a few miles northeast of the city of Double Horn, on Flying X Road near the Colorado River. According to developers, the buildout is about 60 percent complete, and the project is on schedule for its September opening.
Canyon Ranch Austin will have the largest spa in Texas, with 37 treatment rooms, multiple pools, salons, lounges, 20 health and performance professionals, a 15,000 square foot fitness facility, hiking trails, and more. The business also bills itself as the first and only resort in the world dedicated specifically to women’s wellness.
While the first phase of development is just the 140-room wellness resort, eventually there are plans for a residential component on the property with up to 150 homes slated for construction in the next five years.
At full buildout, the retreat will need about 400-500 employees. According to Chief Human Resources Officer Zilphia Taylor, hiring should begin sometime in July or August of this year.
This map shows the general location of incoming wellness retreat Canyon Ranch Austin. It is less than 7 miles from Marble Falls as the crow flies and just northeast of the city of Double Horn on Texas 71. Google Maps
“Fundamentally, it’s our opportunity to spread the wealth of well being in the local market and local community and there is the element of bringing local jobs into the community as well,” she told DailyTrib.
Taylor emphasized the desire of the company to fill as many roles as possible using local talent. The property needs fundamental staffing, like cooks, servers, housekeeping, landscapers, accountants, and sales and administrative staff. But it also needs specialized workers, like nutritionists, massage therapists, chiropractors, nurses, acupuncturists, estheticians, spiritual wellness guides, doctors, and more.
The resort itself has been in the works since 2021, with the residential component receiving preliminaryl plat approval from Burnet County in 2025.
According to the Lower Colorado River Authority, Canyon Ranch Austin is permitted to use up to 262 acre feet of water from Lake Travis per year. For reference, Horseshoe Bay Resort is permitted for 1,475 acre feet.
The resort also has a 10 acre-foot permit with the Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District for a well on the Marble Falls Aquifer. According to CTBCD General Manager Mitchell Sodek, they are working towards acquiring a larger well permit in the future.
Canyon Ranch Austin’s ownership is based out of Fort Worth. This is the latest and largest property in the Canyon Ranch lineup, which includes other resorts and retreats in Las Vegas, Nevada; Tucson, Arizona; and Lenox, Massachusetts.
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