In completing its metamorphosis from a rustic lakeside resort into one of the country�s leading destination spas, Lake Austin Spa Resort opened a multi-million dollar expansion on April 1, 2004. The showpiece is the latest in a series of construction and renovation projects that began in 1997, and is the 25,000 square foot LakeHouse Spa.

The new facility offers 30 new body treatment areas, including sound-proofed indoor rooms all equipped with in-room showers; outdoor treatment porches; private garden courtyards for men and women complete with tented treatment areas, as well as tandem couples� suites and poolside cabanas where guests may choose to receive massages or other body work.

Drawing its cues from the Hill Country vernacular style of architecture that dominates this part of Central Texas, the spectacular new limestone and cedar LakeHouse Spa also features a salon for hair, makeup and nails; gift boutique; dining room and beverage bar; meeting room; and the casually chic gathering space where guests can relax prior to and following their spa treatments.

A new open-air indoor, Junior Olympic-size pool and a striking outdoor Palm Pool set into the scenic landscape flank the fabulous new facility. From its hillside perch above the lake, the LakeHouse Spa also overlooks two acres of beautiful terraced water gardens.

There�s a saying in Louisiana�s Acadian Country that there are two ways to become Cajun�by birth or through the back door. In other words, it�s easy to adopt the culture�s unique joie de vie (joy of life) through simply being welcomed by the locals.

That�s the same kind of hospitality that Lake Austin Spa Resort owners Michael McAdams and Billy Rucks, a native of Acadiana, hope to convey to their guests at the LakeHouse Spa.

Resort guests wind through a labyrinth of lush, aromatic gardens and boulder-lined streams, past cascading fountains and enticing pools to enter the back door of the spectacular 25,000 square foot spa building.

�Our guests are coming through the back of my house,� says McAdams, whose concept and design ideas directed each step of the multi-million dollar expansion. �I want them to feel completely at home here. That feeling of belonging is as much a part of the spa experience as the treatments and the fitness activities.�

Just over two years ago, Lake Austin Spa Resort completed a three-year, $8 million renovation that transformed the 30-year-old, 19-acre property into one of the nation�s top luxury spas. What had once been described as a �rustic summer camp for adults� quietly nestled between Lake Austin and a working cattle ranch emerged as a casually elegant, world-class destination spa. Cond� Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure and the Zagat Survey all rank it among the country�s best.

With sweeping views of Lake Austin, the new LakeHouse Spa centers around water. Two acres of terraced gardens, ribboned with a koi-filled waterway, spill down the hillside toward the lake with more than 200 species of plants. Water falls over huge sandstone boulders, splashes down limestone walls and gurgles from fountains. A recirculating water system feeds the garden�s natural aquatic habitat. Landscape Architect Patrick Smith of RVI designed and installed all of the water features, including a biological pond that utilizes bacteria and oxygen for cleaning.

McAdams originally envisioned constructing an old-fashioned stone barn. As plans were drawn and re-drawn for �the barn,� his vision grew. The results are �an incredibly elegant lake house� and, true to his dream, a barn.

A freestanding pole barn structure, supported by extensive trusses and timbers, houses an open-air, Junior Olympic-size, indoor pool. The Pool Barn features three cypress garage doors that roll down during inclement weather to allow for a full aquatics program. A stunning long-leaf pine ceiling lets in air and shafts of sunlight that circulate freely through the cupolas of the soaring building, all adding to the unique architecture.

An expansive green lawn connects the barn with yet another new outdoor Palm Pool and, eventually, the LakeHouse. Guests may choose to receive massages and other body treatments at the pool�s six cabanas, which are equipped with misting systems, ceiling fans and lounging beds, all beneath the shade of gently swaying palm trees. There is also a third pool adjacent to the resort�s main building, along the shores of the lake.

Austin architects Robert Jackson & Michael McElhaney designed the LakeHouse Spa as a destination unto itself. Embracing the architecture of existing structures and reflecting the colors and textures of the landscape, the majestic building offers everything from private treatment areas, and a new restaurant, to a state-of-the-art meeting room, all under one roof.

A lush courtyard centers around a two-story outdoor fireplace, which is used for both outdoor cooking classes as well as food preparation. Resort guests may choose to dine either at the Aster Caf� in the LakeHouse Spa or the lakeside dining room in the main building.

McAdams, fastidious in his attention to detail, directed Jackson to include such architectural elements as knotty pine ceilings, wide-planked walnut floors and a stone fireplace that convey a feeling of warmth and hospitality in the downstairs breezeway and dining room. The masterfully designed fireplace competes for attention as a work of art alongside a collection of various pieces including, Texas artist Ann Stautberg�s hand-painted wildflower photographs. Leaded glass transoms, accented with cobalt blue and amber panels, cast a kaleidoscope of color throughout the rooms, as do hand-blown glass mobiles that hang from the dining room windows.

A meeting room, known as the Sun Room accommodates up to 30 people and offers full wireless and audio-visual facilities for corporate meetings or retreats. The room opens onto a private garden and at precisely high noon, full sun bathes the room momentarily and then suddenly dims. Once business sessions are finished, the room is designed so that all furniture can be quickly pulled away to allow for yoga or meditation classes. Even in this business setting, relaxation and restoration remain paramount.

Rejuvenating one�s mind, body and spirit is easily accommodated at any of the 30 treatment areas. Prior to the expansion, therapists could service only eight guests at any one time. Now, forty five guests can simultaneously receive anything from herbal wraps and mud masques to a LakeHouse River Rock Pedicure in the salon�s pedicure bar.

Along with the completely sound-proof indoor treatment rooms�each equipped with showers, custom-designed heat lamps to control the guest�s comfort level, and a down-loaded satellite sound system�there are three separate treatment areas tented with netting in the women�s private sun garden and one in the men�s. In addition, there is an indoor tandem treatment room and the Bamboo Room - an outdoor couples� treatment suite discretely located behind a lush bamboo wall offering a private hot tub and outdoor shower. Separate locker rooms and lounges, complete with saunas, steam rooms and whirlpools, are provided for female and male guests.

McAdams describes a large gathering room on the second floor as �the heart of the LakeHouse Spa.� Named the Blue Room, for its majestic blue walls, this space provides guests with a place to relax prior to and immediately following their spa treatments.

Hand-woven dhurri rugs placed over seagrass rugs that are, in turn, placed over the wide-planked walnut floors seem to symbolically provide a triple layer of insulation that guests begin to feel as they slip into the cloistered serenity of the LakeHouse Spa. Attention from the room�s beautiful tin chandelier, crafted by Santa Fe designer Ted Arellanes, diverts toward the outdoor screened porch, where a line of JFK rockers beckon guests outside to wrap themselves in the tranquility of the moment.

The completion of the new 25,000 square foot spa solidifies Lake Austin Spa Resort�s total metamorphosis into one of the country�s premier spa resorts. Nestled along the shores of scenic Lake Austin in the rolling Hill Country outside Austin, Texas, the resort has been honored by Cond� Nast Traveler as a 2004 �Top Five Spa�, by Travel + Leisure as one of the �Top Ten Spas in North America,� one of Departures magazine�s �Top 25 Luxury Resorts in North America� and as a �Top Five Spa� by the Zagat Survey. Overnight packages start from $995 per person for two nights and are all inclusive of healthy spa cuisine, luxurious spa treatments, fitness classes and activities. For reservations and information, call 800-847-5637 or visit the website at www.lakeaustin.com.

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Media Conatact: Darlene Fiske +1 512-372-7374 dfiske@austin.rr.com