In a world of yawn-inducing, plain vanilla spas, there exists Folklore, a new spa at Camp Lucy. A boutique retreat with tales to tell set amid vineyards, wildflower fields, and wild oak trees. Camp Lucy punctuates portions of Whit Hanks’ 282-acre family ranch land near Austin, on the borderlands of the Texas Hill Country.
Created by world travelers and hospitality mavens Kim and Whit Hanks, Camp Lucy—named for Whit Hanks’ mother—began as an homage to the land, providing a place for Whit, an antiques dealer, to put some of his collection of architectural artifacts to use. Under the tutelage of Kim, a wedding planner, Camp Lucy soon became one of Texas’ most evocative venues for events and vacations with an acclaimed new American-style restaurant, some 40 lavishly unique rooms, a vineyard, and plenty to do on property.
All that was missing was a spa—but not just any spa.
A poolside with a dash of whimsy.
Folklore, an inspirational spa with gloriously maximalist decor and refulgent energy opened in January as the sum total of everything soul-satisfying Camp Lucy already brought to play. It’s an extravaganza of creative, healing shebang. It’s glorious and spirit-niggling, with the vibrational impact of the most resonant crystal sound bath imaginable. An unexpected treasure in Central Texas, a promising haven for transformation, a place designed as refuge and reset for hotel guests and locals alike, its architecture carries its own history.
With a portal-style entry composed of ancient ironwood pillars, Folklore is ensconced in vintage Vietnamese buildings, including an 1800s town hall. Much of the spa building, disassembled in Asia, then rebuilt in the Hill Country, bears extant imperfections, scribblings—perhaps even poetry from the past on the walls. Co-owner Kim Hanks says she marvels at the whisperings and memories that seem to hail from the architectural elements. “I can hear them,” she says.
Glorious and spirit-niggling, the spa is an extravaganza of creative, healing shebang.
In designing Folklore, Kim envisioned a space that felt as familiar and cosseting as a home, a place sure to renew. “We wanted to create a space where wellness isn’t an escape, but a part of daily life, shared with others and infused with meaning,” she said. Collaborating with British interior designer Charlotte Smiley, she looked to home design to set the mood. On that note, every nook quickens the heart from sculptural furnishings to brightly hued and brilliantly patterned textiles and wallpapers (think GPJ Baker, House of Hackney and Brunschwig & Fils).
A peek inside the women’s locker room.
Hallways and dressing rooms sport surprises: Mexican masks or a pack of a ceramic Staffordshire dogs at the ready. Every object feels like a curiosity that must be examined, an item that might open your heart. A sanctuary that elevates the curative power of color with its strong hues and the healing powers of touch via its array of handcrafted items, art, and antiques, Folklore launches wellness the moment you walk through the door. Sit in a chair in the common area, perhaps sipping Camp Lucy’s own wine, and notice how your chakras can’t help but fine tune themselves.
A retreat fully imagined to cater to both guests and day trippers, Folklore is the sort of spa that begs to be lingered in and enjoyed all day. With 13,000-square-feet indoors and another 7,000-square-feet outside, it wows with a heated outdoor pool complete with water massagers and salmon-colored, tassled umbrellas for shade.
There’s a hot tub big enough for a hen party, private cabanas, a massive co-ed sauna, drench buckets, and a cafe and bar that offer feel-good, healthy treats and libations. Eleven treatment rooms offer rituals by the likes of Natura Bisse and Irene Forte Skincare. Guests can also book Hydrafacials, Himalayan stone massages, lymphatic therapies, CBD-infused bodywork, and much more.
The spa menu reads like literature, with rituals evocatively titled thus: The Eternal Archive, The Tranquil Current, The Legend, The Goldilocks, and The Odyssey—to list a few. Guest practitioners and in-house teachers embrace slow beauty in an ever-evolving and growing schedule of activities Expect yoga, movement classes, meditation, and sound therapy. Forest bathing, art therapy, even hatchet throwing can be folded into the salubrious, spiritually detoxing mix.
The aptly named Folly Suite.
Even if you live a mile away, stay at Camp Lucy overnight. Book one of the new Folly Suites and Rooms, steps from Folklore. Meant to complement the spa’s healing vibe, the accommodations span some 700 square feet, feature calming Hill Country views, and pamper with fireplaces and a deep soaking stone tub.
Less than an hour from both Austin and San Antonio, opening to the winery-peppered and peach-orchard-abundant Texas Hill Country, Camp Lucy has been a welcome bucolic, ranch-style respite with international elan.
Now, with Folklore as its spiritual centerpiece, spa-goers have the opportunity to recalibrate at a world-class spa that’s full of whimsy and clever programming for the sort of unique journey that might shift everything or anything—as desired.
Becca Hensley
Becca Hensley is Editor at Large for Insider's Guide to Spas. Based in Austin, she writes regularly about travel and spas. She believes a good story draws you in like laughter in a crowded room, and challenges you to do it justice. She has written for scores of magazines and newspapers, including Houston Chronicle, Esquire, Harpers Bazaar, and Texas Monthly.