The Away Spa is located inside the W Austin hotel. Pam LeBlanc photo
You’d probably sooner find a rock star at the Away Spa than me, but when the downtown spot, tucked inside at the W Austin hotel, asked if I wanted to drop by for a treatment, I packed my swim suit and headed downtown.
The hotel is located next to the Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater. I valet parked my vehicle and bee-lined it to the fourth floor, where I slipped through the glass doors into the soothingly lit spa.
A bowl of green apples adds color to the lounge at the Away Spa. Pam LeBlanc photo
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I was registered for a “signature massage,” but first I got a tour of the place. An attendant showed me the cozy locker room and sitting area (nice touch with a bowl of crisp green apples) and we peeked into the steam shower. Then she handed me a robe and a pair of plastic slides. A few minutes later, a massage therapist led me to a darkened treatment room.
The signature treatment at the Away Spa
The signature massage is a basic, all-over massage. My therapist asked if I was OK with CBD-infused oil (bring it on!) and gave me a minute to strip down and position myself under a sheet on the heated massage table. Some eclectic music played in the background.
The next 60 minutes passed as quickly as a Texan driving on a two-lane highway in a remote corner of West Texas. (Too quickly!)
She worked my back, shoulder, legs, and arms, rubbing out muscle kinks and stretching every finger individually. She placed a steamy hot cloth on my back and later wrapped my feet in warm, wet towels. She rubbed my skin with CBD oil, which smelled vaguely like cloves.
It took some effort not to drool as I lay face down on the table. I drifted away.
When the 60 minutes ended, I felt like a noodle.
Spa treatment includes access to the Wet Deck at the W Hotel. Pam LeBlanc photo
I wobbled back to the dressing room, where I stepped into the steam shower and sprayed some eucalyptus-scented potion near the vent, per the instructions posted on the wall. I felt like a koala bear (they love eucalyptus.)
A 60-minute signature massage at the Away Spa will set you back $195. I can’t afford that on a regular basis, but I wish I could.
Beyond the massage
The Wet Deck at the W Austin includes a long skinny pool, cabana and a bar. Pam LeBlanc photo
A spa treatment includes access to the hotel’s fitness center and long, skinny pool, which I spent a few minutes checking out. It’s got alcoves with cushy couches and the whole place feels like the center of a hip, urban canyon.
Anyone can purchase a day pass to access the so-called Wet Deck, where you can pay an additional fee to rent a cabana. A DJ spins music on Sundays and a bartender mixes drinks.
I can’t carry a tune or pluck and instrument, but a couple of hours at the Away Spa left me feeling like a rock star.
