When architects conceptualized the beautiful new Deer Lake Lodge resort in Montgomery, Texas, they might not have imagined someone like me as a guest. The resort, built using recycled shipping containers and boasting a list of sustainable features, looks like a green utopia.
As I drove up to hotel, I suddenly remembered the beer bottles that I was too lazy to recycle last weekend and the pork rinds I ate while watching football. Can this place really cure my terrible ways, or should I have smuggled a bag of potato chips in my bag?
Upon arrival, a friendly young woman named Emily took me on a tour of the resort. She said she would keep the tour brief so we could enjoy the music being played by Brandan in the fasting lounge. I had to wonder: Who is Brandan, and what is a fasting lounge?
A little concerned but somehow placated by the smell of expensive essential oils in the lobby, I continued to look around. The resort is minimalist but lush, with grass growing on the roofs of the shipping containers. The landscape designers smartly kept the surrounding area not-too-manicured.
Suites and cabins are well-designed and comfortable. The very organized staff gave me a list of events, ranging from energy psychotherapy and acupuncture to yoga and sauna. The heated saltwater pool and Jacuzzi beckoned me.
The resort’s co-founders, sisters Tracy Boulware and Dr. T.C. Hughes, wished for a naturopathic detoxification destination in their home state of Texas. They wanted a close-by destination spa for city dwellers, a place where guests could detoxify easily and comfortably with no strain or pressure.
Be that as it may, my itinerary at Deer Lake Lodge looked pretty busy to me. I was scheduled to start with yoga and qigong, followed by a “life enhancement group class,” a nutrition class, then a “breaking the fast” session that afternoon. I decided against a fast, but the relaxed staff let me know that we were about 10 miles from downtown Montgomery, where wine or barbecue await.
The next day I had a “magnetic ritual massage” that started with “balancing chakras with gems” and an application of diamond dust mud. The exfoliation felt refreshing and I was, indeed, shining bright like a diamond.
The pampering didn’t stop with the massage. Upon my departure from the spa, the thoughtful staff gave me a salad for the road.
Deer Lake Lodge is a respite from the city, where you can just be calm and cleanse your body and mind. Packages (three nights up to a week) start at $1,900 per person, although you can opt to stay for just one night or visit simply for treatments.
Just one bit of advice: If I were you, I’d leave the pork rinds at home.
Deer Lake Lodge is a destination spa in Montgomery, Texas.
In addition to new beds, stitched leather headboards, and integrated lighting, all guest rooms also feature large HD flat screen TVs and new charging ports.Photo courtesy of Grand Hyatt DFW
