My mom and I have done an annual girls’ trip for six years running — typically the standard luxury hotel formula: beautiful property, adjacent spa, lovely time. But this year, we wanted something different.
Enter Miraval.
Miraval is a luxury, almost-all-inclusive wellness resort with three properties across the country — Arizona, Massachusetts, and Austin. It’s not your standard resort, and that is entirely the point. It’s the kind of place that meets you exactly where you are and sends you home more energized, more grounded, and more yourself than when you arrived. We chose the Austin location for a combination of price and ease: a direct two-ish hour flight for me from Atlanta, just under three hours for my Mom from Chicago.
We had the time of our lives, and I cannot wait to return.
A note on the service before we get into anything else: everyone — receptionists, bartenders, practitioners, coaches, and servers alike — was warm, convivial, and genuinely lovely. Notably, there is no additional gratuity expected at any point during your stay. It sounds like a small thing, but it creates something remarkable: the feeling that you can simply saunter away from the dinner table or float out of the spa without that familiar reach for your wallet. Even better, it signals that the people who work so hard to make your experience extraordinary are actually being compensated fairly for it.
This is not a trip for everyone. But if you are open to growth, to stillness, to giggling your way through experiences that challenge and restore you in equal measure — I could not recommend it more.
P.S. I promise to always keep The Lauren Letter free as my little exercise of trying to make the world a bit more beautiful. If, in return, you could considering giving this post a “like” or share with a friend, it would just mean the world to me.
When to Go
We spent nearly four full days and three nights in early April, and I’d call it the perfect length of time. It was just long enough to truly unplug and sample the range of what Miraval offer!
One of the great gifts of Miraval Austin is how much of the experience unfolds outdoors — morning movement, afternoon pool time, al fresco dinners, winding walks between activities. So, yes, temperature matters. Early April gave us high 50s to low 60s in the mornings (ideal for a pre-breakfast walk or stretch class), high 70s in the afternoons (beautiful for pool-side reading or happy hour mahjong sessions), and cool evenings that made robed dinners outside feel like the obvious choice.
If your budget has less flexibility, off-season visits come with real savings — and the Black Friday sale is apparently legendary. Worth setting a reminder!
Getting There
Miraval Austin sits about 30 minutes from the Austin-Bergstrom airport — a super easy arrival once you land. My mom and I timed our flights to arrive around the same time; Miraval provides a complimentary hourly shuttle, though we ultimately Ubered so we could get on the road.
The moment you arrive, your reverie begins. You’re greeted in person with a cooled towel, your printed itinerary for the stay, a tote bag, and a reusable water bottle. Staff handles your luggage while you receive a property tour. From that point on, you never have to leave, and you will walk everywhere!
Where to Stay
Miraval assigns your room in proximity to the activities on your itinerary — a thoughtful detail that makes your days feel effortless rather than logistically fraught. Since we leaned heavily into spa bookings, we landed in Building 8, right across from the spa, the serenity pool, the primary restaurant, and the café. It was perfect!
We stayed in a Dreamcatcher Double Queen Room. Suites are also available — I could absolutely imagine a girls’ trip in a suite being a dream! Each room comes with its own tea and coffee, a water carafe, a Himalayan singing bowl, and a meditation pillow. Because it’s Miraval, so of course it does.
But the beds . . . Le sigh. The beds deserve their own paragraph! I have never experienced anything quite like them. There’s a reason people talk about the Miraval bedding experience (and it costs $5,000+ to bring the full set home with you) — you melt into them in a way that is almost disorienting. True Nirvana!
There are TVs with streaming options, but aside from a few episodes of The Office one evening (a fit of giggles, obviously), we never turned it on. The rooms are designed to encourage disconnection, and they succeed beautifully. My personal favorite touch: nightly turndown service, a luxury that seems increasingly rare but that I adore every time I encounter it.
Activities
The activities are the soul of Miraval. The scale and scope of what they offer is genuinely remarkable, and you should absolutely book your schedule well in advance — windows open 60 days out. My mom and I went through the full menu together, flagged our interests, and hopped on a Zoom to map out our itinerary the morning booking opened. I’d strongly recommend this approach, especially for spa appointments, which fill quickly.
While we were on-site, we did make adjustments — canceling one thing, adding another — all with the help of the on-property experience planners, who make shifting logistics effortless. That said, arriving with a foundation in place gives the trip a beautiful shape.
We aimed for roughly two activities per day plus one spa treatment, which left plenty of room for the slower pleasures: reading in a hammock, playing cards, finding a quiet corner to sit in stillness with a cup of tea. Miraval is full of gorgeous pockets to do absolutely nothing, and I’d argue protecting that time is just as important as booking the sessions.
We didn’t even scratch the surface of what’s available. Don’t feel limited by our itinerary. The full menu of activities can be found directly on the Miraval Austin website — but here is a direct reflection on what we chose:
Meditation & Self-Discovery
This is the category that distinguishes Miraval from every other luxury resort. Indulge here.
Unlocking Your Chakra Gateway — A journey through the seven chakras and the ways they manifest in daily life. As esoteric as it sounds on paper, the guide led us through genuinely practical and surprisingly tangible ways to identify and remove what she called “the rocks in your stream.” Equal parts spiritual and actionable!
Past Life Regression — In this session, we were tasked with exploring unconscious past-life energy influencing our current life through guided meditation and dialogue with our higher self, to better understand our soul’s journey in this lifetime. Held in a beautiful temple nestled in the Texas Hill Country, this experience was designed to address present-day fears, foster emotional release, and offer a sense of deep grounding.
I especially loved how the guide framed the practice as meaningful and purposeful regardless of your belief system. She explained the range of frameworks: those who believe in persisting energy in the universe, those who believe in reincarnation, and even those who simply hold to the biological fact that we carry DNA that was once in our mother’s eggs, and her mother’s eggs before that — and that DNA carries memory, and sometimes, trauma. Everyone in the room found their own way in.
After the meditation, we shared. One woman fell peacefully asleep. Another found herself watching people play backgammon — everyone with different strategies, everyone winning. My mother saw, with startling clarity, the home she lived in at age two, every wall painted yellow, from before she should have had any real memories. Another woman experienced vivid violet and green imagery, which our guide explained can indicate clairvoyant gifts. Oh!
As for me — I am fairly certain I was an orange fish in Polynesia, living in warm water surrounded by all my friends, right up until a beachfront celebration where my loved ones were fried over a spit. Our guide says this explains my seafood aversion. It tracks completely to me!
Private Clairvoyant Reading — The intention of this experience is to discover the soul’s intuitive message through chakra clearing, spirit guide wisdom, and psychic energy work, offering clarity to release wounds and guidance to serve the highest good.
This was probably the most extraordinary thing I did during the trip, and the one I walked into with the most deliberate openness. I’ll keep the specifics of the conversation private — much of it was deeply personal — but what I can say as someone who has never done anything remotely like this: it was less Long Island Medium and more the most crystallized, tailored, intensive meditation work I have ever experienced. I made breakthroughs in 50 minutes that I think would have taken me six months in therapy to reach.
My personal faith was woven throughout from the start, beginning with an opening prayer to the God I believe in, but there was also Sanskrit chanting and what I’m fairly certain was a (good) spell cast on me? Regardless, the session tethered large esoteric realizations to practical, tactical next steps. One breakthrough in particular: a deeper recognition of my love, dedication, and spiritual need for joy and creativity through writing and storytelling.
She also told me I have tremendous clarity and that my third-eye and crown chakras are exceptionally clear. Not to brag!!!
Movement
In addition to the classes mentioned below, Miraval Austin also features a full 24/7 gym, two gorgeous walking paths integrated into the natural landscape, and a challenge/ropes course — which we drove directly past without a second glance, and zero regrets. :)
Morning Stretch — My favorite movement class of the trip. A gentle stretch class at 8am, seated the entire time, dress code and atmosphere incredibly relaxed (some wore athletic attire; others in loungewear; we were encouraged to sip water and coffee throughout). Stretch bands, a soft wake-up, and the loveliest way to ease into the day.
Barre — More upbeat and technically precise than my usual Pure Barre experience, with classical ballet vocabulary and actual ballet music woven throughout. The teacher’s integration of choreography and terminology was so inspiring — I’ve already started thinking about how to bring some of those elements into classes I teach.
Indoor Fun Flow Aerial Yoga — The closest my mom and I came to losing it entirely (in the best way). A small class of three, which meant the instructor could guide us at exactly our own pace and comfort level. Not recommended if you’re prone to motion sickness — but the cocoon Shavasana at the end, fully encased in silk like a very pampered caterpillar in a chrysalis, was one of the more extraordinary sensory experiences of my life.
Spa & Relaxation
The Miraval spa is unlike anything I’ve encountered. Its breadth spans classic Western massage and skincare all the way through energy healing, Ayurveda, and Eastern modalities. It is genuinely its own world and HUGE.
Each person receives a $175 spa credit per night of stay (for reference, a standard 50-minute relaxation massage runs around $225). I’d encourage you to use some of that credit on something you wouldn’t find at a traditional luxury spa! All gratuity is included, always.
Even if you book no treatments at all, the spa complex itself is worth the trip: steam rooms, a sauna with floor-to-ceiling windows opening onto a private meditation garden, a whirlpool, and the most wonderful quiet room with oversized reading chairs overlooking Lake Travis. I could have spent entire afternoons in that chair alone. The adjacent Serenity Pool — an infinity pool with lounge seating overlooking the Hill Country, meditative music, and access directly from the spa — is equally wonderful.
The single best piece of advice I received before the trip (thank you, Rebecca): book at least one massage — ideally your first night — for directly after dinner. The spa stays open late. You will drift back to that extraordinary bed freshly lotioned and completely melted, and you will have the best sleep of your life. Guaranteed.
The treatments I experienced:
Miraval Relaxation Massage (50 min) — Fully customizable, perfectly classic. My providers set meditation mantras at the start of each session — no small talk, no interruption, just pure focus on your relaxation. Ideal as a late-evening booking.
Jade Meridian Massage (50 min) — Jade gua shas incorporated over the whole body for lymphatic drainage. More functional than indulgent — a good complement to the purely relaxing treatments.
Miraval Grounding Massage (50 min) — Focused entirely on the extremities: hands, feet, neck, shoulders, and scalp. Infused with essential oils, finished with a grounding emulsion. The scalp component was so exquisite that I ended up booking this one twice. Would book it a third time without hesitation!
Nature’s Bounty Facial (50 min) — Seed blends and raw local honey enzymes, a warm nutrient-dense masque, gua sha tool, and Qi-balancing pressure points. The honey is real! A few enthusiastic fly visitors at the pool afterward also confirmed it.
Aqua Zen (50 min) — My absolute favorite. If you try one thing outside your comfort zone at the spa, let it be this. A practitioner cradles your body as you float in warm water through subtle stretches and guided movements. I spent the first few minutes trying to “help” — anticipating her cues, adjusting preemptively — until she guided me simply to let go. In releasing that impulse to predict and control, I slipped into one of the deepest meditations I’ve ever had. My inner mind was brilliant white rather than dark for the first time I can remember. The realization that came through it was one I will carry with me: that I have always stayed afloat, and that the path to peace is not resistance, but release.
Dining & Beverages
The first question I got from virtually everyone when I described this trip: “But can you drink?” The answer is an unambiguous YES! A full and excellent selection of wine, beer, spirits, and crafted cocktails — plus mocktails and an included specialty seasonal mocktail — is available throughout your stay. (Alcohol is priced separately from your package, for the record.)
The café and bar also offer an impressive selection of teas, coffees, smoothies, and wellness shots. Reusable water bottle fill stations are tucked throughout the property.
As for food: the dining is plentiful, whole, and genuinely delicious. Formal sit-down service is available three times daily — breakfast, lunch, and dinner — with full menus and strong options for dietary restrictions. The food manages to be healthy and wholesome without ever feeling like it’s punishing you. I rarely finish a full burger, but I finished theirs twice. My mom raved about the pancakes and the full breakfast spread. You will leave feeling inspired rather than sluggish, with a sudden urge to stock your pantry with unprocessed ingredients.
Grab-and-go options are available throughout the day and included in your package — think power oat balls, fresh fruit, premade salads and wraps, and the little avocado chocolate cookies that I am still thinking about. Snacks, drinks, and light bites are also available at the discovery pool, and in-room dining is an option too.
What to Pack
A lot of this will depend on your specific activity lineup, and Miraval is clear about any dress requirements for individual sessions. That said, here is what served me well:
Each day I rotated through a workout set for morning movement, athleisure for classes and sessions, and a swimsuit for pool or spa time. Think Beyond Yoga, Varley, Frank & Eileen. Fresh LAKE pajamas every night — obviously.
Since we did late-night massages each evening followed by straight-to-bed, I wish I’d packed a few cami-and-shorts options to wear under the robe between dinner and the spa. File that away for your visit!
I did not put on a single drop of makeup or touch my hair the entire trip. It was glorious. This is exactly the time to pack all the self-care indulgences you never make time for at home: ice rollers, LED face devices, your most luxurious skincare and masks.
If you’re a reader, bring books — lots of them. Kindles or paper, your call. A deck of cards also was a fun touch, and we loved playing with my Morningside Mahjong travel set. aIt was the perfect size for happy hour sessions at the restaurant or poolside!
On devices: Miraval is intentionally digital-light, and the experience is immeasurably better for it. You won’t see phones out around the property — not because of any formally enforced rule, but because you stop wanting yours. I set mine up so only the camera was accessible, but my goal for the next visit is to bring a dedicated non-phone camera and leave my phone in its room entirely. If you have one, bring it. You’ll be glad you did.
Final Thoughts
Miraval requires and rewards openness. If you arrive skeptical and closed, you’ll find it overpriced and underwhelming — and honestly, there are more straightforward luxury resorts that will serve you better. But if you’re willing to tuck your doubts into your carry-on and actually show up, the return on investment is extraordinary. I left more energized and more at home in my body than when I arrived. That is not something I have ever said about a vacation before.
This is a trip for people moving through something — or simply ready to move forward. I especially think of it for groups of women postpartum, or anyone navigating the physical and emotional toll of caregiving, illness, or one of life’s bigger transitions. Come with a person you love and trust. Giggle through the itinerary every morning. Let yourself be surprised.
The real question now: Which other Miraval property do I visit next!?
I totally get this. Whenever anyone asks me about Miraval Arizona the only reply I can come up with is magical! Putting Austin on the to visit list now!