As a historic Texas wellness retreat, Ottine Mineral Springs has existed in a few forms and eras — as of a year ago, it's a luxury destination spa. Entering this era, it underwent significant renovations and flung open its doors to the public on June 1, 2025. Now, as the Gonzales County oasis marks its one-year anniversary, things are only getting busier with new poolside amenities, massage services, events, workshops, and even the makings of a new bar still to come.

The 40-acre retreat with both hot and cold pools is fed by an artesian well that reaches 1,554 feet into the earth and is rich with magnesium, sodium bicarbonate, and salt. Its healing legacy stretches back to 1909.

Set adjacent to Palmetto State Park and near the San Marcos River, Ottine Mineral Springs is surrounded by native oaks and indigenous palmettos. The property and the people who have run it at various times have leaned into its natural, calming surroundings since the 1930s, when the Gonzales Warm Springs Foundation used the mineral-rich waters to treat patients with polio. Now it's a popular day-trip destination.

"The demand has really been great," says director of experience at Ottine Mineral Springs DeDe DeStefano. "I think it just goes to show you that people are really wanting to decompress from everyday life and find a place in nature where they can read their books and put their phones down."

That demand has been the driving force behind a wave of new additions, several of which are rolling out right now. Within the next few weeks, the property will debut poolside cabanas with dedicated servers, complimentary water, robes, and misters. That is the "elevated, attentive experience guests have been requesting," according to DeStefano.

Soon, guests will also be able to experience Watsu, a type of massage performed in the mineral pools by licensed therapists, available in private morning sessions for individuals or pairs before the property opens to the public.

The programming doesn't stop at the pools. Ottine's full moon events, which include a sound bath, yoga, access to the private pool area, and dinner for up to 20 guests, have steadily developed a waitlist over this past year. Other wellness workshops led by outside instructors are gaining momentum too, including a recent session with beloved Austin writer Spike Gillespie that combined terrarium-building and journaling.

Other upcoming creative classes will incorporate activities like watercolor painting using the property's own mineral waters, as well as hands-on clay work with materials sourced on-site.

"[The workshops] take our current experience of soaking to really bringing in that additional mind, body, soul kind of wellness offering," DeStefano says.

Looking further into the future, Ottine's expansion plans are ambitious, to say the least. By sometime in 2026, Ottine plans to open a climate-controlled indoor lounge and soaking space complete with restrooms, showers, and a pop-up bar near the Sage pools — a welcome upgrade for guests navigating the Texas heat. A larger sauna is also in the works, responding to high demand from guests.

On the second floor of the new building, four private rentable pools will soon offer a more secluded soaking experience.

The crown jewel of Ottine's long-term vision is a full-service restaurant, bar, and retail shop, all targeted to open in fall 2026. Then by 2027, the property aims to open a 60-room hotel two stories above the food and beverage space.

"People are coming from literally all over the world," DeStefano says, listing off a few far-flung countries. "It'll give them a place to stay. It won't be just a day trip anymore."

Ottine Mineral Springs is located at 2033 FM 1586 in Gonzales. Guests can book day passes (starting at $65), events, and spa services online. Reservations are required.