Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has reopened the spa at the Four Seasons Hotel Austin, Texas, US following a complete redesign of the facility.

The Canadian hotel group appointed Michael Dalton of Whitespace Interiors to come up with a new design and layout for the day spa, with a brief to ensure it will “better take advantage of the property’s resort-like setting” on the shores of Lady Bird Lake.

Four Seasons is looking to make the spa and wellness spaces a differentiator as competition heats up in the Austin hotel market.

Austin was named the fastest growing city in the US by Forbes in 2016, with growth being driven by its reputation as an emerging technology hub and a host of major events.

The city’s hotel market is quickly catching up with demand, with new hotels being opened at a rapid pace. Last year, a 222-room Sheraton and a 171-room Archer Hotel were added to Austin’s existing accommodation stock, and wellness resort operator Miraval Group – recently acquired by Hyatt – is redeveloping the Travaasa Austin Resort to be Miraval Austin.

Austin is also home to the destination Lake Austin Spa Resort, which boasts a 25,000sq ft spa, and a recently opened spa at the JW Marriott Austin.

Dalton’s design has given the Four Seasons spa a more “earthy” feel, which includes all treatment rooms being renamed after local types of wood. The signature feature of the spa is now a Himalayan pink salt wall, located in the relaxation lounge, which “contrasts the earthy ingredients of the design” with soft illumination.

Known for their health and respiratory benefits, Himalayan salt crystals are said to purify the air by producing negative ions that cancel out stress-, insomnia- and allergy-inducing positive ions.

There is also a renewed focus on fitness at the spa, as the former health and fitness space has been replaced with a health club triple the size.

The reopening of the spa completes the second phase in a nearly top-to-bottom redesign at Four Seasons Hotel Austin.

Phase one began in summer 2016 with a full revamp of the ballrooms and meeting spaces, with future phases – set to commence later this year – giving the Hotel’s guest rooms and suites an entirely new look and feel.