Remember the ol' Taco Cabana on Riverside & South Lamar, near the Trail, Now it's the Luxury Hotel & Residence, "the Loren" Opening August 2022

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New luxury hotel on Lady Bird Lake will boast a beloved Austin spa

By John Egan

May 27, 2022, 9:01 am

A hotel scheduled to open in August at West Riverside Drive and South Lamar Boulevard will feature a spa from Austin’s own Milk + Honey.

The $2.5 million spa, to be tucked inside The Loren at Lady Bird Lake hotel, will encompass 5,300 square feet.

Founded in 2006, Milk + Honey operates four locations in the Austin area, as well as one location each in Fort Worth and Houston, and two locations in Southern California. A Milk + Honey spa is coming soon to Chicago.


“We have very stringent requirements regarding the ingredients contained in the products sold on our shelves, and even more so for our own products that we develop, using only hyperclean premium ingredients that not only are effective but are also a delight to use,” Milk + Honey founder Alissa Bayer says on her company’s website.

The Loren at Lady Bird Lake is the first U.S. hotel under The Loren hotel and condo brand. Aside from the Milk + Honey spa, the 108-room, eight-story hotel will include a rooftop restaurant called Nido, a gym, a rooftop pool, access to kayaks and paddleboards, and 24-hour concierge services. Among the design details of the property will be floor-to-ceiling windows and a glass elevator.

Every room at The Loren will offer a fully stocked gourmet minibar, and each bathroom will be highlighted by natural stone, a walk-in spa shower, and Malin+Goetz luxury bath products.



“The Loren at Lady Bird Lake … will deliver Austin hospitality that is elegantly elevated with masterful service, an appreciation for quality design, and art and an impeccable location to appeal to both domestic and international travelers,” the hotel company says.

As part of the project, The Loren is collaborating with the City of Austin to enhance the parkland on the southern shore of Lady Bird Lake and is helping Foundation Communities of Austin develop affordable housing.

Among those working on the hotel are Austin-based architecture and design firm Rhode Partners, Birmingham, Alabama-based Hoar Construction, and Toronto-based Fleur-de-lis Interior Design.


The Loren at Lady Bird Lake joins the brand’s flagship property, The Loren at Pink Beach in Bermuda, which opened in 2017.

The new hotel is at 1211 W. Riverside Dr., the former site of a Taco Cabana restaurant and a Pollo Tropical restaurant. It’s being developed by the New York City-based Loren brand, founded by British-born financier and hotelier Stephen King. In 2019, the price tag of the project was estimated at $130 million.

“With the beautification of everyday living at its core, The Loren at Lady Bird Lake’s modern accommodations, impeccable service, and exclusive amenities are set to the perfect counterpart to the indoor-outdoor environment within Austin’s coveted Lady Bird Lake,” the hotel company says.

“From thoughtful experiences like a welcome botanical bar to local music programming, The Loren at Lady Bird Lake will connect guests to what makes Austin’s culture unique, with its surroundings serving as a living backdrop for unforgettable, curated experiences.”