Iyear 2012, National Geographic named Iceland one of the top international travel destinations of the year, and social media feeds were soon flooded with images of the Nordic country’s Blue Lagoon, a man-made wonder that has attracted the likes of Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian and Kacey Musgraves to its mineral-rich waters. This extraordinary geothermal gem and its incredible skin-beautifying benefits are just a few of the global influences evident at World Springs Dallas, America’s largest outdoor mineral hot springs resort, opening on Friday, June 28 at Grandscape at The Colony.
In addition to the Blue Lagoon, globally inspired water worlds recreate famous mineral-rich hot springs in Guatemala (Fuentes Georginas), Italy (Chianciano Terme), Japan (Kinosaki Onsen), Mexico (Glutas Tolantongo), Korea (Osaek), Australia (Yarrangobily) and Bali (Banjar). Immersion pools are thoughtfully placed throughout World Springs Dallas’ 10-acre site, featuring unique mineral formulas that help improve sleep, circulation and brain function, as well as reduce stress, pain and inflammation. Cold plunge pools, rental cabanas and Finnish dry sauna pods are also dotted throughout the thoughtful landscape, designed by Bentonville, Arkansas-based architecture and engineering solutions firm HFA.
Each spring is marked with a sign explaining its geographical features and main minerals, but well-travelled visitors might be able to tell the difference by colour alone: Similar to Iceland’s hot springs, the six “Blue Lagoon” pools are an otherworldly milky white, while the pools at Italian-inspired Chianciano Terme are a striking amber hue from a combination of iron, lithium and magnesium.
The centerpiece of the vast World Springs is the Dead Sea Pool, an adults-only attraction. It’s the same mineral formula found in the salt-based attraction that connects Israel and Jordan. “You’re literally in a state of weightlessness,” says Jackie Stauffer, CMO of World Springs Dallas. Paper City“It’s a fan favorite.”
In fact, most of World Springs is for people 18 and older, except for the freshwater “Globe Pool.” After receiving your wristband (the key to everything) and changing into your swimsuit, you can pool-hop, lounge, sip cocktails, or sign up for a service at The Spa, which offers facials and massages, as well as cryotherapy and hyperbaric chambers. This is the kind of place where you can spend the day with friends or completely alone, bathing in healing waters from around the world over and over again. And unlike most spas, World Springs is open until 11pm, or midnight on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. What’s even more amazing is that the World Springs team found a location just outside Dallas-Fort Worth with expansive, hilly views to rival Austin (bold statement, but I stand by it).
I only had a few hours to beta test the pools at World Springs Dallas, so I soaked in as many as I could. (Pun intended.) In fact, the Dead Sea was my favorite. The salt water was almost sludgy when I wasn’t floating on the surface, which was a strangely beautiful experience. Even after multiple dips, my hair and skin never felt dry; quite the opposite. Maybe it was the salt, but by the time I got my deep tissue massage (which was amazing), my feet were sparkling clean.
Still, what impressed me most was how accessible WorldSprings is. I was surprised to hear that a day pass costs just $55. “One of the things our investors are passionate about is making sure this is accessible,” Stauffer says. “WorldSprings is a premium service, but we don’t want the pricing to feel like it’s for the elite.”
