Today we’d like to introduce you to Cynthia Nelson
Hi Cynthia, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I came to Mineral Wells from Austin, TX, where I had lived for 27 years. while I raised two great kids with my husband.
Over the years in Austin, I had some great opportunities to develop myriad skills that are called upon in my role as the general manager of The Crazy Water Hotel.
My first hospitality management job was at Four Seasons Austin, which provided the foundation of what excellent service means that has served as a guidepost throughout my career. From there, I became the operations manager for UpSkill, overseeing their seven U.S. software training centers affiliated with Tivoli. The concept for my role was to bring “high touch to high tech”, but the company did not survive the tech bust of 1999. In 2001, I joined the management team of Jeffrey’s Restaurant & Bar, at the same time we were opening a second location in the Watergate Hotel (which has a history of having a location of the current president’s favorite hometown restaurant). At Jeffrey’s, I had the opportunity to manage their separate event space, private dining, and the main restaurant with Ladybird Johnson as a regular and a host of celebrities as the O.G. Austin hotspot.
At that point, life was hectic with two little kids at home and managing a fine dining dinner restaurant did not work with the other priorities in my life. Over the next several years, I shifted to doing meaningful work that was more flexible, including opening a from scratch catering service for new moms and families with special needs and food insensitivities, working as an in-home chef for a billionaire family, contract conference planning at convention centers and hotels in major metropolitan areas across the U.S., and various restaurant management roles.
In 2012, an opportunity arose to join the leadership team of The Austonian in Austin, TX. At that time, The Austonian was the tallest building in Austin and the tallest all residential building west of the Mississippi River. They were in need of someone to manage resident services and their event spaces, and the timing could not have been better. The clientele was made up of some of the wealthiest and most notable people in Texas, and it was a tremendous growth opportunity. It was during those four years at The Austonian that I had the good fortune of meeting Jeff Trigger, the president and founder of La Corsha Hospitality Group.
Jeff Trigger has an amazing background as a hospitality manager, but what really made me admire Jeff was the loyalty others showed him. I read articles about people who had worked with him in Dallas and how they moved to Austin to help him renovate the Driskill Hotel. That kind of devotion to believe in a project and believe in a person so much that you would pick up your life and go for it really inspired me. It spoke to me of his integrity, and I made it a goal to work for him.
Eventually in 2015, that opportunity to work for Jeff Trigger happened. With my background in food and beverage, luxury hotel, conference planning, and managing the high expectations of the clientele at The Austonian, JT offered me the chance to open Lodgeworks’ new hotel, Archer Domain Northside, as the director of food and beverage. Even better, I would get to work alongside Chef David Bull, a two-time James Beard semifinalist and truly an Austin celebrity chef. We opened that hotel together in 2016 and had a terrific time through construction, building the team, managing the contract with the hotel’s ownership group, making it profitable, and getting that exclusive Forbes four star rating that the hotel still boasts today.
During my time working with Jeff Trigger, he would often say that I was going to move to Mineral Wells and reopen the Baker Hotel & Spa with him. I was fascinated by the idea and began researching the hotel and town, imagining the challenges and the possibilities. It was easy to romanticize bringing the Grand Old Lady back to life.
In 2019, I was lucky enough to be contacted by Tyndall Partners, the developer for a new luxury condominium project in downtown Austin, the Tyndall Condominiums. Terry Mitchell, one of those partners, had been important in the development of The Austonian and is just a gem of a person. They had also hired First Service Residential to manage the property, who was the property management company that managed The Austonian. He needed someone to go open that building, deal with the various construction headaches, organize move ins, build the operating budgets, build the team, etc. Probably the most vital skills for a manager to succeed in that role are attention to detail and looking for construction issues, budgeting, and relationship building from staff to developers to condo owners and so on. The stakeholders are all looking at the project with their personal interests at the forefront, so having some political savvy is essential.
Fast forward to the fall of 2021, I was in my office finishing some paperwork for the transition of The Tyndall from developer to condo owner control. My phone rang, and it was Jeff Trigger. He said, “The word on the street is you’re an empty nester. I think it’s time we make a trip to Mineral Wells.”
That was September of 2021. I fell in love with the town, its people, its heart, and its big dream. It was such a chance to be a part of something important that would make a difference in the lives of the people here and the trajectory of the town. It was an absolute calling. I had to go.
By the end of March 2022, I had moved into The Crazy Water Hotel. Now, my husband and I both live here full-time. We purchased a 1927 home downtown. I can see The Crazy Water Hotel and the Baker Hotel & Spa from my backyard, and my hour long Austin commute is now just a 290 step walk. And the people, the town, the project, and the promise of things to come are even better than I imagined.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The struggles along the way have been ordinary, and I’m so fortunate for that.
The occasional toxic boss, a bad economy, etc. The challenges of raising a family and feeling like you can never do enough, make enough, and all of that. The struggle of maybe wanting to go in one direction professionally but knowing the timing is not right because of other responsibilities.
Fortunately, I have a supportive spouse who has always fully participated in our home and the raising of our kids. Plus, he’s the smartest, most talented person I know, so that’s been good. Not to say we have never wanted to murder each other… And I have been very lucky that I have been able to develop a good network of people who know me – my character, work ethic; track record. I always tell my kids that it’s not who you know or what you know, but who knows what you know. For me, most of my professional opportunities have happened because of that.
I have noticed that I’m a stress junkie. When I accept a position, I usually have some pretty hefty goals in mind, and once those have come to fruition I tend to get a little restless. The flip side is it’s a personality type that seeks growth. And with the projects in Mineral Wells, I have a lifetime of goals ahead of me. I can’t imagine getting restless here.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have been a hospitality manager for half my life. I love the theater of life and the special way you can play a role in hospitality. Your professional life is intersecting with other people’s personal lives, and that can be stressful and really fun. My specialty is opening a project – building relationships with the stakeholders, developing processes and a team, and looking for continual opportunities to elevate the project from the services offered, to our level of graciousness and organization, the physical product, and, of course, the value of the project for ownership.
I am most proud of the role I have the honor to play in Mineral Wells. At The Crazy Water Hotel, the role of the general manager is way more than running a hotel. This hotel is the hub of downtown, and the revitalization of the town hinges on our success. People here often call it “the heartbeat of Mineral Wells”, and that rings true. Managing this building means getting involved in every way possible with the community from the tourism council to the local school district and nearby colleges. We continually look for ways for people to learn about our town and to create programming that will draw people from other counties to our hotel and town, and we seek opportunities to create events that draw in our locals, even if they are not booking a room. So if you are looking for a romantic event venue, a great place to take a picture with Santa, a rooftop patio to rock out at a concert, a pavilion for a car show, great shopping, onsite brewed beer, a full-service salon, a topnotch restaurant, or one of the best New Year’s Eve parties in Texas, we have you covered. And as we succeed, Mineral Wells succeeds, so that’s what I’m most proud of professionally. And before you know it, we will be reopening The Baker.
What matters most to you? Why?
Making a difference and family.
We are only on this planet a short while. I want to leave it better than I found it.
In Mineral Wells, I can play a small role in the revitalization of this town. That will make other people’s lives better, and that legacy will outlive me.
My family, whether by blood or choice, mean the world to me. Relationships, especially loving familial ones, are the cornerstone of my life. I hope that’s always true.
Pricing:
- Weekday guest rooms start at $159
- Weekend guest rooms start at $209
- 7th floor ballroom with private bar and rooftop patio – weekend rental $4500
- Meeting rooms that seat up to 60 people for dining – $350 rental per day
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thecrazywaterhotel.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/thecrazywaterhotel
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/thecrazywaterhotel
