Revealed: 'hyper-realistic' images for bonkers north OTP spa attraction

An elaborate spa concept that promises to transport metro Atlantans around the globe without leaving Forsyth County is putting its renderings where its mouth is.

After scoring government approvals earlier this year, Passport Springs and Spa is now expected to break ground in early 2023—a few months later than initial estimates, project officials announced today.

To whip up excitement for what’s basically the Disney-sized version of U.S. pampering attractions—it’s billed, after all, as the largest spa complex of its kind in North America—Passport Experiences, the company behind the big idea, released project renderings today described as being “hyper-realistic.” (They’re certainly an upgrade over previous watercolor depictions.)

Passport Springs was announced in April for a 10-acre site off Ga. Highway 400’s Exit 13 in South Forsyth, next to an outdoor entertainment and shopping complex called The Collection at Forsyth.

An array of watery attractions is meant to recall Italian landscapes, Japanese hot springs, the Dead Sea, Roman baths, and the volcanic waterfalls of Costa Rica. Voelker Gray Design, a firm with resort-design experience in California, Cabo, and Las Vegas, is on board as architect and designer. From certain angles, it's like Great Wolf Lodge meets the Playboy Mansion. 

Overall, the project calls for about 150,000 square feet of outdoor space, plus another 40,000 square feet under roofs.

Entry rates haven’t been specified, but the development team still hopes to deliver the project sometime in 2023.

Head up to the gallery for the aforementioned, hyper-realistic preview.

And for a deeper dive into these exotic waters, Passport Springs reps have provided (very descriptive) descriptions of each forthcoming “oasis,” which have been edited for length below:

Costa Rica: jungle entrance

Guests journey to Passport’s Costa Rica pavilion through a vista inspired by the aguas termales in the pueblo of La Fortuna. The stone bar and tapas grill is canopied by a raffia roof reminiscent of ship sails.

Guests can mingle and recline on hanging chairs and sofas under a palapa rotunda. When they are ready to soak in the array of hot spring pools, guests foot across a rickety wood log bridge standing over a plunging waterfall and rapids.

Costa Rica: greenhouse and bioluminescence pools

Costa Rica’s pools, minerally influenced by the volcanically warmed hot springs at Arenal and Tabacon, lie within a lush and vibrant jungle greenhouse, with gushing waterfalls, and where it might just rain—onto exotic orchids, birds of paradise, palm trees, and guests.

Outside the greenhouse’s living rainforest walls, an infinity pool overlooks a 50-foot cliffside, demonstrating the native beauty of Atlantan forest and a natural ravine. Like the Gulf of Nicoya, this pool glows in the evening because of its bioluminescence, making it the world’s first.

Israel: Dead Sea experience

The Israel Dead Sea experience will be the largest flotation pool in North America (and largest in the world when excluding the Dead Sea itself).

During the day, a sun-saturated and dazzling resort invites guests or groups to experience the novelty of buoyancy in the water. This sensory indulgence transforms during the evening when the space becomes a dimly lit and atmospheric Middle Eastern bathhouse replete with flickering handcrafted chandeliers, which cast calligraphic shadows into the four keyhole arches.

Adjacent to this Dead Sea recreation is a luxurious realm of authentic Dead Sea mud, where guests can lather themselves and their friends in soothing clay.

Japan: outdoor onsen

At the epicenter of the Japan pavilion is a scenic and mineral pool inspired by Beppu Onsen on the island of Japan. Rocky shorelines, dramatic water chutes, wooden post and lintel construction and sliding tatami screen walls complete the illusion.

Further, a multi-story pagoda, with arcing blue tile roofs and glistening finials, towers above a serene garden landscape of bonsai, cherry blossoms, maple, and bamboo. From within the pagoda, guests can enjoy sushi and sake as they marvel at the intricate latticework and a cascade of tiers stretching heavenward.

Behind shoji doors is the volcanic sandbathing experience, which is inspired by the warm granule immersions at Ibusuki. Nearby, a VIP villa offers guests seeking a more exclusive experience a private hot spring pool, courtyard, and house—perfect for a couple or group.

Israel: Jerusalem street

Guests transition to Passport’s Israel pavilion by walking through a sloping and narrowing old city Jerusalem street. Limestone walkways and walls are adorned with windows flanked by antique shutters, as well as a jutting balcony. Bougainvillea climbs the arches, clinging to ancient stones.

At the end of the street is a “Shuk,” where guests can jostle for falafel, shawarma, cocktails, and other Israeli staples. As guests venture outside, they can soak in hot spring pools inspired by Tiberias and recline in Bedouin casbahs.

Italy: courtyard and pantheon

Guests enter the Italy pavilion through a courtyard and loggia, leading to a Pantheon, which is lined with cypress trees and mounted with a monumental pediment relief. The Pantheon houses pools of varying temperature and mineral content underneath a grand multi-story and coffered domed roof containing a sky-light oculus. The dome is centered above the largest Pantheon pool, which is inspired by the hot springs of Bath England.

Guests can also journey through the Grotto, a subterranean cave network featuring a sequence of sauna, steam, snow, and salt rooms. Fine wine, personal brick oven pizzas, and gelato dessert tempt the taste buds at a stall in the courtyard.

Passport Pool

Connecting the network of international pavilions is a centralized hub, the glass-enclosed Passport pool. The Passport pool is inspired by the Gellert Bath in Budapest, and features a 100-foot-long retractable glass roof and wall.

After crossing a bridge and moving outdoors, guests are greeted by the pinnacle—a thrilling fire fountain with simultaneous water jet and pyrotechnic effects.

Within the outdoor space that evokes Atlantic Coast luxury, guests can recline in seats fixed into the Baja bench pool or wade in the river current pool. In the rear, guests dine at the Passport Bistro, Bar, and Café, with exquisite meals and drinks prepared by world-renowned chefs and mixologists. The building features an exclusive rooftop dining experience with views into all of Passport’s striking pavilions.

In the spa, guests are pampered with massages, facials, and spa treatments across 24 rooms.

• Photos: 5 years later, wandering Halcyon, metro Atlanta's latest utopian mini-city (Urbanize Atlanta)