Hotel Snapshot
Not just a ranch. Not just a vineyard. Certainly not a bonafide camp for kids, Camp Lucy is a extravaganza of playful Texas charm, woven into the brushy Texas Hill Country less than an hour from Austin. A bounty of visual and sensorial delights, seeded with a jet setter’s canny eye, Camp Lucy brings collected artifacts and architecture from around the world to roost in Dripping Springs, a small town touted as Texas’ wedding capital. With breathtaking design and seasoned hospitality, Camp Lucy redefines bucolic retreat. On 282 craggy acres, seasonally glowing with wildflowers, complete with its own vineyard, the hotrl holds a gastronomic restaurant, five star spa, pools, a chapel, and event space. It offers oodles of activities—think wine tasting and hatchet throwing.
The Design
Created by co-owners Whit (a legendary local dealer of antiques and architectural artifacts collected worldwide) and Kim (an award-winning wedding planner) Hanks, the hotel draws its vital force via its multiplicity of globally found treasures. No nook has been overlooked, no exterior or interior built without moxie and forethought. A place where guests exclaim in perpetual awe, Camp Lucy sports eye-catching antiques, curiosities, objet d’art, embellishments and decor. Precious and folkloric furniture and art are par for the course. Case in point: 200-year-old buildings from Vietnam have been disassembled then rebuilt on site to serve as the restaurant and spa. Expect artfully contemporary guest rooms and suites with posh extras. Camp Lucy’s newest rooms are kitted out in a more Maximalist style to match the aura of the just-opened spa, Folklore. There, Kim Hanks has collaborated with British interior designer Charlotte Smiley to bring a plushy pampering of razzle dazzle. (More on that below.)
The Rooms
Forty-one rooms and suites grouped in a variety of configurations invite repose. In keeping with Camp Lucy’s overall motif and design, guests are enveloped into a world traveler’s version of Texas. Rooms emanate a contemporary ranch backdrop that feels edgy, exciting and familiar all at once. Book the new Folly Rooms and Suites, which stand near the spa. Meant to be almost an extension of the spa experience, they reflect the spa’s colorful, eye-catching essence with bright textiles, lavish furnishings, sculptural furnishings and fantastical wallpapers (by the likes of Brunschwig & Fils, to name one).
Food + Drink
Many locals drive out to Tillie’s for a meal. Ensconced in the vintage Vietnamese church, with craft cocktails, an afternoon tea option and a festive happy hour, the all-day restaurant serves up New American cuisine with a twist.
Spa and Wellness
Camp Lucy has two pools, unrivalled hiking and biking paths through the acreage, and activities—such as yoga—that get guests moving—as desired. But, its undisputed piece-de-resistance is the just opened Folklore Spa, a standalone haven with 11 treatment rooms, a pool complex, saunas and ne plus ultra treatments by Irene Forte Skincare and Natura Bisse—among others. It’s the sort of spa where you hang out all day, nosh on healthy food, read by the pool, enjoy a meditation practice and partake of as many rituals as possible.
Amenities
Camp Lucy offers luxurious linens, hand crafted stone bathtub (in some rooms), gift shop, communal fire pit, in room microwave and fridge, two pools, full service spa, event space and activities such as alpaca feeding, fishing, olive oil tasting, archery and meditation.
Neighborhood Recs
Head into the Hill Country to visit wineries and breweries, explore charming towns like Fredericksburg, shop for antiques and hike or swim at some of the region’s natural wonders such as Pedernales State Park, Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center and Hamilton Pool Preserve.
Fast Facts
Location: About 45 minutes in the Texas Hill Country, near Dripping Springs.
Vibe: Ranch chic, artsy Hill Country hideaway.
Rating: Four Star
Room Count: 41 rooms and suites
Pricing: Rates start at $409 per night.
Our Favorite Thing About the Hotel: The clever design and use of architectural artifacts and folkloric art in a natural setting. Also, the spa is first class.
Dining: Tillie’s, a refreshingly unique all day restaurant.
Amenities: Microwave, fridge, full service spa, two pools, activities, event space, restaurant, vineyard, luxurious linens and bedding.
Nearby Attractions: Head to the Texas Hill Country for winery and distillery visits, as well as shopping in characteristic towns. Or, exploring Austin by day. ,
Airport: Austin Bergstrom Airport (AUS)
Austin, Texas, United States
