Collective Hill Country Retreat

We went for a quick weekend getaway. Service was excellent both before and during stay - very quick response to all questions and requests. Betty was amazing and makes a great Smoked Old Fashioned. Tents are great - real beds, soft linens, nice robes, full bathrooms, comfy chairs. We happened to be there as the remnants of Hurricane Norma were passing through. I can say that the tents ARE waterproof. It was very warm and tropical. The portable AC did a good job of cooling the tent off, but didn't make a dent in the swamp like humidity. Such high humidity levels are not normal in this area though so wouldn't usually be an issue. The fire pit was great. I do wish there was more than one as there were only 6 chairs so you couldn't really "sit around the fire" - had to kind of toast your s'more and then move along to make room for the next family. Food options are a little limited. We were sent menus a few days before our stay that listed such things as Avocado Toast and Breakfast Tacos on the breakfast menu, but none of those were available (we asked if we needed to order the breakfast items in advance and were told no) - just granola and pastries (what was available was tasty and fresh though). Dinner was either $150 per person tasting menu which we saw people eating and looked great, but expensive with a whole family or cook your own (they provide, you cook). We ended up going into Wimberley to eat most of our meals which has great spots and is only 10 minutes away. Grounds are lovely to wander - wonderful views, trails, hammocks, games such as corn hole. Wonderful place to spend a weekend if you know what to expect - not a luxury hotel, but "glamping".

We were on our baby moon and would rate our overall experience a 7 out of 10. Beautiful place and great customer service. The website for the Hill Country needs serious updating. 1. There is no chef or restaurant on-site therefore you CAN bring your own food. There is also a bbq option that we would have loved to know about prior. We did ask and were able to go to HEB to get what we needed to utilize the bbq Pitt on site. $25 charge. 2. If temperatures are low, be prepared! Our pellet stove did not work for about 24 hours and we were freezing in our tent BUT the staff did respond and fixed the issue. 3. The continental breakfast is not what is shown on the website. It is very basic and everything is cold. Yogurt, blueberries, granola, oranges, apples, boiled egg and cold pastries. 4. Staff was excellent. Especially, Josh and Holly.

Buyer BEWARE!! I booked 3 nights at $309 a night and a few activities and did not pay much attention to what my total included at booking. After our stay I received a complete accounting of all charges and discovered that I was charged $309 for the first night and then $629 for the second night and $679 for the 3rd night! I would not have a agreed to that rate for the 2nd and 3rd nights. The reservationist does not explain the breakdown just gives you the total which I thought included other fees like resort fee, taxes and some activities, etc. The higher rates are also not advertised on their website. I was charged separately for all of our activities and meals. I called the company to get my 2nd and 3rd night rates reduced back to the $309 rate that I booked. They refused saying that I agreed to the total and that they do not give a breakdown of cost for each night when booking, just the total. This property is definitely not worth $679 a night. There were other guests paying $289 a night during our stay for the same accommodations which is a more accurate value for what you receive. I am terribly disappointed and they clearly are not concerned with customer retention, customer satisfaction or customer service. I will be telling everyone and it is very well known in marketing that for every 1 dissatisfied person that does say something there are 8 more that do not speak up and just never return. This property/company was more about everything they could not do and don't do instead of what they can/could do to accommodate their guests. They have lots of rules that keep their staff from being able to deliver excellent service; kept hearing, no; we're not allowed to do this or that to fulfill a guest's request. Very sad; it's a beautiful and relaxing place with some great views and nice food when you can keep the flies away in the dining tent. We did give them a simple suggestion for the flies and the manager apparently made a run to Home Depot and got some fly traps or supplies to make them as we suggested to help the issue. Cannot believe that they are in this business and did not know how to manage the flies around their beautiful Chef's Tasting and Breakfast, etc. Definitely not the upscale "glamping" experience we were expecting.

Where do I start? I was completely unaware of Collective Hill Country until I found it while searching for a place to propose to my girlfriend...and now I can't stop spreading the word about it! I called and spoke with Dustin, who was all around fantastic during our stay, and he suggested a perfect way for me to propose while we were there. The grounds of the retreat were great and the pictures do not do this place justice! The tent was in pristine condition with great linens, design, amenities and an air conditioning unit. The food was 5 star all around, Chef Alex's tasting menu was the best thing we have ever eaten. All around it was an absolutely amazing experience. If you are looking for a quick romantic getaway, or even a getaway with friends and family this is such a great option between Austin and San Antonio. Couldn't recommend this place and its staff more. Truly a special place and experience!

We truly enjoyed our stay at the Collective. The tents are very well appointed, food and service were excellent. The staff really went out of their way to accommodate all our requests and all my stupid food allergies. Staff is definitely 5 star!! Not so much the management. My biggest complaint is in every email I received prior to our arrival (including on our arrival date) stated our $35 resort fee included a complimentary cooked to order breakfast delivered to your tent. Well we paid a $45 retreat fee plus tax and were not given complimentary cooked to order breakfast delivered to our tent. Trust me, I complained. They did comp our breakfast first day at the Lodge. We paid for our breakfast delivered the second day. I was told the resort fee included WiFi (that was horrible. ) Fee also included a breakfast box instead of cooked to order. I felt they should have honored the package we booked and what they advertised but they refused. We did have the chef’s tasting menu that was wonderful. We also had the wine paring. I question their choice of wines though. For a $300 dinner we had expected they would serve some better quality wines. We ordered a bottle of champagne for our tent, it was Korbel…… All in all, it is beautiful. The staff is amazing. I just do not feel it is a good value for what you pay. Which is a shame because I would love to return to another one of their properties.

I was not sure what to expect for my mini-moon, but my husband planned an amazing getaway where we stayed in a very well furnished tent on top of the hill with a breathtaking view. I had the most delicious chef's tasting meal on the first night. I was so impressed that the chef dreamed the menu up that morning - being a foodie, I don't know how I could have put something like that together the same day! It was a marriage of beautiful tastes and temperatures. The staff was so accommodating with golf cart rides and pickups, helping us learn how to use the pellet stove (it was cold), and being available for every question. On the second night, we had the opportunity to finish cooking our meal on the grill. I was also able to have a very relaxing and therapeutic massage in my tent. The only issue was the hot water in the shower was not hot enough; but I believe the recent freeze had something to do with it. We will be back as this was such a delightful getaway and I can't wait to have another chef's tasting and stay at Collective Hill Country! Thank you for making our stay after our wedding so sweet and memorable.