Are you itching to get away for a close-to-home vacation? If so, check out two Hill Country properties that vacation rental platform Vrbo has named to its new list of 25 highly rated “over the top” places to stay.
The first one is Red Sands Ranch, a private resort near the town of Mason. The bucolic $1,855-a-night ranch is a staycationer’s dream. The living quarters include a bunkhouse with four twin beds, a loft with four full-size beds, and four self-contained rustic cabins that sleep six to nine people each, as well as a vintage Airstream trailer. The property, about four hours from Dallas, can accommodate up to 37 overnight guests.
Among the amenities at Red Sands are a four-story waterslide, a 3,400-foot airstrip, a fitness center, tennis and basketball courts, a “party shed,” a hot tub, a “secret ‘mine shaft’ cave,” and an outdoor swimming pool with a spa and grotto.
Surrounded by limestone and red sandstone cliffs, the ranch hugs the Llano River, affording opportunities for fishing and kayaking.
The other Vrbo-highlighted property close by is a “dramatic” limestone-and-steel home on 17 acres near Kyle. The Vrbo listing for the three-bedroom, $375-a-night house boasts that its location near I-35 offers easy access to amenities in both San Antonio and Austin, as well as to the outlet malls in San Marcos and three nearby wineries.
The home, which sleeps up to 10 people, features a loft-like living and dining area, a large screened-in porch, an outdoor swimming pool, a gourmet kitchen, and a massive limestone fireplace. The listing says the property is ideal for weddings, parties, family gatherings, and corporate retreats.
Austin-based Vrbo compiled the 25-property list to celebrate the company’s 25th birthday. It’s running a contest asking people to submit their favorite family vacation photo for a chance to win a stay at one of the 25 properties.
“We wanted to recognize and show gratitude to our customers who have trusted Vrbo with their family vacations over the past 25 years. To celebrate this milestone, we are inviting families to look back through their old family photos to reminisce on their most precious memories together,” Lish Kennedy, Vrbo’s vice president of global brand marketing, says in a release.
In December 2015, travel giant Expedia purchased what then was known as HomeAway for $3.9 billion. HomeAway rebranded last year as Vrbo.
Red Sands Ranch.
