8 Reasons Why Rough Creek Lodge and Resort is Our New Favorite Luxury Vacation Spot
As many of you know, I do a fair amount of travel blogging. Which means I’ve been to A LOT of different hotels around the world. From the five-star beach resorts to African Safari adventures to European immersion experiences to romantic getaways in wine country. But until I visited the Rough Creek Lodge and Resort, I had never experienced a place that had SO much to offer. Y’all this place was like summer camp with a sommelier.
Several trips to Rough Creek later, I am having a hard time squeezing everything I love about it into just one post. But hot damn, I tried- just for y’all. I condensed all of the things that I love about Rough Creek Lodge into a neat and tidy little list detailing the eight reasons this luxury lodge is my new favorite vacation spot. Let’s jump in:
Wherever You’re Located, Rough Creek Lodge & Resort Is Right Around The Corner
Rough Creek covers an expansive range of 11,000 acres, making it a super accessible location from almost every major city in Texas. Just an hour and fifteen minutes from Fort Worth, an hour and a half from Dallas, and two hours and forty minutes from Austin, Rough Creek Lodge and Resort is within reach of three international airports... so it’s a short trip for travelers visiting from near and far!
The Dining Experience at the Lodge at Rough Creek is Three Courses and Gourmet
Need we say more? But seriously y’all, this unique offering might be even better than it sounds. I’m a total foodie, so it’s important to me that the places I stay offer good food. At Rough Creek, good food is the understatement of the century. When you stay at the lodge, breakfast and dinner are both included in your package rate... and dinner is a three-course gourmet meal.
As if you needed more convincing, the menu changes daily based on renowned chef Gerard Thompson’s creativity and preference, and since they smoke and cure their own meats, everything they offer is unbeatably fresh and has its own unique flavor. Our personal favorites? The quail, the fillet, and the chocolate cake. Oh, and, prepare yourselves- the fresh raisin bread will change your life.
Whether you prefer meat, seafood, veggies or just buckets and buckets of bread and chocolate, their gastronomical specialties pair perfectly with wine. And they have got it all. With 150 bottles and wines from Napa, Italy and everywhere in between, it’s no surprise that they are the proud recipients of the 2018 wine and spectator award. Okay, we get it, your mouth is watering and your stomach is grumbling. We’ll move on.
The Accommodations are VERY Accommodating, To Say The Least
Rough Creek Resort offers more than 60 accommodation options to their visitors. Between the lodge, the cabins and the waterside residences, there is literally no bad option. Dylan and I stayed in the lodge (hello, second honeymoon) and it was the perfect way to experience all the luxuries of ranch life. Our room was complete with a view of the lodge’s sprawling green lawn and picturesque lake... and we were waited on hand and foot. If that doesn’t sound like paradise, I don’t know what does.
On the other hand, the cabins are pretty dreamy, too. Our team got to experience life on the ranch from this perspective, and we were gushing over how comfortable and versatile the space was. They can sleep up to 18, and they’re conveniently located just down the road from the resort’s main attractions. Some offer bunk-rooms and hammocks, while others offer full-sized kitchens, screened-in porches, and views of the Texas horizon that extend for miles. They’re IDEAL for family reunions, and since the cabins are located right across from Rough Creek’s wedding chapel, they’re the perfect option for destination weddings, too.
And we can’t forget about the Rough Creek residences... The newly built homes on the water offer a vacation experience like no other. While you can actually own them, the homes are also available for a vacation rental. They’re modern, sleek, beautiful and packed with everything you could ever need. Yes, this includes big backyards on the river and fire pits on the side. I’m talking with my family now about booking one for our next family vacation... we’re going to need their onsite-sommelier on hand.
The Customer Service Is Next Level
Wherever you choose to stay, you can sit back, kick up your feet and let the staff at Rough Creek Lodge and Resort do the rest. Every time we visited, we were enamored by the way they came to our beck and call- even at the smallest request. And the little things they did to make our trip special did not go unnoticed. From making sure we’d be able to find a chilled water bottle anytime we needed it (seriously y’all- there might be more cool water bottle stations around the resort than there are trash cans), to bringing us free S’mores kits every night so that we could enjoy the fire pits on the terrace, their staff adds a special touch to every experience.
Between Daniel, the southern gentleman who helped us with our luggage, and Travis and Alexis who, as we lay by the pool, brought us new frozen margaritas every time ours were running low, the customer service experience was unbeatable. After all, they don’t call it five-star for nothing.
The Pools Are Actual Paradise
Frozen margaritas by the pool? Yep! It’s a thing. And speaking of pools, the ones at Rough Creek Lodge and Resort are a dream. The family pool is located across from the lodge and is complete with food and drink service, a beach area with lounge chairs, and shaded cabanas specializing in relaxation. Looking to have a little more fun?
It also has a lazy river, waterfall, kiddie pool, hot tub and slide. So, it’s the perfect way for both you and the kids to beat the summer heat. Seriously, you guys, it’s comparable to any island resort I’ve ever been to, and it’s right here in TX. They also have an adults only pool, so it’s a win-win.
Axe Throwing, Mule-Riding and Horses, Oh my!
You heard it here first, friends! Rough Creek Lodge and Resort has anything- and I mean anything- you could ever need to take your family vacation to the next level. The five-star resort offers TONS of family- friendly activities like a 600-foot zip-line (included), a plethora of water sports (included), guided horseback riding (additional cost) and more.
My team and I were so excited when received a list of all the great activities upon our arrival. Since we only had three days, we tried to cram in as many as we possibly could... but we barely made a dent. Of the ones we did try, we loved the water sports most. Y’all, they literally have a water trike. You can also reserve canoes, bass fishing boats, fishing gear and more. Since the lake area has several shaded docks and benches, you can spend the whole day there and experience all that life on the lake has to offer.
You Can Do Things at Rough Creek That You Can’t Do Anywhere Else
Unique items on our bucket list? Check and check! Not only do they have plenty of resort-esq activities and offerings, but they also have some pretty unique ones, too. As two non-Texans, Dylan and I felt like our trip to Rough Creek checked off so many things on our Texas bucket list. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure most resorts don’t usually have things like clay pigeon shooting (and people who will clean your gun for you if you bring your own) and nighttime wildlife tours... Well, this one does. And impressed is an understatement.
I mean, they even have a Top Tracer golf range modeled after the nation-wide favorite, TopGolf (Pro-Tip: it includes beverage service and a free night stay if you get a hole in one). Oh... and did I mention there are fireworks shows on holidays? Needless to say, a typical day at Rough Creek Resort looks WAY different than a typical day anywhere else. And that’s the kind of different we love.
Childcare, Please!
Parents, this isn’t just a great thing for you. We don’t have kids ourselves, but our friends brought their little ones with them during their visit and they were so relieved to hear about all the childcare options Rough Creek Resort offers. Not only do they have private babysitting available, but they offer kids camp every. single. night. Oh yes, it’s true. You can send them off for a couple hours to play tic tac toe, bocce ball, basketball and more while you get a couple’s massage at the spa or listen to live music on the lodge terrace. For ultimate relaxation, Mom, their wine list is all the good things- Dad, apparently, so is their cigar and whisky collection.
To sum it up: we absolutely LOVED staying there. We’ve always been intrigued by the idea of spending some time on the ranch, but we never wanted the work that comes with that (maintaining the land, etc.). That’s the beauty of Rough Creek Lodge... you can enjoy the ranch life without lifting a finger- except to pull the trigger, of course. If you’re like us and don’t want to leave, you don’t have to. Rent or buy one of the properties at the residences at Rough Creek and stay forever. Whenever you come and wherever you stay, we know you’ll love it as much as we do. So, in the wise, beautiful words of Tim Riggins, Texas Forever.