On a dusty, winding road through the Texas Hill Country, about 45 minutes from Austin, we’re steering toward five-star Camp Lucy, a rustically luxurious playground set among vineyards, stalwart live oaks, ridges, and one long river that glimmers green in the sunlight. We’re off for a long-awaited tryst, so with romance in mind, I pose a metaphysical question: “didn’t everybody have their first kiss at summer camp?” My husband laughs. He turns to give me that “you don’t need to know everything” eyebrow raise, which makes me a little jealous of somebody from his adolescent past — even after all these years.
Not an actual camp, Camp Lucy, a bijoux retreat, nevertheless emanates that certain spiritus mundi we all associate with going home to nature. Woven into brushy, wildflower-flecked (in season) woodland, the hotel — with just 41 rooms and suites — embodies the gifts that camp gave us as children. It sates curiosity, promotes growth, inspires experimentation, and instills self discovery with its ambiance and offerings. It’s quietude, mindfulness, and uncomplicated bliss all at once.
Built on family-owned land awash with heritage stories, Camp Lucy reimagines the concept of bucolic setting, accenting it with artful, globally derived elan. Exquisitely designed with landmark architectural artifacts collected from around the world, the nevertheless authentically Texan outpost reigns as a precise extravaganza of priceless finds, collected crafts, bold colors, top-notch amenities, eye-catching textures, and assiduous attention to detail. With an acclaimed restaurant, two pools, a chapel, vineyard, hiking paths, and an astonishingly stunning, over-the-top new spa, it offers a chance for visitors to do everything or nothing at all.
The Suites
Unspoiled nature surrounds the various suites and rooms, which sit in enclaves near the main house and restaurant. All the more lavish for how they contrast sumptuously with the outdoors, while bringing in its light and bounty, the accommodations invoke a kind of suspension of disbelief, an otherworldliness that goes hand in hand with seduction. Distinctive antiques, unique finds, artworks from a plenitude of genres and treasures (each with a story), thoughtfully festoon rooms, while amenities such as first-in-class mattresses and oversized stone bathtubs strike awe and longing. For sexy sojourns, book one of the new Folly Suites, just steps from the spa. With a separate living room, the breathtaking hideaway sports mesmerizing wallpapers, antique fixtures and doors from far-flung places, a hearty fireplace, and a hand-carved, stone soaking tub. Colorful accoutrements abound indoors, with an outdoor terrace that embraces the Hill Country’s largesse.
Folklore Spa
Some people say Austin’s worth the trip to Texas from anywhere. I’d go a step further and say Camp Lucy’s Folklore Spa is worth the trip — and now. Framed by soaring ironwood columns as evocative as a mystic portal, the doorway leads to interiors created in collaboration between owner Kim Hanks and British interior designer Charlotte Smiley. Brightly hued patterned wallpaper, handmade Mexican tiles, a plethora of hand-carved masks, a pack of ceramic Staffordshire dogs all in a row, fabrics by House of Hackney and Brunschwig & Fils (among others), antiques, curiosities awaken whatever part of you that needs it. And, that’s before the spa treatments by brands such as Irene Forte and Natura Bisse.
Featuring cleverly named rituals that run the gamut from energy therapies to massages, each service invokes some of the healing power of color. Every detail within Folklore’s indoor spaces is crafted to feel both indulgent and effortless. Dyson hairdryers in locker rooms you’d like to move into forever as a residence, a co-ed sauna outdoors, a pool with water massagers, a huge hot tub that embraces the landscape, and shaded loungers with a Moroccan vibe comprise only some of the special pleasantries. Pro tip for romance: spend the day in the spa noshing on healthy food, dipping into the pools, and having a couples massage, then head over to Tillie’s Restaurant (more on that in a minute) for a wine tasting and satisfying feast.
Tillie’s
Be forewarned: you’ll want to order the deviled eggs at happy hour. This delightful gastronomic restaurant named for founder Whit Hank’s great-grandmother Attila “Tillie” Hancock, serves up locally sourced creative fare with a Southern-meets-international, elegant nouveau American twist.
Within a 19th-century Vietnamese town hall brought from Vietnam in pieces and rebuilt, the restaurant delights with chef-forward dishes. An afternoon tea, inspired by Camp Lucy’s sister property, The Old Bell Hotel in Malmesbury, England, adds unexpected flair at this offbeat ranch location. Nosh on buttermilk scones with blueberry yuzu jam and clotted cream or beef wellington with horseradish mash finger sandwiches.
There’s much to do at Camp Lucy, which is located near Austin’s buzzy scene and the Hill Country’s plethora of wineries and breweries. But, romancers and the flirty inclined ought to stay put, just melting into the spiritual fortitude of the environs. Hikers have multiple options — and you can throw a hatchet or do archery. Alpacas wait to be fed. Porches have been built for lingering, pools for lounging, and wellness activities from forest bathing to yoga to meditation can be arranged. Whim Hospitality, owned by Camp Lucy’s founders Kim and Whit Hanks ranks as the nobility of local wedding planners. They’ll put on parties as glamorous and unique as Camp Lucy itself.
