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Fredericksburg, located in the Texas Hill Country, is a pretty laid-back little corner of Texas. Whether you’re visiting to experience the wines of the 290 Wine Trail or have the goal of shopping till you drop in the many boutiques dotting Main Street, the atmosphere is generally casual. But casual doesn’t have to mean lacking in luxury. Here are six luxurious experiences in Fredericksburg. 

Note: I live near Fredericksburg and love to visit and stay current on available activities. I researched some of these experiences as part of a hosted media visit; the rest of the information is based on personal knowledge and experience.

My first thought when I walked into Sage for brunch a few months after they opened was, “Am I even in Texas?” The clean, modern decor has a very urban feel and is a sharp contrast to some of the German architecture and menus you’ll find in other eateries around town. 

Sage features inventive, eclectic, internationally driven American cuisine. The food is locally sourced, and the chef likes to keep things fresh, so expect periodic changes to the menu. 

The restaurant serves lunch and dinner, with a few brunchy items on the lunch menu. No matter what you order or when you go, eating at Sage seems like a special event, but if you really want to take your experience up a notch, order the Chef’s Featured Dinner for Two. All of the dining spaces at Sage are comfortable and trendy. 

If you really want to elevate your experience, ask to have a nightcap or dessert in the upstairs owner’s lounge. This luxurious lounge is accessible by private elevator and offers a balcony view of the dining room. The experience is invite-only, and most guests don’t know it exists. Although entry isn’t guaranteed just because one requests it, it doesn’t hurt to ask. 

If you’d like a more active role in dinner preparation, consider a cooking class or demo at Fischer and Weiser. Guests can select from a hands-on class, demo class, or a private four-course meal with wine pairings. The cooking school can accommodate a variety of group sizes, from two to 24, depending on what type of event you select. 

The Fischer and Weiser farmstead also includes Das Peach Haus, a boutique market selling jams as well as various relishes and glazes. Many of these products will be part of the ingredients list for your meal, and you’ll be able to grab your favorites from their store. 

There’s a backyard area where you can enjoy a glass of wine and a lake view that’s particularly stunning at sunset, so I recommend timing your visits so you’re there at the end of the day. 

Pro Tip: If you aren’t ready to go home after the sun sinks, pop into Dietz Distillery for a drink. This small-batch distillery brews gin and fruit brandies and has a list of inventive and upscale cocktails. I’ll confess, I’m not usually a gin person, but I enjoyed the French 75, which is gin, citrus, and prosecco.

If you’ve ever wanted to sleep in a tree house, Onera is a tranquil collection of luxurious tree houses — as well as yurts and Airstreams — just outside of downtown Fredericksburg. This property doesn’t feel close to town, and you’ll experience all the peacefulness that comes with staying in the middle of nowhere. 

I toured the property in April and immediately fell in love with The Spyglass. The bedroom space is luxurious and intimate leading out to a soaking pool with a view of the woods. The best word I can use to describe Onera is dreamy, which is fitting since onera is Greek for “dreams.” 

There’s also a shared area with a container pool, barrel sauna, and places to relax and mingle with other guests. 

Most of the units at Onera, including the pool area, have at least a few stairs to navigate. The Live Oak Lodge is ADA accessible and has both a hot tub and a plunge pool on the deck should the guest not be able to navigate the pool area. Note that the rooftop deck is not ADA accessible.

The rooms are pricey — as much as $900 per night on a summer or early fall weekend. Midweek stays in January or February are easier on the wallet, so if your dates are flexible, you may find a better deal then. 

Ololo is a set of four cottages configured in a semi-circle less than 5 miles from downtown Fredericksburg. The cottages are designed for couples, although if you have a larger group, you can look at booking more than one unit or the entire property. Each cottage is beautifully decorated with items from Black Chalk Laundry, an upscale home goods store in downtown Fredericksburg. The Ololo owner also owns Black Chalk Laundry, so if you’re inspired by the cottage interior, the items are available for purchase.  

Each unit has a front porch with patio furniture where you can sip wine or morning coffee. If you’re quiet, morning deer sightings are common. All cottages come with a private backyard area with a hot tub, perfect for taking in the starry night sky. Fredericksburg is a low light pollution area, and you’ll see stars at night you won’t see in nearby San Antonio or Austin. 

Ololo works for guests with mobility issues. The units are single story with a paved path leading to the entry. The bathroom has a large walk-in shower. There are steps that lead up to the front porch, but the porch can also be accessed without steps from inside the unit. 

Ololo runs between $154 and $485 per night, depending on the time of year. As with Onera, midweek January–February stays cost less. 

This is a property I watch — I really want to go back and stay again — and I’ve seen some variation between booking directly with the site versus booking with Airbnb, so do the comparisons. 

Editor’s Note: As Chelle Koster Walton wrote in May, there are plenty of unique places to stay in Fredericksburg.

The wineries around Fredericksburg are one of the main reasons people visit. Heath Vineyards, co-located with Grape Creek Vineyards, is currently the only location on the 290 Wine Trail dedicated to sparkling wine. Although this area has no shortage of superior wines, there’s just something about bubbly that elevates a wine experience and Heath Vineyards plays to that.  

Heath (as well as Grape Creek Vineyards) has a 21+ policy, which sets it apart from most other family-friendly area wineries. Heath’s clean, minimal decor and floor-to-ceiling windows set the tone for a luxe tasting experience. Their immersive tastings, where a video backdrop provides the feeling of being part of the winemaking process, currently feature four wines plus seasonal small bites that complement the tasting. Tastings are around $35, and reservations are recommended. 

The Spa at Hill Country Herb Garden offers massages and facials. Book the 90-minute Enchanted Rock massage for $210. The name of this massage may be a nod to the nearby Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, but this massage is done with hot stones, so “enchanted rock” takes on a different meaning. 

The 90-minute Luxury Facial includes an upper body and scalp massage and is currently priced at just over $200. They also offer various body scrubs and waxing, and you can combine treatments for the ultimate indulgence.  

Editor’s Note: Do you really need to get away and relax? Our own Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey wrote about these luxurious spa treatments to experience around the world.

Whether you’re splurging for a birthday, anniversary, or other occasion or just want that touch of luxe when you travel, I hope you indulge in one of these experiences to make your next trip to Texas Hill Country more memorable.

Jill believes experiences count more than possessions. She and her husband pivoted at midlife and adopted two toddlers when they became empty nesters. Jill's two sons are now in middle school and her family fills weekends and school breaks with a variety of family travel experiences and outdoor adventures.

Although Jill is an expert in Texas travel and theme park travel, she'll jump at the opportunity to go just about anywhere. From multigenerational trips to couples getaways, Jill never met an adventure she didn't like. Her most memorable travel experience was when her adult daughter took her to Morocco for her 52nd birthday, affirming that the travel bug has been successfully passed to a new generation.