ACL Memories: Reflecting on 2016

Ladies and Gentlemen, start your engines! UT Football has begun, the ACL Festival is BACK and Formula One racing is faster than ever! (ok we're not sure about that fast fact, but it sounds accurate!) We still have a few homes left for these legendary Austin events, so make your reservations soon!

Camp Blanco boasts an 18 acre property that’s the perfect getaway spot for your “pod” with 2 separate homes, a bunkhouse, a game room and two camping tee-pees (13 beds total!) and tons of outdoor space to roam. We used this gorgeous space as our baby moon getaway and it was the quintessential setting to spend quality time together and enjoy the beautiful open air. This dreamy and secluded spot used to be a Girl Scout campground in the 1940’s, and you’ll see several nods to the historic space throughout the property. From The Ranger stone house, The Brownie bunk house, and The Tagalong luxury tents, you’ll feel like you’re in an adult glampground!

I'm sure we can all agree that last year was a doozy, and while we're all excited to move forward, I did want to take a moment to recognize some accomplishments Lodgewell made over the last few months: ➡️ We launched the Lodgewell brand ➡️ Established what we stand for ➡️ Expanded into new cities ➡️ Added 4 new properties to our portfolio (see below) ➡️ Partnered with exclusive brands (see below) ➡️ Welcomed hundreds of guests safely to professionally sanitized homes ➡️ Hosted amazing media personalities ➡️ Featured in countless publications ➡️ And even transformed one of our lofts into a holiday wonderland!

If you remember, I rented a condo in downtown Austin to ring in the New Year with this fabulous rental company. Click here to read about that trip. At the time, they were under the name “Top Trip Rentals”. Top Trip Rentals has rebranded to Lodgewell, and well we lodged indeed! Lodgewell and their incredible team will forever be my go to for destination home rentals in Texas. For this family trip we chose Lodgewell’s newest property, The Good Morning Ranch . The Good Morning Ranch is a Rural Ranch Retreat boasting 10 acres of unadulterated Texas Hill Country. It’s nestled down a dirt road just minutes outside of Wimberley, TX which is the CUTEST and COOLEST Texas town. You’ll feel like you’ve fallen off the grid which is exactly what I was looking for in this family vacay! When we walked through the door we were we were greeted with retro, GREEN kitchen cabinetry, vintage country music posters, quilts and mounted deer heads! So very Austin, and so very cool! The bag of chips and queso (and my FAVORITE salsa) on the counter made me smile from ear to ear. Lodgewell has a history of making me feel at home, and their amenity boxes did the trick!

Recently, we had the pleasure of hanging out with Susie Robb, interior designer, business owner, and blogger. She also runs a Texas-based nonprofit where she spreads encouragement and joy to families and individuals who have gone through hardships like divorce, widowhood, illness or unexpected life difficulties with no-cost interior design services. It was an absolute…

Look what has made the January cover of Austin-based magazine Tribeza this month? Yep. That’s the fantastical Bloomhouse in all its offbeat splendor featured in the magazine’s Interiors Issue. The Bloomhouse continues to impress and bemuse our guests, the media and travelers to this one-of-a-kind home. To spend time in this work of art, check…

This month, we sat down with Dale, a last-minute business traveler from up North. Way up North.   Top Trip Rentals: So what brings you to town Dale?  Dale: Well, I recently earned a promotion (my boss is a Saint!) and my first assignment sent me to Austin to spread holiday cheer. I rarely get to…

Austin’s normally rocking entertainment options kick into high gear during the holidays. Local media event calendars are bursting at the seams with great ideas. At Top Trip, we’ve rounded up ways for you to twinkle a little brighter this season with our “Five Festive Favorites” recommendations from holidays past. Top Photo: Mozart’s coffee shop sparkles…

When you stay with Top Trip Rentals, you get more. Our goal is to make sure that you have a great stay when you come to Austin. We know that the fastest way to know a city is through its food. So, waiting for you in your room is our local Top Trip Rentals’ swag…