13 Acres Retreat — Hotel in Dripping Springs

Incredibly heartbroken to even think I ever have to leave a bad review for this retreat as it’s been such a pinnacle factor within my self-healing & spiritual journey. However, as a follow up to my review two months ago on Airbnb, the response from the host or whoever Jennifer is, was absolutely distasteful and unprofessional. Her blatant passive aggressiveness is the EXACT reason why my group and I didn’t feel comfortable or safe continuing our conversation/expressing our concerns with her when the situation occurred on site, resulting in us booking it out ASAP to a nearby hotel. She completely dismissed our entire experience and publicly called me a liar for transcribing OUR experience in our own words. I don’t know if the original creators or owners sold the place or hired her as a manager, but I implore you to try and understand how uncomfortable and unsafe she made us, paying guests, feel. You’re not a good host, you lack professionalism. Heavily. And responding with personal digs at my self growth or healing isn’t very on brand for 13 Acres Tribe of you and completely crossed the line. Shame on you.

I know 13 Acres for its mindfulness, peace, serenity and kindness and this entire situation with Jennifer was everything but that. She is the opposite of that and is the reason I will never return to this place and will make sure everyone I’ve ever raved to about this place, now steer clear. It’s all a facade that I fell for.

I wanted nothing but for this place to flourish and grow as I have grown with it. But after this horrific experience with this particular “Jennifer,” oh forget about it. I’m sadden and disappointed I am no longer able to come back to this retreat that was once my peace and serenity, and somewhat home away from home. So why the absolute hell would I lie about a situation like this, we genuinely did not feel safe. This person is a joke and I hope she doesn’t run this magical place to the ground. I have a lot more to say about that person but I’m respectful and actually have a level of professionalism, unlike said person, so I’ll let karma handle it. Good riddance.

Update 4/3/25: My interaction with said woman is not unique…at all. Read the other negative reviews with screenshots of the way she responds to people and you’ll see how incredibly snarky, passive aggressive, unprofessional and at the least RUDE she is to paying customers. This place does not represent what they say they stand for, what a disgrace this company has turned into. It’s comical. Good riddance...

Beautiful land with healing potential, but notable service gaps impacted the stay.

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Pros 🌟 • Peaceful Hill Country setting — The land itself holds a naturally restorative frequency, with open skies, quiet surroundings, and space to reconnect with self. • Cabin comfort & privacy — The cabin’s layout allowed for personal reflection and energetic decompression. • Decor & vibe — Thoughtful design elements throughout the property give a warm, grounded feel. • Retreat energy — The space overall supports slowing down, breathing deeply, and aligning with nature’s pace.

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Cons / Opportunities for Growth ⚖️ • Gift basket misalignment — A note in the cabin indicated a welcome gift basket, but it was not provided. This created a slight disconnect between expectation and delivery. • Toxic food choices — The food options available on-site and in the “tribe” space contained processed and low-vibrational ingredients that can be harmful to the body, particularly in a space intended for healing and wellness. • No purified drinking water for 2 days — There was no purified accessible drinking water available for guests for two days of the stay, which is a serious health and hospitality concern. • Bathroom maintenance — Bathrooms were left uncleaned for extended periods, which diminished the retreat environment and overall guest comfort. • Service touchpoints — While the stay was peaceful, there could be more attentive check-ins or confirmations from the host to ensure guest needs are met promptly and consistently. • Community engagement — For a “tribe” atmosphere, there was little invitation to connect with others on-site during the stay, limiting the communal retreat experience.

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Overall Experience

13 Acres is a beautiful property with land that holds a high vibration for rest, healing, and connection to nature. However, the retreat experience was impacted by gaps in basic hospitality — particularly in water availability, food quality, and maintenance.

This feedback is offered with appreciation for the vision behind 13 Acres and with the hope that improvements in guest care, amenities, and nourishment offerings will allow the retreat to fully reflect its...

13 Acres Retreat could be better and maybe it is, we only write what we experience and here’s why we opened with that convoluted intro… when we arrived at 13 Acres we were very excited to unload from our hour and a half drive and showed up around 3:05, about 5 minutes past check in. PAY ATTENTION TO WHERE YOU TURN INTO THE PLACE. Or you can make the wrong turn like we did and pop a u turn to head back. Parking was good, no issues although there are no dedicated spots for vehicles so you kinda just fit where you can. When we went to access the Gratitude cabin there were still staff inside cleaning up, which to be frank was not a good look. After walking around the grounds (which are beautiful) while we waited for the staff to finish, we finally entered our cabin to find it a bit dirty. The fridge had residue left in it which was gross to see and there were a few dead bugs on the windowsill, also gross. The cabin also smelt like turmeric for some reason which threw us off even more.

Throughout our overnight stay we found pros and cons popping up everywhere. Pros: beautiful setting with sunsets and gorgeous starry skies, friendly neighbors, campfires and stocked market. They are also dog friendly which is a great option for those looking to bring their fur baby with them on a trip. There are also a number of trails that you can go on and despite that you will still have service due to their free WiFi. Cons? Cleanliness and the lack of a private toilet or bathroom. Another glaring issue was the inability to have your own campfire as the main space for one will typically have people nearby and talking. Granted we did know the bathroom and showers were public here which didn’t seem like a huge issue at first but when you’ve been outside all day and want to clean up in private it does become a bit more pressing. We ended up spending as short a time as possible in our cabin because we just felt dirty the whole time. Ultimately, 13 Acres is a gorgeous getaway spot that is affordable enough to consider but be aware of what you’re getting into and be sure to check for dirt and debris...