Lajitas Golf Resort — Hotel in Manuel Benavides

Golf course is 38 stars but there's only 5 available. Unfortunately some other parts of the trip drag this rating down to a 4. As such, this review is a tale of two cities. Concerning golf, you don't want to miss out on Black Jack's Crossing. Certain other parts of the resort however are in need of overhaul.

Honorable mentions to all of the golf staff, particularly Zay and Chris. Gloria, the hotel manager, as well. These 3 staff members especially were extremely accommodating and were a delight to interact with. Also our waiter both nights, his name escapes me but he was a tall, young man with flaxen hair and an extremely professional demeanor. His talents would go far in a true fine dining experience.

But let us proceed.

I'll start with the good...

Went with a group of friends via a package deal through JSX, got 5 rounds in over the course of 3 days. The staff was prompt with their service the minute we touched down and the pro shop did a wonderful job of making sure everything was ready to go for each of our rounds. The course is immaculate and offers some of the most scenic shots and views we've ever had the privilege of enjoying. From the elevation changes to the pristine conditions to the stunning ball flights before breathtaking backgrounds, I cannot recommend this course enough as a Texas golf bucket list experience. Where there was once nothing but rocks and sand and international border tension, the group at Lajitas has created a monumental testament to the game of golf and all that it can be.

Now for the need of overhaul. There is a quite a degree of disconnect between the package sales group and the resort itself. If you are planning a trip to Lajitas, I encourage you to do so exclusively through the resort because the sales people in Dallas are not prompt or timely with anything regarding communication or setup. I understand that email typing can be taxing and talking on the phone can be tiring, but at a certain point it's just unprofessional when a group doesn't have the full details of their trip laid out when we've only got a week left before the trip.

Lastly concerning golf, tee times need to be sent off earlier. No sense in not sending people off at first light. Money for the course being left on the table. Dawn patrols will lead to more profit and better experiences for all. Also, if a group has to catch a flight in the early afternoon on their last day, don't have them do an 8:30 shotgun and throw in different groups that don't have flights to catch. Those other groups paid their money and are completely within their rights to enjoy their round at a leisurely pace. It's unfortunate that they were thrown in to the mix and had our entire group breathing down their necks so that we could finish on time and make our flight.

Long story short golf wise, it's no wonder why this is the #1 public course in Texas. Tweak a few things operations wise and it's flawless.

(Pro tip, if you've got a 10ft putt, treat it like 5ft. Your score will thank you.)

The rest of my review, primarily concerning the restaurant, can be found below in the food section as there is a word limit for this initial section. I would highly encourage you read on to make sure you know what you're getting into. I'm by no means trying to sour anyone on this trip as I fully believe it to be an essential experience for golfers everywhere. But when you come across a place this magical, you want to make sure every aspect of the trip is on par with the...

Our trip was centered around playing golf. The course was in pristine condition and stunningly beautiful. The staff at the course was extremely accommodating and flexible, letting us book a Ttime at the last minute. We also did the zip line, which I highly recommend, as it was fun and the staff running the zip line were great. We did a trail ride too. The views early in the morning were beautiful, and the horses appear to be well cared for by their keepers, both of which were engaging and great to ride with. We also did the 5 stand shooting, run by the manager of the horse stables. He was very helpful and made the shooting experience a lot of fun. The restaurant like most in the country are short staffed, we understand that and as such did not have undue expectations. We had read about the need for reservations in advance so prior to arriving, we had already booked our dinner reservations each night and had no issue with getting seated. I highly recommend dining outside on the patio, the views are the best! Wait staff was personable and attentive. The food, well, it was acceptable, but not a restaurant I would frequent if were in my hometown, as in it wasn't great. But it is expensive so plan to shell out some cash each night. The bakery is very good though. Their cinnamon rolls and breakfast tacos are well worth getting up early for. And the general store in town serves great sandwiches and tacos too. Now to the rooms. I can only speak to the Calvary Inn. I think the look they're going for is "rustic", which is a euphemism for old and tired, very, very, very old and tired, but not at an inexpensive price. The rooms are in desperate need of paint and an update of furniture. The bathroom sinks are in an antique piece of furniture in the bedroom which is very, very inconvenient. I also have to mention that when I stepped outside of our room into a small courtyard, and saw the electrical panel door open, my biggest concern was that there would be an electrical short and the place would burn down. The wiring appears never to have been updated either and was quit alarming. I would add that the beds are quite comfortable so I know the mattresses aren't as old as the building, which is a positive. It was sufficient accommodations, but not anywhere near how it's advertised. There appear to be newer accommodations on the property, which we will definitely seek out should we decide to go back. And there are a few, albeit also rustic options in nearby Terlingua. And there's no place to purchase anything once you're outside of Alpine. So take what you need with you or expect a long drive back to Alpine to get it. Be prepared for a lot of dust. You're basically in a high desert environment will very little vegetation so there is dust everywhere and when the wind blows, it's even worse. As mentioned elsewhere, the entire town is basically owned by the same company. But there's nothing wrong with that, it's a tiny town that probably would have faded away had the investors not made the investment to turn it into a resort (it's my understanding it was bought out of bankruptcy many years ago). So kudos to them for the willingness to invest their cash to create a resort that keeps the little town running and people employed. All in all we had a wonderful experience and would absolutely consider going back, but as I mentioned, we would definitely chose different room...

Can not even begin to express how disappointed I was with this hotel during our stay. We had a three night reservation with Lajitas during our trip to visit Big Bend National Park and were originally very excited to stay there. Our friends and family had nothing but good things to say and we figured we would have a wonderful time. No.

We checked in, and were very grateful they were able to let us check in early, on Monday morning and they put us in room 207. We went to the park that day and were thoroughly exhausted after hiking all day. My boyfriend is vegetarian so we tend to check menus before we eat places but Lajitas doesn’t bother to post their’s. We were a little hesitant but surely a resort will have at least one vegetarian entree. Surely.

No. Nope. Not one. And, before they jump to say you can get cheese enchiladas, the sauces are made with chicken broth. I got the tuna tostada appetizer and not only was the dish served not even close to what was on the menu (menu advertised avacado slices and cucumber crema and mango salsa. I asked for no salsa, but received none of the toppings at all) the fish had very clearly been frozen and defrosted several times. The quality of the meat was horrendous. I have never in my life sent a dish back and refused to eat it until that dish. It was completely inedible.

After we finished our meal and went back to our room, which is right next to the main lobby, we were shocked at how loud it was. It sounded like every patron coming through the front door and checking in/out or asking the front desk questions was in our room! How fun!

The next morning we were woken up by patrons again very loudly conversing with the front desk at the crack of dawn. Our 7:30am alarm hadn’t even gone off yet. We discussed it and decided we had to stay one more night because of our day plans but would not be staying our third night.

That afternoon we mentioned our concerns to the front desk and told them we planned to check out of the half full hotel early and they said they were sorry, but there was nothing they could do. Ok, that’s fine. We’ll call our travel agent (Expedia) and see if they can modify our reservation. They suggested we speak with the manager the next morning.

After another loud night and early wake up by other guests, we got packed up and ready to leave. We went to check out and the young lady at the desk very politely apologized and said, “oh, yea, we know other people have had issues with that room. Nothing we can really do. We try to have quiet hours after 9pm but as you’ve seen people don’t always listen.”

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Nothing you can do?! How about not putting people in that room?? How about offering to move us to a quieter room when we originally brought our issue to you? The hotel is half full at best (at that time).

Just shocking. They knowing charge people $200+/night for a room they know is miserable to use. Just shameful. Will never return and will actively tell people to stay anywhere else...