StarStruck Glamping — Hotel in Manuel Benavides

First, I'd like to mention that our family have never camped in our lives. So, I had to wrap my head around the fact that although we were staying in a facility where all our modern needs were met, we were camping! Once I came to that realization, we had a beautiful experience! Starstruck Glamping has the Chalk Mountain Range as your morning view and the "9 Point Mesa" is where you'll wake up to colorful sunrises and an expanse of beautiful sky for stargazing.

As described in the listing, all the things you need to cook and shower are available along with delicious coffee! The WiFi was an added bonus-very strong signal. We were able to FaceTime and stream videos with no issues.

We visited in late December and the low was 35 degrees Fahrenheit. We were very comfortable with the mini split. When I imagined what it would have been like to camp outside without the mini split, I was so grateful for electric warmth! The hot water came out very hot-so showering and washing dishes was very easy and comfortable considering we cooked in the cold. The following are things I would recommend to make your stay even better. Bring a headlamp if you plan to cook outside after sundown. It is a dark sky preserve and there are no outside lights. Also, it would be helpful to bring storage bags or containers for leftovers. We also brought an ice chest with our groceries from Boerne and that kept everything cold until we could put it in the mini refrigerator/freezer (which works great).

There is no provision for recycling, so we brought the recycling back home with us. There is a large trash dumpster at the entrance of the property to throw trash away.

Try to arrive when it's still sunlight as we arrived after 9 pm and it was difficult to navigate in the dark. There are no clear road signs. The "white gate" off HWY 118 is the only clear marker. Refer to the the e-mail instructions for redirection if you pass the gates and use those instructions once you enter the Terlingua Ranch property to know how many miles/when to turn, until you see the short cage of shale with the wrought iron "Starstruck Glamping" sign in cursive.

The Little Burro Store had snacks and food stuffs-even gluten free options. In Terlingua, there are a couple of grocery stores too. These were open on Christmas Day. And we were able to fuel up with Diesel there.

Come with an open mind and a heart ready to accept all the beauty that is in this region of Texas and amazing star studded views! These tent domes were a perfect shelter for us and very comfortable to sleep...

My family of four had an incredible stay at Dome 4, Starstruck Glamping! The outdoor kitchen was a highlight—we cooked tacos, steaks, and chili while enjoying the stunning desert backdrop. Inside, the dome was cozy and fit our family perfectly. The shower, sink, and toilet worked flawlessly, and the A/C cooled the space instantly, which was much appreciated. The door was slightly finicky (especially for the kids), but this was a very minor inconvenience.

If you're planning a trip, I highly recommend driving an SUV or truck. While it's technically possible to navigate the dirt road in a smaller vehicle, there are several holes and deep trenches that could easily cause damage. We were glad to have our F250 for the drive.

The location is fantastic for exploring Big Bend National Park. It's about 1 hour and 15 minutes to Panther Junction (the main visitor center) and 1 hour and 20 minutes to the Lost Mine Trailhead, one of the park's best hikes. The trailhead for the Hot Springs is about 1.5 hours away. Just three miles from the dome, there’s a charming general store stocked with high-quality items like organic maple syrup and Siete products. Prices were reasonable—$3 for a bag of ice, for example.

We planned ahead for food storage, using two Yeti coolers for most of our groceries and the mini-fridge in the dome for smaller items. For coffee lovers, I suggest bringing your own pour-over setup as we did. The dome has a Keurig, but we preferred using our electric kettle, grinder, and pour-over gear.

The outdoor amenities were excellent. The gas fire pit was simple to use, and the grill worked well for our meals. However, the provided cookware is Teflon and somewhat worn, so we brought our own stainless steel cookware, which worked perfectly. The clear night skies were breathtaking, and headlamps were a must, as noted in the instructions.

All in all, it was a wonderful trip, and we’re already planning to book Dome 4 again next year. If you’re looking for a unique glamping experience with easy access to Big Bend, Starstruck Glamping is a...

I stayed here for 2 nights and it was a great experience! The first day was a bit cloudy so we could not see stars, but the next day the sky was very clear and we could see a lot of stars. It was a stunning view. I also got up to see the sunrise and I would highly recommend anyone staying here to get up early to see it. It's worth it! If someone was considering going to Big Bend, and asked how I liked my stay at Starstruck Glamping, I would say it was really great.

But with that said, there are a few things that I would mention. First, you probably want to get there before the sun sets because it will be a bit of a hassle to find it after it gets dark. You do eventually find it, but if it were brighter, I would have had a much easier time locating it. On a related note, it may just have been my dome, but there is no outside lighting in the outdoor kitchen so it really makes a lot of sense to get there before the sunset. Second, this may also just have been my dome, and maybe they forgot about it, but the Keurig water reservoir had green moss-like stuff on the bottom. I typically don't use these "public" devices, and it is easy to forget to clean them so I understand, but there is definitely room for improvement here. Lastly, this isn't a criticism, but something to be mindful of, and also stated on the Starstruck webpage, is that the water running in the outside kitchen is unpotable, and it has a foul smell that is rather unpleasant. I would minimize using this water as much as possible.

Again, I'm not saying this as a criticism, but something to be mindful of. I had a great time staying here and would recommend it to my friends, but I would also tell them these things....