Hotels We Love — Reconnect With Nature In Texas Hill Country At Onera’s Stunning Tree Houses
Throughout my global travels, one element of every trip is always crucial to me: connecting to the natural environment. Whether that’s through basking on the idyllic beaches in Puerto Rico or simply finding a week of complete solitude in the Alaskan wilderness, syncing myself with my surroundings is a key priority. It’s when I feel most “me.”
When it comes to traveling within the United States, I’ve found this somewhat harder to achieve. Plenty of hotels position themselves as operating with the natural world in mind but… I don’t always see it. Sure, many properties are adding green spaces — and that’s great! — but I find that they rarely provide true tranquility. Or at least that was my perception.
It changed rapidly when I arrived in Fredericksburg, Texas to explore Nook’s latest accommodation partner, Onera. At this heavily wooded escape reconnecting with nature wasn’t just a catchphrase, it was truly possible. Read my full review below.
WHY IT’S AWESOME:
Most of the time, you have to choose between luxury and nature. Not at Onera. Each of its eleven stylish accommodation options lands you right at the edge of Texas Hill Country. Herds of deer and flocks of turkey roam the woods surrounding the compound. At night, you can soak in your cabin’s soaking tub or the onsite 24-hour hot tub and heated pool as the night sounds come to life.
It’s bliss.
Another cool thing about Onera is that each treehouse is completely different. I stayed in two different buildings – Spyglass and Monarch – that each portrayed creative design approaches for reconnecting yourself to the surrounding environment while blending into the forested property.
Aside from bringing you into the tranquil solitude of the Texan woods, Onera is also just a mere mile away from downtown Fredericksburg. If you feel like talking to a human, Fredericksburg is a beautiful little city full of German heritage and some pretty amazing wine. Less than a four-minute drive outside of Onera, you’ll find a plethora of wineries, breweries, museums, local shops, and historical sites that will keep you busy should you want to delve back into the happenings of society during your stay.
The bottom line: Onera is the perfect escape to reconnect with yourself alone, with friends or lovers in fully unique accommodation suites that will leave you relaxed and eager to explore more of what the natural world has to offer you.
IN-HOUSE FOOD & DRINK:
Onera hosts 11 different accommodation suites on its property, each fitted with its own kitchen. There isn’t an on-site restaurant or bar. While this may be a deal breaker for some people, I think it’s quite fitting. The treehouses are spread apart to give you ultimate privacy during your stay, helping you quiet your mind and reconnect with the natural environment. Why would you want to drown all of that out by getting dressed and sitting in a restaurant when you could be cooking dinner surrounded by a serene forest?
With that said, Onera does offer several in-room culinary experiences. While staying at any of its luxury suites, you can opt to add on a wine delivery service, private chef four-course meal, chef-prepared meals delivered directly to your room, and a nature elixir mixing class. Otherwise, you have full freedom to stock up at any of the several grocery stores within two miles of Onera to bring your own feast of drinks and culinary delights right to your room.
SPYGLASS TREEHOUSE AMENITIES:
- 10-foot elevated suspension into surrounding trees
- Private deck
- Heated cedar soaking tub
- Private fire pit area
- Outdoor grill
- Floor-to-ceiling windows
- Walk-in shower
- King-sized bed
- WiFi
- Fully stocked kitchen
- Dim lights
MONARCH AMENITIES:
- Elevated 10-feet off the ground in a beautiful, mature Elm tree
- Elevated dining & yoga deck
- Hand-carved, open-air private rock tub
- Floor-to-ceiling windows
- Skylights
- Lofted indoor hammock
- Private fire pit
- Walk-in shower
- King-sized bed
- WiFi
- Fully stocked kitchen
- Dim lights
ROOM TYPES:
Onera hosts 11 different lodging units, all fully unique and designed to optimize a tranquil setting among the Texas Hill Country and the property’s Dark Sky Community viewing.
Spyglass:
I truly let out a full gasp when I walked in the door of Spyglass. As the name implies, the studio treehouse unit is in the shape of a “spyglass” where you’re suspended 10 feet in the air in a canopy of trees. Floor-to-ceiling windows open up to your private elevated deck where you can relax in a cedar soaking tub.
Inside, you’ll find soft wood tones throughout the space, a cute little sitting area, and a walk-in shower that peeks into the bedroom/living space, which is ultra sexy.
Monarch:
This treehouse was one of the most architecturally unique structures I’ve ever seen. Its name comes from the way it looks to the naked eye, almost like a Monarch Butterfly. This was about double the size of Spyglass and featured an elevated dining and yoga deck in the front, while the separate bedroom opens up to floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the backing woods.
What truly makes Monarch so unique is the interior ladder that brings you to a second-floor hang-out space equipped with a netted hammock reading area under skylights. I loved the Texas decor throughout, especially within the bedroom.
BEST THING TO DO WITHIN A 15-MINUTE WALK:
No matter what treehouse accommodation you stay in, you’ll have full access to the on-site heated pool, hot tub, sauna, and swinging hammock chairs. Since Onera is part of the Dark Sky Community, I found it incredibly relaxing to walk to the community area at night and gaze up at the sky in profound solitude. When I stayed here in November, it seemed that most of the treehouses were occupied but I found myself with the pool and hot tub completely alone, which was a nice perk.
You can technically walk to downtown Fredericksburg from Onera but the main road doesn’t have a sidewalk and I would recommend just driving downtown and parking at any of the dozens of free parking spots around town.
BEST THING TO DO WITHIN A 5-20 MINUTE DRIVE:
Sip Your Way Through Wineries:
I had a blast exploring Fredericksburg. First, Fredericksburg and the surrounding region are home to approximately 1,000 acres of wine vineyards. There are dozens of wineries and vineyards to explore, but I can’t exactly recommend any because I spent my time doing other things than drinking.
Get A History Lesson:
Fredericksburg has a huge German population and heritage. The town’s history dates back to the town’s founding in 1846 when the first German settlers arrived in the Texas Hill Country. I’m a huge history nerd, so I happily spent one of my days exploring Fredericksburg’s Pioneer Museum and Vereins Kirche Museum to learn more about the German immigrants who built Fredericksburg.
A little outside of town, one of my favorite places I ended up visiting was the Lyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic Site. The 36th President of the United States was born in Gillespie County and returned to the property often during his time in office. I went on a cold, cloudy day and bundled up as I walked through his old estate, including a fully functioning ranch, the Texas White House, the Johnson family cemetery, and the display of the Lockheed JetStar that he flew in.
Get Your Steps In & Walk Downtown:
Downtown Fredericksburg is also just the perfect town to park and walk around in. You’ll find over 150 shops, boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, wine-tasting rooms, and a brewpub spread out throughout just a couple of downtown streets, making for a full day of leisurely walking and exploring new happenings.
Make sure you walk into Allen’s Boots on E Main Street. You’re greeted with the olfactory sensation of tanned leather before your eyes feast on a selection of hundreds – if not upwards of a thousand – different authentic cowboy boots to choose from.
Eat Some Authentic German Food:
Because of the German heritage in the town, make sure you have dinner at Auslander Restaurant and Biergarten. The “Old World” Potato Soup was truly to die for with the pumpernickel croutons. The entree prices were insanely cheap compared to the portions, which I recommend for its fan-favorite Chickenschnitzel that comes smothered in gravy.
BED GAME:
The king-sized beds, pillows, and bedside tables at each Onera treehouse were extremely comfortable and well thought out. The bedside features were truly on point, each with individual tables, drink pads, outlets, and dimmable lights so you could turn on your own “sexy light mode” once in bed.
The views from the beds leveled them up even more. With the whole point of bringing you closer to nature, the beds were strategically placed to give you optimal viewing of the surrounding property while ensuring maximum privacy from other guests.
Rating: 9/10
SEXINESS FACTOR:
When it comes to rating a hotel or AirBnB’s sexiness, Uproxx Life lead editor Stephen Bramucci has outlined ten pillars to take into consideration. Spyglass’ private soaking tub and back patio where you can bask naked within the confines of the trees while also taking a shower that overlooks the bedroom is incredibly sexy. Monarch’s lofted hammock space would put anyone in a playful mood and its floor-to-ceiling window with exceptional views of the forested setting would turn anyone on.
Plus, I didn’t see any children.
Rating: 9/10
THE VIEWS & PICS SPOTS:
Onera offers solid Instagram-worthy content spaces. The view from Spyglass’ outdoor cedar soaking tub offers quite the (wet) dream while the walk up to Monarch and within the lofted hammock space is a perfectly unique element to highlight.
The views don’t necessarily boast cliffs or mountains, just the natural beauty of the wooded scenery and wildlife. Structure-wise, this is ideal #CabinSeason content.
Rating: 8/10
BEST SEASON TO VISIT:
I visited a week after Thanksgiving and it was cold but it helped me make good use of the outdoor cedar soaking tub at Spyglass and the community hot tub late at night.
You’ll also find fewer people on the property and have more privacy in the winter months before Fredericksburg pops off in the spring and summer with festivals and events.
IF I HAD TO COMPLAIN ABOUT ONE THING:
While Onera helps you reconnect to nature while offering elevated amenities, some details would help take it up a notch further. First, the private outdoor cedar soaking tub at Spyglass was incredibly finicky. The instructions tell you to not mess with buttons or levers, but I accidentally did. You can find yourself sitting in the tub with the water draining out the back if you’re not careful. The water also doesn’t stay very hot for very long, so I found myself wanting to continuously drain some of it out (which you technically aren’t allowed to do) to refill with hot water. While each treehouse has its own kitchen space, there isn’t much space to actually cook food. Specifically in the Spyglass house, I found myself working with a cutting board spread over the sink to get a sliver of “counter space.”
BOOK NOW:
Room rates are highly seasonal — starting around $200 per night in winter with the Spyglass unit I stayed in inching toward $1000 per night in spring.