There are plenty of cute little boutique hotels and glamping hotels around the Texas Hill Country where you can spend a weekend near the water. Petit Cowboy stands out because it doesn’t feel like it was built from a resort checklist.
Set along the Comal River in New Braunfels, the property has the look and feel of an old Texas vacation spot that somebody decided was worth saving instead of replacing.
We visited Petit Cowboy in early summer, shortly after it reopened, and the retro feeling is hard to miss. The cabins, pool areas and shady grounds reminded me a little of going away to summer camp, mixed with the kind of 1980s roadside lodge families used to build entire road trips around. Thankfully, the accommodations have come a long way since then.
There’s a reason Petit Cowboy feels lived in. It is the former home of Heidelberg Lodges, a property that has hosted visitors along the Comal since the 1930s. French Cowboys Hospitality took over the property and updated it rather than wiping away what was already there.
Today, there are 23 cabins with 48 rooms on the property. The cabins still have some of the odd little architectural details that give older vacation properties their character, but inside, things are much more comfortable. Rooms have updated bathrooms, colorful furnishings, new beds, better storage and kitchenettes in several layouts. Depending on the room, you’ll also find separate living areas or breakfast spaces, which makes a longer stay much easier if you’re traveling with kids or a group.
The design leans retro without feeling like somebody raided a vintage store in search of a concept. Outside you’ll see large cypress trees that provide shade to most of the grounds, and the Comal River sits right behind the cabins. There are two resort sized pools, including a shallow one for younger kids, plus pickleball, games and a grilling area.
You can fill the afternoon if you want to. You can also sit near the river and do absolutely nothing, which is probably the best idea if you’re there to unplug.
All of that is part of what makes Petit Cowboy an ideal destination for a weekend trip from Austin and San Antoino. New Braunfels is close enough that you’re not burning half the weekend getting there. Downtown is only a few minutes away, and Gruene is nearby if you want dinner, live music or an excuse to wander around for a few hours.
If you don’t really need to build much of an itinerary, the Pool House gives guests a central place to grab something to eat or drink, and the rest of the property is set up for hanging around outside. Families have enough space and activities to keep everyone occupied. Couples can disappear for a couple of days without feeling like they need reservations every three hours. There’s something pleasantly old-fashioned about the entire thing.
While a lot of hotels work hard to convince you they’re an experience. Petit Cowboy gives you a cabin, a river, a pool and some shade, then gets out of the way. For a quiet New Braunfels weekend getaway, that feels like enough.