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Reviewed 17 January 2015

I was here for a workshop and found the people at the ranch to be especially friendly. The food wasn't heavily seasoned like I like it but there was so much I think I gained weight. The cabin was cold for awhile but hey, it was winter. The heaters did keep up and I could have started a fire in the fireplace but chose not to. The bed was a bit hard but not intolerable. No hair dryer in the bathroom. Overall it was a very good experience and I'm thinking about taking family back for the horse riding trail rides.

Date of stay: January 2015
  • Trip type: Travelled on business
    • Sleep Quality
    • Cleanliness
    • Service
1  Thank Rusty S
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kelly O, Owner at Mayan Dude Ranch, responded to this reviewResponded 21 January 2015

Thank you for sharing your positive review about your recent stay at the ranch. We consider our ranch the ideal place to host a business conference or a corporate retreat. We are a popular conference/seminar destination for both business and government groups. Because of our semi-isolated location and few external distractions, we provide a perfect environment for concentration and communication. The Ranch has a relaxed, friendly atmosphere that ensures a productive and successful experience. Our staff will work with you on menus, meal times, rooming strategy and your technical needs. San Antonio International Airport is only 60 minutes away. Car rentals are available at the airport or we can arrange transfers for your participants to and from our ranch. Our main meeting facility is located in a lodge separate from the office complex. It contains a large (3000 sq. ft.) open room with restrooms and state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment. It will comfortably accommodate 80 people seated around tables or 120 arranged classroom style. Attached to the spacious meeting room are two floors with 16 rooms, both single and double occupancy. Located in the rear of the meeting room is a large outdoor deck that affords a beautiful view of the surrounding countryside. Team breakout rooms are available. The Mayan has a Texas-sized pool with an adjoining covered pavilion for an outdoor meeting or just an informal gathering. Please call 830-796-3312 for more information on hosting your event with us.

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Reviewed 14 January 2015

We've been going to Bandera for many years, at a different dude ranch, and this was our first time to the Mayan Ranch. I was pleasantly surprised! The accommodations were very nice and clean (water pressure a little low). The staff were all very friendly and helpful, the food was very good and the New Year's Eve entertainment and fireworks were great! The only downside to the ranch is the horse riding scenes. Through no fault of the Hicks family/staff, it is where the ranch is located. In the past, the "other" dude ranch we stayed at is higher up in the hills so the scenes were much better! There is one comment that I'll make that I think will be helpful to older people, and that is to build a "deck" where people can step up to make it easier to get on the horses. When there is a height and age issue, it's hard to get on a horse! :-) I did manage with the help of the staff there, but it would be much easier on them as well if they didn't have to exert all this energy trying to get their guests onto horsebacks!

We are making plans to go back next year, thanks for a great time!

Date of stay: December 2014
  • Trip type: Travelled with family
    • Location
    • Rooms
    • Service
Thank Beach-loversHouston
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kelly O, Owner at Mayan Dude Ranch, responded to this reviewResponded 15 January 2015

We are so pleased you chose to stay at the Mayan this visit to Bandera. We pride ourselves on the fact that we are different from any other dude ranch in Bandera, or Texas for that matter. There are many reasons why. We are family-owned and operated. The Hicks family has been hosting families from all over the world since 1954. We are the only all-inclusive dude ranch in the state of Texas. Your nightly rate includes three meals, two horseback rides, and complimentary beer, wine, and soft drinks from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. In addition, we are the only resort in Texas awarded by Fodor’s Travel as one of the top ten all-inclusive resorts in the United States for families. We believe these differences matter. Thank you for suggestions. They will be shared at our next family staff meeting.

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Reviewed 13 January 2015

We always wanted to do a ranch stay in Texas and since it's quite an expensive treat (about 190$ per person per night) after doing some extensive research we decided on Mayan.
I dont know why you cannot book online - you have to give them a call with you credit card no.
We arrived shortly after 1pm, Kelly gave us a full page of activities for the day. Make sure you arrive early on your first day, as the afternoon horse rides are at 1,30pm and 2,30pm. We just had the time to leave our bags in the cabin no 10 and we run to the corrals for the horse ride.
The cabin was as described quite rustic and clean, but it had its charm, the bed was comfortable, it was warm in the cabin (very much appreciated since it was very cold outside), it did take some time for the hot water to run, but we did not expect luxury. The AC units were extremely noisy but we were tired and we actually slept very well even with the noise.
We are not active horseriders, so the simple rides were ok for us, we enjoyed ourselves, the scenery and the fresh air.
Every day you have a choice of either a cowboy breakfast on a horse ride or a breakfast inside. We always opted for a cowboy breakfast. It was a great experience for us, foodwise not a great healthy choice for us (but still sustainable), but riding a horse to a ready breakfast which you can eat in the fresh air and 2 cowboys were playing the guitar and singing - what a great start of the day!
Speaking of food - there is plenty of food and it is all very tasty with different theme for lunch and dinner each night. Big thanks to Shawna for a splendind Christmas turkey! The beef brisket was also great. We were simply to full to taste everything but it was all freshly prepared and homemade.
Everyday there were different activities - we took active part in some fun contest and even got ourselves a prize.
There were plenty of families there with young children and teenagers. And majority of them were repeated guests who were coming to the ranch year after year. Big hello to April and Michael here if you ever read this!
We loved the hospitality of the Hicks family - greetings to everybody! - you do know how to run a friendly ranch!

Date of stay: December 2014
  • Trip type: Travelled as a couple
    • Value
    • Sleep Quality
    • Service
4  Thank Izabela R
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kelly O, Owner at Mayan Dude Ranch, responded to this reviewResponded 15 January 2015

Thank you for your positive review about your recent stay at the ranch. We appreciate your compliments on the charm of the cabins. We will check on your cabin to ensure that the AC unit is functioning properly. I will pass on your compliments to Shawna as well. She and her staff are masters at homemade cooking and are constantly trying out new recipes to add to our Mayan favorites. A cookbook featuring all of our tried and true Mayan recipes is available for purchase in our General Store. We are also pleased that you made friends at the Mayan and felt the love and hospitality that are the foundations of our service. We hope to have you on our trails again soo

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Reviewed 9 January 2015

We spent a great weekend at the Mayan Ranch. We are from Australia and where wanting the quintessential Texas experience and we weren't disappointed. Our 12 year old son who normally can't tear himself away from his electronic devices didn't pick them up at all. The hospitality was great and everyone was really welcoming and helpful. We had such a good time! Thanks to Kowgirl Kelly and the family .

Date of stay: January 2015
  • Trip type: Travelled with family
    • Sleep Quality
    • Rooms
    • Service
Thank rossj1964
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kelly O, Owner at Mayan Dude Ranch, responded to this reviewResponded 13 January 2015

Thank you for sharing your positive review about your recent stay at the ranch. We are so pleased that you enjoyed your authentic Texas experience at the Mayan. Although we do our best to provide our guests with modern conveniences, we pride ourselves on offering the quintessential dude ranch vacation where guests, like your son, feel entertained and immersed in our environment, leaving the cell phones behind in the cabins. Keeping our dedication to authenticity, our food is homemade and our service is centered on hospitality. We know our guests by name, and we invite them to join our extended family around the world. We are looking forward to having you back at the ranch again soon.

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Reviewed 7 January 2015

We just returned from the Mayan Dude Ranch this past Sunday and had a wonderful and relaxing time. This trip meant everything to our family as my father has an incurable illness and back a few months ago, mentioned he wished he could get his kids back at the Mayan Ranch as we did many years ago summer after summer. I am so happy to say, his wish was granted; my brother flew in from Germany and my other brother and I surprised mom and dad and we were off to Bandera on New Year’s Day. Upon check-in at the ranch, it did not take long to realize that all the children that I met years ago are now managing the ranch. Boy, did I feel old - I used to hang out with some of them over 35 plus years ago and now, it’s their kids running around the ranch. The stay at the ranch was exactly how I remembered as a child but even better, the food is by far the best food. The bread is made homemade each day and every dish is amazing! Though, the weather could have been better, it did not stop us from having fun. The cabins were wonderful and very clean – we spent good quality family time with a nice fire in our cabin playing games. Everyone at Mayan is so down to earth, they will do anything to help you and it is clear, they love what they do. I encourage everyone to go to the Mayan Dude Ranch at least once – do not waste your time with any other ranch! Nothing compares to the hospitably and love the family shows in everything they do. Thank you to everyone at Mayan for making this trip with my dad so memorable! Kelly, I hope to be sending you future guests from my place of work in Houston. Sincerely, Tishia Harper Hughes

Date of stay: January 2015
  • Trip type: Travelled with family
    • Sleep Quality
    • Cleanliness
    • Service
1  Thank Tishia H
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kelly O, Owner at Mayan Dude Ranch, responded to this reviewResponded 13 January 2015

Tishia,
Thank you for sharing your positive review about your recent stay at the Mayan. What a pleasure it was to host your family again after all of these years. We take great pride in the percentage of our repeat guests who choose the Mayan as their family vacation spot. Connecting with family and friends is one of the most important aspects of a vacation, and we strive to provide both the opportunity and the inspiration for making memories that will last a lifetime. So many of our guests comment on how the ranch feels like it has never changed; we credit this feeling to our years of perfecting our recipe for hospitality: good friends, good food, and good feelings. We hope to have your family with us again soon, and I look forward to connecting more with you about bringing guests from your work.

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