Fredericksburg's Chic Hill Country Stay Offers Memorable Giraffe Interactions In Texas

Picture this: You wake up in a large, luxurious room with soft white walls, dark wooden beams, matching wooden furniture, and African-inspired paintings and decor. On one side is a floor-to-ceiling window with sweeping views of Texas Hill Country. At the window stands an inquisitive giraffe, its tongue furiously licking the window panes clean, while rhinos and other giraffes lope past in the background. This is the sight that greets guests staying at the aptly named Longneck Manor each morning.

Located just outside Fredericksburg – one of the best romantic weekend destinations in Texas Hill Country – Longneck Manor is a 110-acre conservation project and luxury lodging experience endorsed by the late Jane Goodall and accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. After a long career as a zookeeper and safari tour operator — including a stint at the Houston Zoo, which recently experienced its own baby boom — owner Rick Barongi created Longneck Manor to help protect endangered giraffes and white rhinos. The property outside Fredericksburg, which he had purchased years earlier as an investment, became the ideal site for his conservation project.

Longneck Manor distinguishes itself from conventional zoos by keeping its animal population intentionally small. The property currently supports three rhinos and five giraffes, and guests can interact with the animals right from close range — even from their rooms. On the Longneck Manor YouTube channel, Barongi explained how his hotel came to be, sharing that visitors to zoos and safaris often find interacting with animals and learning about behind-the-scenes processes more memorable than simply observing them from behind glass. "So I got to thinking," he says. "Imagine if we had a facility where we just did that? Like, the back of [the] house was the front of [the] house."

"The way to get to people is to touch their heart," said Rick Barongi in an interview with San Antonio Current. "The way to do that isn't by telling people how endangered they are and all the horrible stuff going on with giraffes and rhinos. You do that by getting people out here to connect with the animals."

With that goal in mind, Barongi designed two primary accommodations at Longneck Manor: the Giraffe Suite and the Villas. The Giraffe Suite is a climate-controlled, 1200-square-foot room on the second floor of the giraffe barn. Large windows provide views into the barn, allowing guests to watch the giraffes at any time of day. Off-white walls paired with darker wood tones and patterned decor create a luxurious, rustic, and chic look. The suite accommodates up to four guests and includes concierge-style service, with a personal Animal Care Specialist assigned to guide them through the giraffe and rhino interactions. It even features a small feeding window that allows guests to offer food to the giraffes from the living room.

The Villas were added later, after the property went viral on social media. There are four villas in total, each accommodating four to six guests. Each comes with a gorgeous view of the rolling hills of Texas Hill Country and the property's water features through massive, floor-to-ceiling windows. The Villas also have a private outdoor deck next to the giraffe and rhino paddocks, allowing guests to sip their morning coffee while watching the animals eat, play, and canter right beside them. Guests booking a villa are also assigned personal Animal Care Specialists during their stay.

The Longneck Manor is open year-round and offers a uniquely immersive way for guests to contribute to conservation efforts in Africa. You'll be allowed to feed and pet the giraffes and rhinos under supervision at specified times, and may even get to feed the hotel's resident sloth. Aside from feeding time, you can enjoy the view of the giraffes moving through their paddocks in the morning and watch the rhinos graze during sunset.

The check-in time for all rooms is at 4 p.m., but you'll need to arrive on time as the gates close by 5 p.m. If you're arriving after 5 in the evening, you'll need to call the hotel in advance and make arrangements directly. Booking well ahead is recommended, as rooms frequently sell out. If you can't swing an overnight stay, you can feed the animals and learn more about their conservation efforts through one of the property's daily 75-minute tours for $125.

The hotel also suggests picking up snacks and food at the local H-E-B before arriving, as there are no restaurants on-site. The Giraffe Suite and Villas include kitchenettes with a coffee machine, microwave, refrigerator, and dining utensils. Guests typically prepare their own meals, though a complimentary breakfast is provided on the first morning of the stay. If you're looking for restaurants, you can find them in the nearby town of Fredericksburg, known for its friendly German charm and wineries.