Canyon of the Eagles
Categories: Event Planning & Services Hotels Hotels & Travel Hotels Restaurants American (New) Hotels, American (New) [Edit]
16942 RR 2341Burnet, TX 78611
(512) 334-2070
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
14 reviews for Canyon of the Eagles
14 reviews in English
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Review from Meggie M.
Dallas, TX
1/2/2012
In June 2011 I needed a picturesque place in Texas to host a photo shoot with a group of picky young females - thank goodness I chose Canyon of the Eagles! David was extremely helpful in helping to organize healthy meals and fun activities for my girls (20+ of them!), and our shoot turned out awesome. I would definitely recommend them to anyone seeking an outdoorsy venue off the beaten path for a business retreat or wedding.
While preparing for the event, my boyfriend and I made several trips to visit and we truly enjoyed the property. The Texas-style rooms are cozy and allow you to feel like you're roughing it while still having accommodations similar to a good hotel. Keep in mind I'm not talking room service and valet, though - it's not that kind of party, though you will get maid service. There are no TVs and the wireless internet can be a little spotty (as can cellphone reception), so plan to turn it all off and get back in tune with the outdoors.
Speaking of Mother Nature, keep an eye out for critters when you're out and about. We spotted a very large centipede on our patio at one point, and the fire ants are vicious if they're in season - so watch where you throw down your picnic blanket after that afternoon hike!
The property itself is beautiful with various trails suitable for novice hikers. During one of our first visits we brought our puppy along to run some of the trails and she received a warm welcome from staff and guests. The resort is extremely dog friendly (then again, this is pretty common once you get within a certain radius of Austin, TX).
In spring, the area by Lake Buchanan is covered in blue bonnets (great family photo opp!). In summer, you can experience crackling thunderstorms at night while rain falls on the tin roof of your patio (very cool and romantic). If the skies are clear, you'll have a gorgeous view of the stars because the area is so dark.
Overall, Canyon of the Eagles is definitely a great way to enjoy nature in Texas hill country without having to rough it. -
Review from Vanessa V.
The Woodlands, TX
We went for dinner only and truly enjoyed the ambiance!
The hostess was very nice and helpful. The food was very good for the price.
The water is extremely low but the view was still very pretty!
Our meals were very filling and large portions
The sourdough bread was very tasty! Loved the soft butter served on the side!
2 of us had free range chicken and another enjoyed pulled pork enchiladas! All 3 meals were very good!
The dessert was a lemon fig box pie! Hands down for a unique combination of flavors!
Cant wait to go back one day! -
Review from Brett M.
Austin, TX
8/28/2011
I used to love this place, it's in a nice quiet area right off of the lake and the nature hikes and boat dock are awesome. However, our family has been going there for 3 years now over 4th of July weekend and this last weekend was horrible- we won't be going back.
First they took away the picnic tables to discourage you from bringing your own food and doing family camping. Second, they won't let you drink your own beer unless you buy it from them. Third, they allow animals but charged me a $75.00 cleaning fee for dog hair. When I called calmly to discuss this fee, the lady was SO rude on the phone and ranted about how they found dog hair in the bathtub. They also said my dog ate the pillow cushions (in an email), but then on the phone she just mentioned dog hair as the issue and the fact that his toe nails might have pierced the seat cushions. I have pictures of said seat cushions, and he did no such thing. This was a fee for dog hair cleaning which I would have happily paid. However the way "Mary Jane" treated me on the phone was uncalled for. I have never been treated like that before, and if you're going to allow dogs at a facility, then don't charge for cleaning up dog hair and don't rant and rave about dog hair in the bathtub when I call to give you my credit card number.
Overall, I used to love this place (hence the 2 stars) but I think they're trying to become a high end resort. Since my family likes to grill our own food and congregate outside, I think they were extra rude to us this stay. Spending 3 grand for 2 days of camping to be treated this way was the last straw. -
Review from Dika M.
Leander, TX
1/7/2012
We stayed overnight on New Year's Eve with another couple. The staff was great and got us rooms next to each other. The resort really beautiful, even in winter. It was depressing to see Lake Buchanan. The drought has taken its toll. We enjoyed a nice meal at the on site restaurant. My husband had steak and lobster cooked to perfection. I had the halibut which was good, but a little over cooked and dry on the edges. The resort handled the large number of guests OK, but were a little disappointed in the entertainment and decorations for the event. Our only real disappointment in our stay was the super firm bed. It was so uncomfortable that my husband doesn't want to go back despite the beauty of the resort.
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Review from Kristen B.
Austin, TX
6/6/2011
Yikes. The customer service at this place is truly bad. I stayed at a campground for two nights over Memorial Day weekend, and I will say this--our campsite was beautiful. I think we got the most picturesque site in the Chimney Slough campground. (The second star is for the site!) But that is where the positives end.
The campground porta-pottys were horrifically full and disgusting. The cleaning schedule posted inside showed that no one had emptied or cleaned it in over two weeks. No toilet paper, either. The showers were touted as a short distance away, but they were quite far. They were clean and well-stocked but not ventilated, so were VERY hot and steamy.
The camp store was closed--some guy didn't show up for work and they didn't get someone else to open it. Um, yeah, it's just Memorial Day weekend, that's all, whatever. It was interesting trying to get ice! They did help me get some once by sending ME down there to meet someone who unlocked it. Didn't offer to have him bring it up to the lodge. Another time, though, I had to drive outside to get ice, several miles away.
There was one nice person at the front desk, but the main lady is incredibly snide and condescending. I heard her speaking very sarcastically to a guest ahead of me in line, and she was nasty to us, too. Just a caustic woman. I can ignore people like that if I have to. It just seems like, why should I have to, while on vacation at a "resort?" Whatever. She was mean, but it doesn't really matter.
What DOES matter is that the dining room messed up our credit card, long story--I won't go into detail. Basically, because of a server error, we had some weird hold placed on one card, tried to use another, that got messed up too and ended up with a $40 overdraft fee due to the error.
SO, I called the lodge general manager to get help. And called. And called. And emailed. And again. The guy had several voicemails, a couple of emails, and notes left on his chair by the poor staffers who kept having to pick up our countless phone calls. It was ridiculous.
He FINALLY called back, and I explained the problem. He acted like he could truly give a crap about our complaint, and just said basically "uh, we'll look into it." No response. I emailed again, got a one-liner message "We are still working on this issue." Yeah, and that was four days ago now. Still no response. I mean, I had even emailed the guy SCREENSHOTS of our bank account info to prove the mistake.
So, today I filed a complaint with BBB. Hopefully that will generate some assistance. If he even acted like he cared, or apologized in a fake way, that would be a start! -
Review from Taylor S.
Bismarck, ND
5/20/2011
We stayed at the Canyon of the Eagles for a wedding. Besides the beautiful location, the thing I remember most about the resort was the service. Every staff member I communicated with was SO friendly and very helpful. We were traveling with our 18 month old son and they were also so helpful with my requests (asked for milk, cleaned his bottle, and play pen for the room).
During our time at the resort we woke up each morning and had a delicious healthy continental breakfast at the restaurant. Which may I add include "great" coffee. I'm a coffee snob and was pleasantly surprised to enjoy a quality cup of coffee each morning. Our rooms also had a coffee maker, microwave, and fridge.
We spent our spare time enjoying a boat ride to the waterfalls on the lake/river. While at the waterfalls, we kayaked through and around them. We also traveled to a nearby winery and tasted some excellent wines. Which kind of surprised me, since I had never tasted Texas wine before.
The wedding we were attending had the rehearsal diner and wedding reception at the resort. The food at each event was amazing. So fresh and full of flavor. We had buffalo, salmon, and lamb at the wedding along with homemade sauces to accompany each meat.
I can't wait to go back and visit again. -
Review from Julie C.
Cedar Park, TX
6/20/2011
Apparently I have a lot to say (good & bad), so go ahead & get a cup of coffee or a sandwich. :-)
We were happy when we found this place, since it was available last minute & it was just what we were looking for. My husband, me, my sister, & her husband were looking for a place that was "outdoorsy" yet had the comforts of a hotel. We desperately needed some R&R & time away from the kids for a weekend. I thought at first glance that the picture of the pool had a hottub - don't be fooled (that was merely my perception, they never advertised to have a hottub)...the small area next to the pool is just a bubbling fountain. When we got there, it was absolutely beautiful - quaint quad-cabins spread across the nature preserve. It definitely had some nice rustic decorative touches!
We got there later than expected since my husband had to work late, so we didnt get there until nearly 7pm. Since we were low on time to start having fun that evening, we immediately went to their on-site restaurant. The cheapest dinner on the menu was $12.95 (it went up to $25.95). My sister & I had the "Canyon" Hamburger. It was great (big burger all decked out w/ toppings), then a small portion of steak fries. My husband was starving, so we got an appetizer - the Pablano Fritters. I tasted one, & without the sauce it comes it, it tastes like a plain biscuit (no flavor at all) - 4 small "plain" biscuits for $10?! With the sauce, it had an apple spice salsa hodge-podge thing going on. My husband got the 24-hour steak (it's supposed to be marinated 24-hours in the chef's special sauce)...he said it tasted like it was marinated it in water - no seasoning at all. My brother-in-law got the bow-tie pasta, & he said it had a strong bell-pepper flavor...he was expecting the usual tomato, pesto (or alfredo sauce), spinach flavoring, w/ the appropriate seasoning. We're not "foodies" to where we are picky about our food. We just want it to taste at least as good if not better than what I can make at home. And at those prices, you expected it to taste that price, if ya know what I mean. But, I'm sure they tacked on an extra price for convenience, of course. By the way, if you expect to come here & go elsewhere to eat; expect a 15-20 minute drive back into the nearest town (Burnet TX) for some BBQ or fast-food. And only their deluxe double room has a microwave & mini-fridge...no kitchenettes. So if you want to bring your own food, it better be microwavable or picnic type food. My husband noticed they had the makings for smores at check-in, so he bought it. After dinner we saw they had a tiny hibatchi on a table outside w/ a family already huddled around it.
By the time we got finished w/ dinner, we were tired & just didn't have it in us to go fishing, so we thought we'd do the other thing we wanted to - go swimming. BTW, take flashlights...there are exterior lights on the buildings, but absolutely none on the trails or pathways around the grounds or parking lots. We made the hike back to our room to change (& it took a while w/ 4 adults taking turns to use the bathroom - since we didn't realize it was just an ordinary hotel room w/ 2 beds, w/ no divide what-so-ever). Then we finally got to the pool, went in, & sat down to soak - then a guy on a golf cart comes up & says "I'm sorry, but you need to leave - the pool just closed." It closed at 10pm (we got in there at 10pm sharp), but I believe if you pay $230+ per night, & there are no TV's in the room & nothing else to do because it is quiet & pitch-black outside...it pretty much killed our vacation buzz. If it were my lodge, I would close the pool at a minimum of 11pm or 12midnight, & have a sign "please keep quiet after 10pm". When someone is on vacation, they didn't pay to just go sleep...if I wanted to do that, I could've stayed at home for free. I certainly respect that some people have kids there & go to sleep early - but that doesnt mean we all go to sleep at 9pm or 10pm on vacation. For a moment, we went back to our room & then went to the other room behind us that had a view of the lake to enjoy the breeze & view. We noticed that room was not even occupied. Why didn't they give us that room if it was available (we thought we got one of the last rooms, but apparently not). Alas, w/ nothing else to do & bummed, we just decided to go to sleep & then go fishing in the morning.
We got up the next morning & noticed the coffee pot was tiny & only held a few cups w/ only 2 bags of coffee...that was a cheap touch. We then went fishing for a little bit, which was nice...but w/ the lake so low & being was so windy, it wasn't optimal fishing conditions from shore. We then went back & decided to finally go swimming. We did that for about an hour, then had to check out. By the way, the owner encouraged us to go to their "Father's Day Brunch" before we left - at mere $24.95/plate.
Point: Be prepared to spend money, be prepared to go to bed at 10pm. -
Review from Omar Z.
5/2/2010
Picture yourself in a boat on a river
that once used to be
on a lake of full size.
Somebody calls you,
you answer quite slowly
A girl with a burger and fries.
At first, Canyon of the Eagles will inevitable strike you as an overpriced cabin on some minor lake in America. But then you realize that you have been living in Texas too long...and you start to get captivated by those cactus and those bluebonnets along the miles of twisty park trails.
There is a restaurant at the Lodge and you need only eat there to realize that the folks who run this place actually care. The restaurant is good! I had a dynamite Flatiron steak which was amongst the tastiest I have had and perfectly cooked. The fries accompanying my wife's burger were equally good. And you start to feel better about all the cash you dumped for this weekend getaway.
During the evening, the friendly groundskeepers string up a sheet on a trellis outside of the restaurant and show movies. The sunset is clear. The staff is definitely old school Texan but they are all pleasant enough.
The "beach" area is somewhat unfortunate, though. It's not a swimmer's beach: there is too much mucky undergrowth you need to wade through. But the pier is a nice spot to take off on a kayak adventure. If you have some gumption and perhaps a bit more lake level than we had on this trip, it's worth it to kayak out to the Fall Creek Falls, a few miles upstream. You can kayak under these falls which is really fun and refreshing to do. We did that about 6 or 7 years ago. This time, we took a river boat cruise using an unaffiliated touring company.
Well, it's no doubt past the bluebonnet peak now...and it's warming up. And as we head into the summer, stars will slowly peel away from this review as the mind wanders to destinations northward. So while the memories of the nicest time of the year in Texas are strong with me, I will hit the send button. -
Review from Rachel P.
1/11/2010
I was part of work retreat out here. It was really a beautiful area and had a lot of potential. The food at the lodge was good, the accomodations were a little rustic but still nicer then some other places in this area. There was a little clubhouse that we used to hang out and have some drinks etc. which was nice so no one had to cramped hanging out in a room.
I would highly recommend it for any work retreats, it's pretty isolated but everything you need. I know the tours are amazing and they do cool events like star gazing etc. I would think a wedding or family reunion would be very fun here as well. Only reason it didn't get 5 stars is because it's a little out of the way but more so, Buchanan isn't a constant lake and because the lake is low a lot of the activites are limited. This isn't their fault but just a downfall of being on the particular lake. -
Review from Meredith V.
Charleston, SC
5/24/2011
I stayed here for a wedding. Not knowing exactly what to expect at the time of booking, I was very pleasantly surprised. The cabins are rustic but comfortable, many with great views of the lake.
It was nice to hike the trails and see wildlife, armadillos, rabbits and the like. We also made a trip up to the observatory. The telescopes were quite impressive, and I was lucky enough to get great views of the moon & Saturn.
Highly recommended! -
Review from Thomas H.
Liberty Hill, TX
1/27/2011
My wife and I have been here twice, and loved it both times! Once in the winter, and once in the summer. We found the atmosphere just fantastic as we love hiking and the outdoors. I love the way the buildings are constructed with a craftsman touch, and not with a commercial feel. Walking down to the lake at night and watching the moon with the sound of the water is just great. The room is small, with no luxuries (TV, radio, etc ...), and that's what we expect when staying at a resort which caters to getting you out and exploring nature. Our first stay was a few years ago, and the restaurant was very lacking. We were pleasantly surprised to find during our last stay, the restaurant was under new management and the food was fantastic! We're scheduled to go again in a couple of weeks and can't wait to get there!
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Review from M K.
Austin, TX
3/21/2010
Canyon of the Eagles, you came up short in many ways, starting from hello. "Y'all are probably WAY too early," said the woman at the registration desk. She had a chuckle with a "suckers!" tone of voice. Then she gave rooms to other guests who arrived AFTER us (yes, the same category of room), simply because they were at the desk at an opportune time. Our room was finally ready at 3:55 p.m., but no keys were available. Finally got in at 4:30 p.m., 30 minutes after their check-in time (unless you're going by the information on the Web, which says 3 p.m. is the check-in time).
The room was pretty good yet basic. Nothing that made me say, "Nice touch." For $189 a night, I expected more, like a place to put the soap other than the counter so it didn't slide into the sink over and over.
The complimentary continental breakfast--not complimentary on weekends--was skimpy: four breakfast cereals, some mediocre pastries, melon, and greenish bananas. We had to wait on a milk delivery before we could eat our cereal, despite the restaurant having been open for 40 minutes. The hot-food line was $8 for adults and $6 for kids, though the only reason we knew that was because I asked before going through it.
Pool was quite small and too cold to use. No hot tub. Could've used more places to sit around the property, like in the garden (two backless, wood benches) and the scenic overlook (nothing), and the deck outside the restaurant (nothing).
Scenery was nice, trails were good. The butterfly program was fun for the kids. The star gazing was amazing ... highly recommend getting there a few minutes before dark if you go before the crowd arrives.
All in all, I would give Canyon of the Eagles 3 or 4 stars if I was paying $129 -$149 a night. Though I didn't expect the luxury of $250-plus a night lodge, I just felt the value wasn't there for what they charge. -
Review from T R.
San Francisco, CA
8/25/2010
I just got back from a fabulous couple of days at Canyon of the Eagles. My fiancee, my friends and I got a double deluxe room, complete with rocking chairs on the porch that overlooked the lake through the trees.
The customer service was great. On our way to Canyon of the Eagles, we got turned about. (I blame google maps for that.) Somehow, just as we were pulled over reviewing the directions, I got a phone call from the front desk asking if everything was ok. She put us on the right track and we got there safe and sound.
I definitely think we picked the right time to go. We stayed there Sun and Mon night. All the children were back in school (late August), and there were less than a handful of other guests staying there. We felt like we had the whole resort to ourselves.
We had the pool to ourselves (and the bats flying overhead), the trails to ourselves, and the restaurant all to ourselves too. Coming from SF we were excited to see the wild hogs, bats, jackrabbits, and armadillos. We rented a boat and went boating, tubing and swimming for the day, and relaxed to the sound of the crickets, the warm summer air, and the beautiful sunset and moonrise at night.
Everyone has their own expectations, as is clear from the other posts. My thoughts were that Canyon of the Eagles would be a quaint little resort in a beautiful natural setting, and I was not disappointed in the least. -
Review from Stephen C.
Buda, TX
2/24/2009
Canyon of the Eagles? What canyon? What eagles? In case these folks are a bit far-sighted, those big black birds eating carrion at the side of the road are not eagles. The rooms in this over-priced government compound ($150 + a night) are austere; no table, no closet, no carpet, no nothing. The beds in the room are so close to the wall-mounted heater/air conditioner that you will be forced to migrate during the night and hopefully you are not sharing the room with someone you don't like. Significantly, rooms would have been better priced at $75-$100 per night.
And, lest I forget, the restaurant was unforgettable. The resort (hah!) insists on dinner reservations. We arrived to find our table for 6 gaily set with a knives and forks and little else. The staff, all refugees from a re-make of Deliverance eventually took our orders. DO NOT order the rib-eye chicken fried steak, unless your definition of gourmet is a forkful of crispy batter dripping in lumpy wallpaper paste wrapped around a big glop of deep fried fat. Prior to our arrival the restaurant had served a large group an Italian dinner. We were privileged to that information because to our great delight the waiter brought us a soup bowl filled with cold, left-over garlic bread from the feast before. We sat down for dinner at 7:00 and were served at 8:15 (there were 4 other tables being served). Dinner was $140. We were lucky that we weren't penalized the mandatory 6 guest 22% gratuity.
The breakfast buffet in the morning was not much better featuring powdered eggs (I am not kidding) and left over gravy from the night before. The buffet also highlighted freshly baked blueberry stones, er, scones (rock hard on the outside and raw in the middle). As we sat down with our food the hostess rushed over and gave us our bill. And I do mean, just as we sat down.
Warning! This place is a disaster and should be cited for false advertising... Quick notes: Ice machine broken. Pop machine empty! And a delightful 45 minute round trip drive into Burnet if you want lunch or something to eat besides the sterling fare at the restaurant.
