Postcard Cabins (Formerly Getaway)

Let me take you on a tour to Postcard Cabins, formerly known as Getaway.

It's Sunday afternoon. Rod and I are driving as I type this, out to the famous Postcard Cabins, a micro-resort with many locations throughout the states, this one located in Hill Country, in Wimberley, Texas.

I have never been to Wimberley and didn't expect much from it, but as we drive closer I can't help but notice clean wide roads, rolling hills, and too many trees to count. It's beautiful and peaceful. We stopped in Blue Hole just to check it out briefly, and the place is wonderful, also packed.

I booked this trip a week in advance and was hungrily consuming content on why Postcard Cabins were created: the business model, the early days, the sale to Marriott. 

I read many people's reviews and opinions on the stay. Some were nostalgic about the good old days, some were inspired by nature, and others felt connected to the brand and stayed two, three, four times there.

I knew the one we were heading to was on a big piece of land, 60 acres, but they also managed to place 40 cabins on it plus a staff building. Would it feel private and spacious, the way I hoped?

My thoughts got interrupted by a text saying we will be staying in the cabin Maria, along with our 4-digit code and the map of the resort. We booked an ADA, or mobility-friendly, cabin. The price was $243 for one night.

As we were getting closer to the resort, I was tasking Rod: "If I miss one detail, tell me about it." 

I was anxious to see and experience it firsthand.

Rod sees most buildings and developments through a construction lens.

This is very handy on trips like this, and I value his input more than anything.

“Deer!” I screamed, making Rod jump in his seat. A graceful deer darted onto the road about 30 feet in front of us.

Arriving

Here at the outskirts of Wimberley the sign is visible, Postcard Cabins and the address. The sign has a glare that indicates it was created with special reflective material that can be seen at night.

As we drive a bit forward, you can see what looks like a swamp on the right side. And a sign: "No swimming." 

Did anyone ever attempt to swim there?

As we drove further, through the warm beige road made of gravel, on the right side was a sign, Staff Only, and somewhere between the trees you can see what looked like a long gray building with a grill in the woods next to it. Looked like someone must have lived there and also managed the micro-resort.

The place felt peaceful. You could see from time to time the signs to other cabins with other names. Most looked like they were well secluded, hidden behind the trees in their own pockets of green. I asked Rod to drive even slower so I could grasp the layout and how the other cabins were placed.

And finally, on the right side, was the cabin Maria sign. We turned to the right and there it was: gravel all around, a couple of chairs on the left with a fire pit, a large picnic table, and the cabin itself. 

The cabin appeared bigger than I imagined, and it was positioned slightly below the gravel level so a soft entrance could be provided. 

All their cabins are standing on trailers. 

The only visible difference from the outside is that the mobility-friendly cabins have a slightly different entrance, with a ramp instead of stairs and porches on the sides.

Inside the cabin

I couldn't wait to see it inside, so I rushed to enter.

The door code didn't work. One text away, I got another code in the next minute. 

The door handle was hot due to the sun. 

Next to the door was a ring, and I said to Rod it was probably for when guests fall asleep and don't wake up. 

There was also a small metal lockbox for the keys on the left side from the door. 

It was a double door, the first door made from glass and able to open to let fresh air in, and the second a sturdy door with a Yale lock on the side.

I entered, and the cabin was the perfect temperature, so much needed after coming in from the hot outside.

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Right in front of me was a kitchen, with an open trash cabinet. I thought maybe that serves a dual purpose: it helps cleaning staff make sure they didn't forget to take out the trash by keeping it open, and it lets guests instantly know where it is located without searching for too long. 

The kitchen had everything that you might need: plates, cups, a pan, a hotpot, a tiny stove. 

The fridge, to my surprise, wasn't that tiny; it fit perfectly everything we brought with us.

And as soon as you turn to the left, there is the biggest wow feature: a huge window, the biggest picture window I have ever seen. 

It perfectly frames nature, trees and bushes, and your eye rests. 

Even though the cabin is tiny, about 187 sq ft, that big window and the height of the ceiling make it feel much bigger. 

Right under the huge window sits a crystal white queen size bed with 4 pillows and perfect bedding. The interior was made fully from wooden planks. 

A small table with two chairs on the left, and a couple of extra spaces in the cabinets near the bed. 

That's the whole living room and bedroom. 

The floor was made of a gray carpet that honestly didn't look well. The rules stated to be without shoes in the cabin, but there has to be either slippers provided if you want to stand on it, or socks; we likely had socks with us. 

There were several thoughtful touches: coffee, a s'mores kit in a branded Postcard Cabin box, oatmeal (Rod appreciated it by nodding when he saw it).

There was a personalized handwritten note waiting for us on the table, and a paper with the micro-resort map and some rules.

The bathroom

The living room space is separated from the bathroom by a rolling door that rolls into its own pocket on the side of the shower. 

On the left is the shower, with a low barrier made from soft material that on one hand allows you to enter it without a problem, and on the other hand creates a water barrier. The shower had a small seat. 

On the right, the toilet, which was a regular toilet, not a composting one.

Proper metal bars next to the toilet, at the right height. 

There is no sink in the bathroom; the one sink available is in the kitchen, right next to the toilet.

Buddy approved

The aesthetic of the cabin is wood and metal. Wood as a backdrop, and metal in the details: the door handles, the light fixtures, the shower, the kitchen countertop, the cabinets made from plywood.

"What do you think?" I asked Rod.

"Like a good Norwegian prison," he replied with a smile.

"I like it here. It's relaxing," he added.

I exhaled, and on that enthusiastic note said, “Let’s check out the utilities!”

"Let's eat first," he said.

The quiet

We grabbed some food and drinks and sat right outside at the picnic table. It had this metal sign on the left of me.

At one moment we noticed how quiet it was. It was a very peaceful type of quietness, with a few sounds of occasional birds here and there.

"My thoughts are too loud for this place," said Rod.

We continued our meal with occasional mutual agreement that it was nice in here. It felt very private, and still, the fact that there were some other people not too far from us created a comforting feeling.

The energy was good in this place. I have been to other micro resorts in the past, and the energy of a place is one factor that, if it's not there, can affect the whole experience no matter how beautiful the cabin is.

The utilities

We took a look at the utilities. The cabin is on a septic system and standard electrical hookups, similar to an RV.

For AC, a Mitsubishi unit that sits right above the bed closer to the window, with the second part of it right on the nose of the trailer.

One of the metal signs says that there is a small hot water tank in the cabin. 

There is lots of space under the bed, and that's where the rest of the items hidden from the eyes are likely located.

The night

8pm was approaching, which is bedtime for us. The mattress was comfortable, and there was a bunch of space next to the large window and between the bed where I could place my sketchbook and pencils.

The blackout curtains instantly canceled the light outside, and the cabin became as dark as it can be.

Rod fell asleep, and I was lying with my eyes wide open, staring at the dark wooden planks and the green bright light on the AC right above me, thinking about every single detail I saw. That continued into the late night and into the morning, and I couldn't fall asleep at all.

As we were leaving the grounds and driving past, we saw a majestic deer curiously looking at us from the grass. 

He didn't run away.

That's all for today.

Till next week, dear readers.

p.s. Have you ever stayed at a Postcard Cabins location? If so, how was your experience?

p.p.s. I wanted to share some exciting news: my newsletter will now be featured on 10 Minutes Hotel, the largest hospitality newsletter in Europe!