y.o. ranch

Did the safari which consisted of loading onto an old school bus and touring around the vast grounds in search of game. our guide was very knowledgeable. the tour was a little long and not that comfortable on the bus. last stop was seeing the giraffes although a bit sad they are fed real cookies to coax to the windows (hello, not natural diet!) to enthrall the tour group. Having said that, the highlight was seeing the giraffes up close and personal. Skip the meal as an added option - just so-so. Allow extra time to drive from the main road through the property to the check-in spot. Would have been better tour if we had been shown more of the other facilities on site instead of just game.

People travel from all over the world to visit this amazing venue-- an authentic 19th century Texas ranch and state of the art exotic animal preserve, the likes of which I have not seen outside South Africa. The friendly and knowledgeable guides offer group tours at reasonable rates and private tours as well. Photo game drives, such as the one my wife and I went on, are offered weekly, and they also offer hunting for those inclined. This is a working ranch of 40,000 acres, a herd of more than 1,000 registered Longhorns, and 10,000 other animals, including over 50 species of exotics such as Antelope, Impala, Blackbuck, Waterbuck, Oryx, Giraffe, and Ostrich. Many of these animals roam freely throughout the Y.O. We had no idea this was right in our backyard.As we drove in from the main road, we passed longhorn cattle and cows grazing in the open. Some were crossing the road in front of us (they get the right of way!) and as we passed the 1850s stone buildings we knew this was the real deal. All of the animals we saw were out in the open; many came right up to our car (see photos). After the game drive we were served a terrific lunch in the "chuck wagon" consisting of barbecued chicken, beans, salads, and apple pie--all cooked up by the ranch staff. Fantastic. By the way, we are handicapped, and for others who may be-- no problems here. Easy access, no walking. Its all riding.We'll be back, next time with a group.

Many of the reviewers are writing about the hotel in Kerrville and this is the Y.O. Ranch itself. We had a very, very awesome experience at the ranch. I doesn't need to be updated as the charm says it all! It is old and we liked it that way. Our meal was wonderful and we took a driving tour around the ranch and had a most wonderful drive on the hill country and felt the remoteness of the property was very special! If you don't like to hunt or be around hunting you may want to think twice about going here or just do as I did and simply appreciate the exotic animals and the fact that you get to see them not in a zoo. I certainly would go with casual clothing and just enjoy the day!

You need to call ahead to let them know you are coming so you can get the code to open the Gate at the entrance and they told us to arrive at least 30 minutes before the Tour departs and now we know why once you leave the main road it is a 30 minute ride down the rocky drive to the Chuck Wagon where you check in for the Tours,once you enter the property for that ride to the Chuck Wagon you see all kinds of Wildlife and the scenery is awesome...the road in is very bumpy and rough and we found out later why there has not been any improvements to the road is it takes every penny they take in just to feed all the animals they have at the Ranch. We so enjoyed the Wildlife Tour..just a heads up the bus seats are very dirty so don't wear anything white or nice for that matter once you depart the bus you will be covered in dirt. The Lady that conducted the tour is over the Ranch's marketing and she was such a fantastic tour guide you can tell she loves her job and the animals, She does some really fun tricks with some of the animals with oatmeal cookies especially a particular Ostrich and Giraffe. Once the tour has concluded you go back to the Chuck Wagon where you get a Home Cooked meal that is included in the price of the Tour. When we arrived earlier in the day we saw the Cook trimming the beef and cooking before we left and when we returned we were treated to a fantastic meal of Beef and Rice concoction that was so good, with Pinto Beans and a salad and cobbler for dessert. It was so not what we expected I just assumed it would be a sack lunch type thing when I read on the website the tour included lunch. After the tour you are free to wander around the Ranch and the views are beautiful and lots of history to be learned by all the Historical markers. I will return again and would love to stay in one of the cabins they have.

YO ranch was very relaxing and enjoyable. The staff was helpful. The place is a one of a kind experience.

It looks like several of the reviews in this section are actually for Y.O. Hotel in Kerrville. I am reviewing the actual Y.O. Ranch. It was never a Hilton or a Hyatt, it's actually a ranch that has been raising Longhorns since the 1950s and now also has exotic animals.I read about the Y.O. Ranch years and years ago in the Texas Highways magazine. My husband and I spent one night in one of the thirteen cabins there, the Travis. It was very comfortable and modern. Meals are included in the price and are served at the chuckwagon – family style. We thought the food was pretty good! They make enough for the guest and the staff. Here was our menu:Dinner – Prime Rib, Turnip Greens, Baked Potatoes, Salad, Pinto Beans, Oreo/Cherry/Cheesecake DessertBreakfast – Eggs (made to order), Bacon, Pancakes or Biscuits, Cereal, Orange JuiceLunch – Beef Ribs, Potato Salad, Corn Salad, Pinto Beans, Texas Toast, PieAfter dinner, we headed to the Lodge for drinks (also included in the price). They have a TV there and pool tables. Across the street is a really nice pool, but it was too cold swim when we were. We did, however, take a couple of drinks with us and enjoyed a lovely evening under the stars in the hot tub. Before leaving, we took an Exotic Game Drive (you can go to the ranch for a game drive even if you don't stay there). We opted for the group tour vs. the private tour and we were fine with that. They drove us around the ranch and we got to see many animals. If you read the website, you’ll know that they do allow hunting of the exotic animals so if that bothers you, you might not want to go. But, I thought the guide did a good job of explaining this and there are, of course, a lot of rules surrounding the hunts. It was actually turkey season when we were there and they had a few turkey hunters. We were there for the experience and the game drive only and we really enjoyed our visit.

Here's the thing - we were here 25 years ago, when this was the Y.O. Hilton. it was great then - swim to the bar, great restaurant, i don't remember anything special about the room but it wasn't bad. This time we were back for a wedding in Fredricksburg, and because it was the first weekend of spring break all the hotels in Fredricksburg were booked and/or outrageously priced. My husband called the Y.O. and got us a room for less than $100 a night. When we got there, after a five hour drive, we went straight to the restaurant for a light lunch before the evening wedding. They had a $10 buffet which included a salad bar (fresh foods, except the pineapple was canned), a deli bar (swiss cheese, delicious ham and smoked turkey, provolone and cheddar, two kinds of bread in a plastic box, mustard, mayo, lettuce, and tomato and pickle slices) and dessert - apple cobbler and a vanilla cake). I ordered a margarita, and found out the bar is outside, and the server in the restaurant had to get the keys and mix the drink himself (he said he has never made one, but it was delicious!). Anyway, the food was ok (oh, there was soup - choice of broccoli cheese and chili), the salad was ok but for $10 it seemed a little much. The service was great, both the waitress in the restaurant and the guy who made my drink were very friendly and nice. We went to the room and while it was clean, the toilet didn't work very well and one of the faucets was dripping. there is no carpet, it's spanish tile on the floor, so it was a little cold. That night there was a rain storm in the area, so i can't fault the hotel for the weather, but the drain/raingutter was right outside my room, and the water was bouncing off the sidewalk next to room, so imagine trying to sleep with someone taking a really loud shower next to you...the bed wasn't very comfortable, which made it harder to sleep, but the black out blinds were great and didn't let in the sun in the morning. The shower was fine but they really should consider putting down some sort of a non slip flooring. They had a good shampoo but no conditioner, and the soap was great (go ahead and laugh, but i pay attention to these things:)I think next time we will try to find another place to stay at, unless they do a major upgrade. It was cold and rainy so we didn't care that the pool was under construction, but if we came specifically for vacation and it wasn't specified on the website I would have been VERY mad.

We took the exotic animal 2 hour toor. The guide was excellent and helpful. Lunch was included but average. I thought it was too costly for the tour and lunch but am glad we did it as we learned a lot of history about the ranch.

Built by owners of "the" Y. O. Ranch! Originally a Hyatt Hotel it is now a Holiday Inn! Interesting decor of wild animal exhibits. Good food and spirits!

We love this place. Kerrville is a small town but this place is so massive that you do not feel crowded. The rooms are fairly plain but clean. The bar and restaurant on site makes it convenient for travelers. They have a very nice gift shop on site with a nice variety of items for sale. Ask at the front desk for the directions to Celia's Closet where you can buy beautiful designer jewelry and clothes.

Unfortunately, the YO has been in a steady downward spiral for some years now. It is a shadow of the place it once was. The family are lovely people and it is still an exciting trip for young and old who love to see the animals and experience an old time Texas ranch, but those who knew the place a quarter century ago can not help be saddened by the decline. The road in is treacherous for those without a stout suspension system on their vehicle. The building and rooms suffer from decades of rough use and inadequate maintenance. The restaurant is adequate, but that is all that can be said for it. Cleanliness is questionable. For out of town (state) hunting groups, it’s a fine destination. Otherwise, I would not recommend it.

The same picture repeats thought out the place. Over all nice stay. Family enjoyed the place inside pool room nice people were friendly. Kerrville nice town to see

We stayed here in April for 3 nights. The room was very clean but a little run down... beds very comfortable....the mini-fridge did not get cold at all....almost not even cool....we stayed in the upgraded room...the only thing that was upgraded was it was larger...almost the same furniture just a larger room....the pool and area were great!!!!! as was the location was great which is why we stayed there. Would we stay here again..heck ya...worked wonderfully for the group we were traveling with..

I just came back from the YO Ranch (4/12). Everything was first class. I got there just in time for a Prime Rib dinner, one of the best meals I've ever had. After dinner we relaxed in the Lodge for a couple of Jack Daniels Black - no sparing here. I went back to my cabin, the Crockett and immediatelly fell asleep in a 1800's cabin with quilts and deer heads. There was one concession to today's environment - an air conditioner. Breakfast was eggs any way you wanted with sausage and biscuits. I took the wildlife tour with exotic animals including 3 giraffes.I had to cut my stay short and the staff was very understanding and refunded the time I missed.

we have been on the ranch in february 2012 and really didn't know what is waiting on us. when we arrived we needed to pass a gate, after that gate we needed to drive for more than 7 miles to reach the main house. so the property is really huge. we just arrived in time for lunch, and that was awsome. the food is simple but delicious. i gained a lot of weight. staff is very friendly and if you want to see real cowboys, you can do that here. the lodge were ok but could use a update, because of that only 4*. I would recommmend it, great chance to experience the wild west.