When you arrive at El Cibolo Fort at Cibolo Creek Ranch, prepare to be torn between the inside and the outside at this luxurious one-of-a-kind slice of old Texas. The rooms and facilities are a homey and elegant combination of historic architecture and authentic décor that never slips into lazy cliché.

Cottonwood-beam ceilings, handmade adobe walls, Saltillo tile floors, Mexican and Spanish antiques and hand-stitched quilts provide the base for fanciful individual touches in each of the 21 themed rooms—from cowboy to Indian to Chinoise (yes, Chinese—trust me, it works).