You come for the Austin skyline view. You leave remembering the Hill Country. That is the unexpected magic of this place, and it captures something essential about what Hard to Leave offers that no other property in Austin quite replicates: a 2.8-acre private estate with a full-court sport complex, batting cages, and a covered upper deck where the Austin skyline traces the northern horizon -- all 15 minutes from downtown.
While the great room, the pool terrace, and the upper deck define the main experience, the lower-level lounge operates as a second and entirely complete world. A second gas fireplace with a sleek dark surround, terrazzo floors, a full shuffleboard table, deep sectional seating, and gallery-quality artwork on every wall. This is where the game runs long. Where the movie starts. The lower level keeps the teenagers occupied for hours, which means the adults get the pool deck to themselves.
This estate was renovated in 2022 by a couple with two distinct and complementary visions: one wanted a home-scale gallery, a serious kitchen, and architecture worth looking at. The other wanted warmth, livability, and a place where a family could spread out and be comfortable in every corner. The result is one of the most thoughtfully designed vacation estates in Austin -- a home where the butcher block kitchen island gathers the whole group naturally and the covered upper deck with its chiminea and skyline views creates the kind of moment guests talk about for years.
BEDROOMS AND BATHROOMS
Bedroom 1: King | En-Suite
Bedroom 2: Queen | En-Suite
Bedroom 3: King | En-Suite
Bedroom 4: Queen | Shared Bath
Bedroom 5: Queen | Shared Bath
Bedroom 6: Twin Daybed + Crib | Half Bath
Full pool bath on lower level, accessible from outdoor spaces
THE MAIN HOUSE
You turn onto a sweeping cobblestone motor court framed by mature live oaks and dramatic yucca plantings and know immediately that this is something different. The limestone facade glows warm at golden hour. The covered entry opens into a home where scale and warmth exist without tension.
The great room sets the tone. Cathedral ceilings with dark exposed wood beams rise above a floor-to-ceiling limestone fireplace that climbs the full height of the wall. A full wall of windows and French doors frame the Hill Country in three directions and open directly to the covered deck, dissolving the boundary between inside and outside. The furniture is generous: deep cream sofas, teal velvet accent chairs, a marble and gold coffee table. The art collection begins here and continues through every room with a seriousness and confidence that you do not expect in a rental.
The kitchen sits open to the great room with no separation between cooking and gathering. The centerpiece is a substantial butcher block island with Wolf ovens, Bertazzoni rangetop, a Sub-Zero refrigerator, wine fridge, and seating for four. Deep forest-green cabinetry with glass-front upper shelves, a geometric diamond-pattern tile backsplash, and pendant lighting complete a kitchen that feels like it belongs in a design publication and functions like it belongs in a restaurant. Three dining spaces seat sixteen people total: the formal dining room seats six beneath a globe chandelier alongside a butterfly canvas and floor-to-ceiling Hill Country window; the breakfast nook seats six at a round pedestal table with dusty purple velvet chairs and garden views; the island seats four more.
Downstairs, the lower level is a second complete gathering world. Terrazzo floors, a second gas fireplace with a sleek dark surround, a large flat-screen TV, a full shuffleboard table, and seating generous enough for the full party. The floating staircase with open oak treads and blackened steel railing is a design moment in its own right. A dedicated desk with a printer connected to house WiFi makes this level useful for anyone who needs a quiet workspace.
Six bedrooms accommodate up to eleven guests across a range of configurations that suits families, couples, and multi-generational groups with equal ease. The primary suite is exceptional -- a king bed with a tufted teal velvet frame beneath a coffered ceiling with a brass statement fan, flanked by custom built-in bookshelves and views into the Hill Country canopy. The en-suite bathroom is a genuine destination: a freestanding soaking tub in front of an oversized black-framed window, dual floating navy vanities with marble countertops and brushed gold hardware, Art Deco fan wallpaper in rich burgundy and gold, and a walk-in closet suite with custom charcoal cabinetry. Two additional en-suite bedrooms, a warm shared-bath pairing of queen rooms, and a fully configured family suite with crib, glider, high chair, and baby gates complete the sleeping accommodations.
THE OUTDOOR LIVING COMPLEX
Spring and summer at Hard to Leave mean long days moving between the pool, the sport court, and the covered deck with little reason to leave the property at all. The 750 square foot freeform pool sits on an expansive travertine surround with wicker chaise loungers and stone retaining walls that give the terrace a Hill Country garden feeling. Steps lead up to the covered lower lounge, where limestone columns, a shiplap ceiling, a gas grill, and all-weather furniture create a sheltered outdoor living room. From there, an exterior staircase climbs to the covered upper deck -- the property's most treasured space. Elevated into the treetops, framed by limestone columns, and equipped with lounge seating, a ceiling fan, and the chiminea, this deck looks north toward the Austin skyline and west toward the rolling Hill Country.
Beyond the pool, the estate's 2.8 acres include a large open lawn, a full-court sport complex striped for basketball and pickleball with batting cages alongside and lights for evening play, and cornhole on the grass. The acreage and sport complex at this proximity to downtown are what no competing property in this market can replicate at once.
THE LOCATION
Hard to Leave sits in Westlake, a neighborhood built into the cedar hills southwest of downtown Austin that manages the remarkable feat of feeling completely private while being 15 minutes from everywhere worth going. Downtown Austin, South Congress Avenue, and 6th Street are 15 minutes. Barton Springs Pool, Zilker Park, and the Barton Creek Greenbelt are 15 minutes. ACL Live, Stubb's, and the Moody Center are 15 minutes. Lake Austin Marina is 15 minutes. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is 25 minutes.
The Salt Lick BBQ in Driftwood is 25 minutes and a Texas pilgrimage worth every one of them. Jester King Brewery on Fitzhugh Road, one of the most celebrated farmhouse breweries in the country on a 165-acre ranch with live music and Stanley's Farmhouse Pizza next door, is 25 minutes. Treaty Oak Distilling, a gorgeous 28-acre ranch in Dripping Springs with BBQ, cocktails, and live music, is 25 minutes. Vista West Ranch, Camp Lucy, and the full Dripping Springs wedding corridor are 25 minutes. H-E-B, Whole Foods, and a full corridor of local restaurants including Grove Wine Bar, Jack Allen's Kitchen, Sway Thai, and Fresas Grilled Chicken are 5 to 10 minutes from the front door.
Provided During Your Stay:
• Luxury, high thread-count linens and plush towels
• Laundry room with high capacity HE washer and dryer with laundry detergent
• Stocked kitchen
• Coffee maker, blender, KitchenAid mixer, and more
• Complimentary toiletries
• Starter supply of all soaps and paper products (paper towels and toilet paper)
• If you need us, we are available 24 hours a day with live help to assist you
AMENITIES
Capacity:
• Up to 11 guests plus infant | 6 bedrooms | 5.5 bathrooms | 5,505 sq ft | 2.8 acres
Kitchen:
• Butcher block island with Wolf ovens and Bertazzoni rangetop, Sub-Zero refrigerator, wine fridge
• Forest-green cabinetry, glass-front uppers, diamond-tile backsplash, brass pendant lighting
Dining:
• Formal dining room: 6
• Breakfast nook: 6
• Kitchen island: 4
• Total: 16
Indoor Living:
• Great room with gas fireplace, cathedral ceilings, dark wood beams, floor-to-ceiling limestone chimney
• Lower-level lounge with second gas fireplace, shuffleboard, flat-screen TV, sectional seating
• Gallery-quality curated art throughout
• Built-in workspace with printer
• Full laundry room
• Sonos sound system throughout
• All smart TVs with Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV, YouTube TV
• Nest thermostats | 1,000 Mbps WiFi | Keyless smart lock entry
• Chess and Othello | Crib, high chair, and baby gates available
Outdoor:
• 750 sq ft freeform pool, unheated, travertine surround, wicker chaise loungers
• Covered upper deck with chiminea and downtown and Hill Country views
• Covered lower lounge with gas grill and dining table for 6
• Open observation deck
• Full-court sport complex: basketball and pickleball, lit for evening play
• Batting cages | Cornhole
• Full pool bath on lower level
• 2.8-acre estate with large open lawn
• Cobblestone motor court | Outdoor security cameras on perimeter | 5 parking spaces
YOUR WALKER LUXURY TEAM
Welcome to Walker Luxury Vacation Rentals, where exceptional guest experiences and premium hospitality are our top priorities. Each of our homes comes with a dedicated team of knowledgeable agents that are available 24/7. Your personal representative is not only well-versed in every detail of the home, but has likely enjoyed it with their own friends and family. They will quickly become an invaluable resource, guiding you to the best experiences and locations tailored for your group.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
Once a booking is made, Walker Luxury Vacation Rentals will reach out directly. All guests are required to fill out our Guest Agreement and agree to the terms, conditions, and rules of the agreement.
This is a residential home in a quiet neighborhood, and we take keeping our neighbors happy very seriously. No parties, loud music, or rowdy groups. This is not the house for that. Violations of house
