Get on the Bus

Luxury motor coach expands commuter service from Dallas to Houston

Vonlane, a luxury motor coach company that currently shuttles businesspeople between Dallas and Austin, is adding a new route to Houston beginning April 20. Founder and president Alex Danza says the new service is in response to hundreds of customers asking for an Interstate 45 option since the company launched last May.

“We’ve been hearing ‘please add Houston’ from the Dallas folks, so that’s where we’re going next,” Danza says. “We believe there will be a lot of riders for that route.”

Vonlane will run its luxury buses from Dallas to Houston at 6 am and 2 pm, and Houston to Dallas at 10 am and 6 pm, giving travelers total flexibility for day trips between the two cities.

“A Dallas person could go out on the 6 am and be in Houston by 9 or 9:30,” Danza says. “They get back on at 6 pm, and they’re home that night. They can get the full day of work in, and they are in a comfortable, spacious work environment where they can work on the way home to Dallas if they’re not done right at 6. Or they can recline, have a meal and watch ESPN.”

The Dallas port will continue to be the DoubleTree hotel across from Love Field, while the Houston route will begin and end at the Sheraton North Houston at George Bush Intercontinental. Danza says there are plans to increase routes and frequency as they add the custom-made coaches to the fleet, but it takes time to create a 16-person coach with high-end amenities such as wood floors, built-in Wi-Fi and satellite TV, and a conference room.

“We buy an empty shell with an engine and a transmission,” Danza says. “We take that empty shell to a converter — he makes all the NASCAR drivers’ motor homes — and there’s another six months for the interior, wood floors and seats. The hurdle is that it takes time, but as we bring more coaches online, we can add more to the Houston route and make it more robust.”

Danza adds that he hopes for Vonlane to have an Austin-Houston route set up by the end of 2015. The Dallas-Houston route will have a discounted $69 fare for one-way tickets from the April 20 launch through May 31.

Vonlane will begin service between Dallas and Houston on April 20.

Courtesy photo

Vonlane will begin service between Dallas and Houston on April 20.

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NOTES ON CAMP

New $2M KOA glamping resort with lazy river to open in Fredericksburg

Photo courtesy of KOA Fredericksburg Resort

KOA Fredericksburg will offer RV hookups, cabins, and family-friendly amenities.

A new Hill Country campground might soon convince outdoor die-hards that roughing it is for the birds. Kampgrounds of America (KOA) is building a $2 million luxury RV resort on historic farmland near downtown Fredericksburg.

The project isn’t KOA’s first foray into Fredericksburg. The company franchised a property off US-290 for 45 years before it converted to an independently run 21-plus RV park. Still, according to Woodall’s Campground Magazine, the new resort will be KOA’s first greenfield development where everything was built from scratch.

Once open, the site will offer visitors several ways to rest their heads. Those who own RVs can rent spots with full hookups and an outdoor patio. Everyone else can stay in Conestoga-style wagons outfitted with bathrooms and contemporary amenities or deluxe cabins. One of the cabins was built to mimic the Hill Country’s historic Sunday Houses.

An aerial rendering shows the family pool, lazy river, and Social Haus café.Rendering courtesy of KOA Fredericksburg Resort

Photo courtesy of KOA Fredericksburg Resort

KOA Fredericksburg will offer RV hookups, cabins, and family-friendly amenities.

The Fredericksburg campgrounds are packed with outdoor amenities. Families can enjoy a resort-style pool, a lazy river, pickleball courts, walking trails, and a playground. A separate pool with a hot tub is reserved for adults.

The site will also feature the Social Haus, a full-service café with live entertainment on select dates, and the Oak Room, a private space available to rent for family gatherings or corporate retreats. A small shop, the Outpost, will offer golf car, bike, and pool tube rentals, and a wine barn will serve pours from area breweries and wineries.

Although newly filed project details with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation say the build-out won’t be finished until early October, the resort is advertising a soft opening on September 1. KOA did not immediately return a request for further details.

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