Royal Palms was not our first choice for places to stay in Austin, but I am really glad we tried it out. We ended up renting here for almost a month before our trip to Colorado. We were very pleased to find that Royal Palms has a wonderful community of people. Read on to see what we like and what was not-so-likeable about Royal Palms.

Pros:

– Centrally located. Royal Palms sits right at the intersection of two major highways in Austin, 290 and 183. It’s less than a mile from the airport and 15 minutes from downtown. Getting around town from here is a breeze, even if you bike or ride the bus.

– Playground and pool. The playground is really nice and fenced in. My kids loved going there, especially for the swings. The pool is also well-kept and the landscaping is beautiful. The pool has two depths, 3 feet and 8 feet, so it’s not the best for little ones, but it works.

– Kid-friendly. There are lots of kids in this park, but they are not rowdy or rude. We were here during the summer, so kids were out all day and they were very kind and respectful. The speed limit is 15mph and most cars do go slow so kids can ride and walk safely. The office staff keeps balloons and candy for kiddos who visit.

– Friendly neighbors. We have had such a good time getting to know our neighbors. Everyone has been super-friendly. We spent many evenings hanging out on other peoples porches, enjoying a drink and good conversation.

– Well maintained. This park is large. Including the manufactured home sites, there are well over 200 sites on the property. The staff does a great job of keeping the whole park clean and beautiful and they enforce some pretty strict rules to keep it that way.

Cons:

– Rules, rules, rules! Everybody complains about the rules. I actually don’t mind them much because I see how they keep the place looking nice for everyone. However, the rules are hard and fast so you must be careful to adhere fully, or suffer a hefty fine.

– Wifi Stinks. The park offers free Wifi, but it’s impossible to get it outside of the clubhouse. I’ve even tried to sit in the clubhouse and use it and it’s still super slow.

– Parking. The driveway of our first RV back-in spot was not big enough to park our truck and our car. So we had to park our car about a quarter mile away, off-property, to avoid getting towed (as street parking is not allowed overnight without a permit).

– Noise. Being right by the freeway and airport sets this place up for a LOT of noise. If peace and quiet is your thing, you might want to look elsewhere. I will say that it was jarring at first, but I was able to get used to it the longer we stayed.

– Tight spaces. The RV sites here are TINY. They are tight to back into and very close together. We ended up paying $20 more per month for a premium spot (where the manufactured homes are parked). It is much more spacious and there is plenty of yard space for the kids. Plus, you don’t feel like you are peering into your neighbors windows all the time.


All in all, we have really enjoyed our time at Royal Palms and would gladly stay here again. The friendly staff and neighbors won us over!