Meet Danielle Saunders, the owner of so many of our favorite spots in Fredericksburg, TX! She is an entrepreneur, traveller, former radiologist, wife, mother, and as we know her the owner of Swallows Eve, The Winchester Lodge, The Evers House and Sage Restaurant and Lounge. It was Danielle and her husband, Ashton’s, love for real estate and traveling that led them to venture into the Texas Hill Country where they fortunately discovered Fredericksburg, TX! Saunders said, “we started with four vacation rental properties and have now expanded to bigger ventures after seeing a need for larger hotels, restaurants and venues.” If you are traveling to Fredericksburg chances are you’ll experience one of Danielle’s many hospitality ventures!

Danielle was born in Hawaii but grew up in Arkansas after moving because her dad was in the Navy. She attended the University of Arkansas for undergrad and for her medical degree in Medical Sciences before she trained at LSU Shreveport in Radiology. Saunders eventually completed her fellowship in body imaging at Weill Cornell, NY Presbyterian hospital. She met her husband in New York where they started their family. They moved to Texas for his work and Saunders explained, “my husband and our three children actually live in Houston, but I’m in Fredericksburg at least two to three days a week. We are finishing up our house there so I’ll finally be able to come into town on the weekends!”

Danielle and her family found Fredericksburg to be a special place and the perfect destination for visitors from anywhere. Saunders said about Fredericksburg, “I love the community and that there is so much to see and do. It’s been really cool to watch it grow and thrive as a tourist destination.” After discovering that most of the guests at their short term rentals were bachelorette parties, they built a wedding venue, Swallows Eve to accommodate them and eventually found a niche in the lodging industry with The Winchester Lodge and The Evers House. Last year they opened a restaurant with modern cuisine, Sage, and their latest venture is The Herb Garden.

Swallows Eve is a luxury event venue primarily used for weddings in the Texas Hill Country. It offers a full wedding concierge service to help brides plan their special day and entire wedding weekend! Danielle and her team host exclusive events with genuine care and great attention to detail. What Saunders loves most about Swallows Eve is, “that everything is customizable. Want a custom-made dinner menu or specialty cocktail for your occasion? We’ve got you covered.”

The Saunders eventually bought The Winchester Lodge and The Evers House to help accommodate wedding guests from Swallows Eve. The Winchester Lodge is a modernly rustic bed and breakfast with 16 suites just a block away from main street with a variety of spaces and amenities to enjoy. It has a beautiful fountain pool, fireside patio, and lounging deck where anyone can enjoy a breakfast basket brought straight to their door each morning. Danielle loves, the luxurious beds and decor. Saunders said, “In our office you’ll find pictures of Winchester England where my husband grew up. I put a lot of personal touches into the design and really enjoyed seeing it all come to life.”

The Evers House is also just a block away from the hustle and bustle on Main St and boasts six beautiful, modern suites with a shared kitchen space as well as a cozy courtyard with a fire-pit to enjoy. Saunders describes it as, “a great space to rent out with a group of friends!” Saunders’ favorite part about The Evers House is “that it is dynamic and well-suited for private events. We have a small wedding happening there later this spring!”

After opening a successful wedding venue and two lodging locations, Saunders opened Sage Restaurant and Lounge with the collaboration of family and friends in 2021! Sage serves eclectic and internationally driven new American cuisine and drinks and has modern, dramatic interiors. It has multiple outdoor and indoor spaces to enjoy for brunch, dinner, and private events. Saunders enjoys tasting all of Chef Henry Gutkin’s exquisite creations and seeing the vision for providing an extensive, worldly wine list come to fruition. Saunders said, “what I love most about Sage is that it was founded in collaboration with some of my closest friends. We come from all over the world – England, South Africa, Spain, and the United States. This restaurant brought together our ideas and visions to provide a worldly dining experience to each guest who walks through our doors. It’s truly the place we have dreamed of creating.”

Saunders explains that the most challenging part about opening Sage was all of the moving parts to make the opening happen. Saunders said, “we redesigned the interiors, created multiple concepts to be housed under one roof, and built a team from the ground up. It took a lot of work, but it was well worth it.” Saunders said that the strong leadership of Travis Tucker, her cousin and project manager, “was instrumental with our vision and he had the hospitality experience we needed to bring this dream to life.”

Danielle is constantly collaborating on new ventures and properties in the realm of hospitality. With the same group of friends, she is bringing a similar feel to the Hill Country Herb Garden, previously known as the Fredericksburg Herb Farm. The property has 14 beautifully redesigned cottages, a luxurious spa, and a restaurant and bar opening soon! Danielle’s favorite part of working on the property is “all the moving parts and seeing our vision come to life as we redesign the spaces and grounds. I cannot wait to see what’s in store for the restaurant there!” The restaurant/bar and wine garden at Hill Country Herb Garden, Resort and Spa, will be completed this summer.

Saunders prioritized building a great team to support her and her visions! Saunders said, “We have amazing people working together across all our properties and it wouldn’t be possible without all the collaboration and hard work! We all share the same vision and passion for hospitality. It hasn’t been easy or quick, but we now have such a great group of people that everything is coming together perfectly!”