Why Neals?

Neal's Lodges is a family oriented destination in Concan, TX on the Frio River. I chose to intern at Neal's after I visited Concan for the first time in April 2014. Concan is a very small town in Southwest Texas, about 30 minutes from Uvalde. I was drawn to the area because of the natural beauty of the Hill Country as well as the outdoor recreation opportunities. Neal's is a small business owned and operated by the Davenport family. I enjoyed working for a small business because I was able to be very involved in operations and was even promoted to manager of outside operations. The Davenport's were very good to employees, even offering us a cabin for the summer. The cabin, or the shack, as we called it, was an awesome experience because we were so close to the river and had a good group of guys. Cody, owner of Neal's, is very interested in hiring more interns for upcoming summers. I highly recommend pursuing an internship at Neal's Lodges. 

History

Neal’s Lodges was founded in 1926 by a rancher named Tom Neal and his wife, Vida Thrift Neal. With the help of his father-in-law, Tom built and managed the 21 cabins by 1953, most of which are still used today. Neal’s was a well-kept secret until the 1970’s when Texas Highways named the deep hole at Neal’s “the best little swimming hole in Texas”. The property stayed in the Neal family until 2010 when Cody Davenport and his wife, Yvonne Davenport bought Neal’s and took over operations. Cody and Yvonne have added some new features including Joe Jimmy’s and daily horseback rides, but still focus on preserving the vibrant history of Neal’s Lodges.

Benefits and Opportunities

  • Flexible schedule
  • Fair pay
  • Room and board available
  • Access to all amenities
  • Free tubes and shuttles
  • Discounted cabins for families during offseason
  • Fun work environment

Mission Statement

Neal’s Lodges is a family owned historic resort on the Frio River built upon traditional family values. Since 1926 Neal’s Lodges has been an all-inclusive, year-round, destination. Located on the far western edge of the beautiful Texas Hill Country, Neal’s is committed to providing an exceptionally unique, Texas lodging experience to our current and future guests. 

Achievements

I learned more as an intern at Neal's than I have learned from any other job. Cody Davenport, owner and GM of Neal's Lodges, taught me a lot throughout the summer. Cody has been a great mentor as an Aggie and  successful businessman in the field I want to pursue. The RPTS 484 assignments served as a great tool by providing a structure for conversation between Cody and I about Neal's and the tourism industry. My experience was not typical for an intern at a larger company because I was given the opportunity to lead and be involved in operations (rather than make copies and fetch starbucks). I started as an outside staff member and a part-time employee at Joe Jimmy's, a bar onsite at Neal's. By the end of the summer I was named manager of outside operations as well as Manager of Joe Jimmy's while the bar manager was away. Cody also allowed me to pursue my interests by funding a build project for Joe Jimmy's and allowing me to fish at the tank on his ranch. Overall, my experience was excellent and I don't think I could have learned more at any other resort. 

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