Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle + Andres Rizo
Hi Danielle + Andres , we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
(Danielle): I actually met Andres at a job interview for a super fancy nightclub he was managing in the meatpacking district of NYC in 2011. I wasn’t living in New York at the time, but immediately moved there once I was offered the job because of the serious spark between us. We eventually started dating and after working for years together in the ultra-exclusive nightlife world, we moved back to Texas after having our first baby. When we got to Texas as new parents, we wanted to start our own business, but we didn’t want to open a bar or club. We needed a new way to party. We missed dancing for hours in sweaty nightclubs to amazing DJs, but we didn’t miss the drinking, the doormen, or the late night hours. We craved the wholesome day party culture we’d enjoyed in the Summertime in parks around New York. In 2017, we created that culture we craved when we converted a vintage 1969 Airstream trailer into a big, shiny, DJ booth dripping with disco balls and hosted a free dance party series in Historic Pearl Park in San Antonio, TX. For three fabulous Summers, our company, Sound Cream, brought DJs from all over Texas, the US, and Mexico to play music in the park for people of all ages, colors, sexual orientations, backgrounds, and abilities. That was the beginning of our journey as entrepreneurs.
While we were learning the ins and outs of entrepreneurship and building our first business, Andres was working full time as the Director of Concierge for Hotel Emma and keeping his high level hospitality skills sharp. In 2019, we bought a home with some land outside of Wimberley, TX with the intention for focus on Sound Cream full time. We loved the idea of living in nature to keep us inspired to keep bringing music to the great outdoors. Then, in 2020, as as our dream of converting green spaces into dance floors in more cities across Texas was really taking off, the pandemic hit. Events were gone. Dance parties were dead. Everyone was trapped indoors, longing for human connection. We knew this was a time people needed the healing power of nature and music more than ever. So, we healed our hearts the only way we knew how – we bought a bunch of kiddie pools on eBay, got to work manicuring our 10 acre homestead, hung lots of disco balls, called up some newly unemployed DJs, and towed our Airstream DJ booth to a perfect spot at the bottom of a hill. We invited our friends and hosted gatherings where people could enjoy music and serenity from their own socially distanced plunge pool while the sun set over the hill country horizon. The Disco Ranch was born and it was everything.
Pool season ended, the parties ended, and we needed something to look forward to and keep us busy. For so many people, those parties were a ritual, a recharge, and an escape from the harsh reality of the world. We witnessed the magnitude of power hearing beautiful music in nature has on people and we wanted to make that bliss available to people year round, without waiting for a party invite. We got to dreaming again and designed a sensual and sophisticated “nature nightclub” people could reserve anytime they wanted. Each “club” would be totally private, face the most beautiful views on the property, and combine the elements we loved from parks, hotels, nightclubs, and glamping resorts all in one place.
Outdoor bathtub overlooking the valley with no obstructions?
Check.
Outdoor shower with views and a pollinator garden filled with butterflies?
Check.
Total privacy where I could be naked my entire stay if I wanted?
Check.
A private pool that doesn’t close to float under the stars all night?
Check.
A firepit right beside it to warm my skin between pool dips?
Check.
A super spacious and climate controlled geodesic dome with a fully equipped kitchen and king size bed?
Check.
Bedside fireplace?
Check.
A giant disco ball that illuminates the entire space in disco sparkles?
CHECK!
A badass surround sound system with a selection of beautiful, bouncy, and sultry DJ mixes that sound ahhhmazing with nature?
CHECK AND CHECK!
We named them The Disco Domes and we launched in October 2021.
We loved thinking about how to make it fun because Andres and I at our core are…fun! And those parties we were having at the ranch were rejuvenating and recharging, but they were also super FUN. As a couple getting away from kids, we loved glamping and camping to unwind and relax, but it was always missing that element of JOY for us. And we really needed that. I feel like we successfully replicated the joy of our events inside these domes because when we launched The Disco Domes in 2021, we were booked solid for months in advance and the vast majority of guests were celebrating something. And we loved that. Flash forward to today and we are still hosting guests year round in our Disco Domes, hosting free, outdoor dance parties for all in public parks with Sound Cream, and working on launching our new concept, Disco Ranch Radio – a music inspired by nature.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not at all. Each time we started a business we were so excited about, we felt like the universe would “test” us before launch and give us an obstacle so extreme that the only way you’d be able to handle it was if you REALLY wanted what was on the other side. It feels almost like the universe was asking us how bad we wanted it before it would give it to us. I have shed plenty of tears of hopelessness and exhaustion, but I have shed even more tears of pure joy and bliss on this journey.
From our origin story, you can see how the pandemic created some major obstacles for us. Our business was completely gone and because we didn’t fall under the categories that were getting unemployment checks or other government assistance, we had to live off of our savings and it was extremely stressful. To make matters worse, at the same time, our tenant that was renting our first home in San Antonio left with no notice and we couldn’t find a new tenant for months so we were forced to sell the home my second son was born in that I was very attached to. During the hard times, we had a positive attitude, kept our creative spirit flowing, and decided to shift our focus to others instead of ourselves by hosting events on the land that nourished others who were struggling. This brought us so much magic and inspiration. We ended up finding the strength and determination to start a whole new venture from the rubble of the first one. Community and connection truly are everything when times get tough. And time in nature is so important to keeping your sanity when things are chaotic.
With The Disco Domes, we ended up doing a lot of the build on our own because so many people were building during covid and it was hard to get help. Andres’s parents had to wait almost 9 months to be able to fly out of Colombia and help us because of covid and when they finally arrived, we got to work. Andres’s father is an architect in Colombia and it was beautiful watching them build something together after living apart for 20 years. It was so healing to build something from the ground up with the intention to bring bliss and relaxation in a time riddled with stress and sadness. It kept us busy and we grew so much closer as a family. We had a crazy snow storm that Winter that made it impossible for us to get a plumber so Andres had to learn how to do it himself (with licensed professionals guiding us and inspecting our work at the end). We went way over budget and had to launch with just one dome instead of two as planned. We made lots of mistakes along the way and launched the second dome way later than we envisioned. In the end, it was still a great success and I feel very proud to this day that we pulled it off with a team of parents over 60, two little kids, one New Yorker that had never built anything in his life, and a pregnant lady. Did I mention I found out I was pregnant with our third baby two months into the build? I guess you could consider that it’s own obstacle!
We have made design mistakes along our journey that have been costly to fix, dealt with many busted pipes, fallen limb disasters, hail nightmares, and lost many cherished plants along our journey of having a business in the extreme weather conditions in Texas. Andres and I rented an apartment in New York for years and called a super to fix any issues we had so it’s been a pretty brutal (and hilarious) experience learning to fix things ourselves, raise livestock, build things from the ground up, maintain 10 acres of land, and raise three boys over the last 5 years. We try, we fail, but then we always prevail. Whenever the road gets rocky, we just follow the bliss.
We’ve been impressed with The Disco Domes , but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The Disco Ranch is a “Nature Nightclub” in The Texas Hill Country that answers the question “What would a nightclub designed by Nature look like?”. It’s soft, intimate, simple, elegant, and absolutely beautiful. We have luxury glamping accommodations that are open to the public for nightly bookings year round, and we host seasonal music events on the ranch that are for members only.
The Disco Domes at Disco Ranch are completely private, mid-century geodesic glamping domes for two with eclectic décor, surround sound systems, outdoor bathtubs and showers with sweeping views, private pools that never close, and plush king size beds under giant disco balls. They were designed to transport guests to a place far away from Texas without a plane ticket. They are spaces where you can deeply relax, unwind, and awaken all of your senses. You can have a peaceful nature retreat or a vibrant disco for two with our collection of sublime DJ mixes inspired by and recorded live at Disco Ranch. These spaces are the perfect atmosphere for a romantic couples getaway, a transformative solo retreat, a fun and deeply relaxing girls trip, or an unforgettable birthday celebration. We will soon be adding a menu with massage, breathwork, reiki, private yoga classes, sound healing, and more to make stays even more blissful and transformative.
I think one of the things that truly sets The Disco Domes apart from its competitors is its sexiness. Andres and I have years of experience working in high end clubs and hotels across New York City, including the iconic Boom Boom Room on top of The Standard Hotel. We have stayed at many amazing hotels in our lifetime and visited many glamping options in Texas. We can confidently say that we have not encountered anything quite as sexy or sensual as our Disco Domes. And we are very proud of that. We are a married couple with three children, so we when we get the rare opportunity to get away for a night, we look for places that are romantic and special. There really aren’t a lot of options out there in Austin and none of them offer privacy in the fresh air. The other thing that feels very unique to our accommodations is that it’s a tranquil nature retreat that’s also FUN. We believe life is too short for so much seriousness and we all need more play and fun in our lives. We tried to bring the fun you feel from a night on the dancefloor to a place that is safe, beautiful, and deeply nourishing. We think the combo is pretty stellar. Whether you are celebrating something special. or simply want to celebrate being alive, The Disco Domes can help you do it in style.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
We absolutely love how green Austin is. As nature enthusiasts, we love that there are so many beautiful hiking trails, bodies of water, and public parks in Austin. We love to visit with our bicycles, paddleboards, or hiking boots. Our version of a perfect day is biking on the Ann and Roy Butler bike trail and making a stop at Deep Eddy to swim some laps. Also, the cool and unique hotel options in Austin are numerous compared to other major cities in Texas. We love hopping hotels and getting inspired.
I’d say it’s least attractive element is its lack of free and accessible parking. We were pretty spoiled in San Antonio so I get frustrated that anytime I want to go hear a DJ or just have dinner, I almost always can’t find or have to pay for parking.
Pricing:
- Nightly rates range from $250 – $800 depending on season and day of the week.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thediscodomes.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.disco.domes/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thediscodomes/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkxmCh1w3z0
Image Credits
Photo Credits:
Octavio Gonzalez – Tungsten Media
Fitz Masterson – Serenity Media
