This review is much more about our B&B than it is about the reservation service. First Class Res. Service was fine - friendly, helpful, etc. The location my husband selected with his internet reservation was the Cottage at Circle J. It was perfect for a quiet getaway!!!
Pro's:
1. It's NOT all antique and lace laden "froo-froo" (as we call it). That's not our style and we avoid it whenever possible. It's got a large porch, a hammock under shady trees, and a good wall-mounted flat-screen TV with surround sound system and satellite (including HBO). The shower is perfect and the two bedrooms are well suited for people like us who just need a nice bed, a serene view and several cups of coffee to keep us happy.
2. It's private - VERY private. It's on 26 acres with a pool, hot tub and groomed croquet court that's all yours. Granted you have to drive 10-12 minutes to get into Fredericksburg, but who cares?! This place is worth it.
3. Speaking of the pool: we're not talking some cheap above ground hack job. This property has a very well-groomed and landscaped in-ground pool and hot tub. It's serene, beautiful and inviting.
4. We would love to go back to use the grill and outdoor countertop serving area for a small gathering. It's just begging for use!
5. Coffee maker!!!! It's a Keurig single-cup coffee maker. The proprietor was kind enough to leave us plenty of supplies for the coffee so we weren't limited to breakfast time coffee only. The coffee maker also makes tea, which was lovely as well.
6. Full kitchen - for those who want to stay a bit longer or save money on meals this is a great reason to book this cottage. It's not upscale or anything, but it's perfectly adequate for cooking just about anything. Full sized appliances, pots and pans, cooking utensils, dishes, etc. are all provided. There are a few staple items in the kitchen but it's best to do a bit of shopping for most items on the way out if you can.
Things that might matter but really don't:
1. No internet service - so what? Unless you need to be continually connected to the cyberworld for work reasons, take a break from it to enjoy this beautiful little bit of serenity. You can always go to a couple of coffee joints on the main drag that have free wireless. (warning - we discovered that those places are closed on Sundays, so get your wireless fix in on any other day)
2. No full breakfast and minimal continental breakfast - again, so what? The coffee cake/struedel that the host left for us was yummy, we ate the fruit and a little of the cereal. If you want more food, just bring some of your own. It's still worth it. (we grabbed great cheap breakfast tacos 10 miles down the road toward town at La Perla Tapatia - check them out!)
3. Far from the bustle of F-burg: if you're going to F-burg to party hard and want to avoid driving in and out of town, this is not the location for you. But if you want to go to town to have a couple of beers or some good Hill Country wine, then do some shopping and a little nibbling before returning to a country retreat, this place is the perfect choice. Just drive sober, please!
A last note: this place is hard to spot - especially at night. The Hilltop Cafe nearby at FM 648 is your big warning sign to SLOW DOWN and get ready to turn. If you've gone more than a half mile past the cafe, you've gone too far. read more