After being in the car for days, the site of this large, impressive, looming estate was remarkable…read more Just the sight of the front of the Bullis House excited me. And, we hadn't even parked yet. We stayed as bed and breakfast guests, sans the breakfast. Our corner room was on the middle floor facing the back. It was quiet, clean, private, had a mini fridge, an out of service dumb-waiter, cable and air conditioned! The vibe of this place was more than i could have imagined. I didn't know very much about the place when i arrived so the whole experience was a pleasant surprise. I'm not sure if there were other guests that night, as everything was pretty quiet. My boy and i did some snooping around. Now, the top floor, I'm not sure what's going on up there but, the layout is a bit odd. I'm fairly certain that was the help's quarters when it was a fully functioning mansion. The bathrooms were tidy and the water was hot. Being raised in a Victorian home, i know that more often that not, the place just needs love. Take the front door, for example. The owner left us very specific instructions for how to open the door. After reading and re-reading them, my sweetheart was getting frustrated and insisted i try instead. (After me being an armchair door-opener, while he tried.) I got it opened easily. it's just things like that. The floor creeks. You share a two bathrooms on the middle floor, one with a shower, and the other with a tub. There are some strange noises here and there but, i would never go so far as to call this place "spooky". On the contrary, i WOULD call it charming, inviting, cozy, interesting and romantic. Oh and the best part... the hard wood floors are original! Put together piece by pain staking piece. Not like this fake wood crap people use now.So, take the time to look down if you're already there. And, it looks like all the door and window hardware is original or near original Also, they've got honeycomb tiles in the bathrooms. Do you know how hard it is to install those? And to clean those?!! In saying so, the place is VERY tidy and full of charisma and ja ne sais quoi but, keep in mind it's quite old. Old stuff collects things. So, if you're looking for the Hilton, then stay at a Hilton, leave The Bullis for people with taste.

Spooky! This was…read moresuch a strange place to stay not like most BnB's I've seen and stay at. It was kind of eerie and felt like a scene from the movie psycho. The hostel right next door didn't help, nor did I know about it until I had arrived in San Antonio. It was creepy from the moment we arrived. I had to pray the blood of Jesus over this place in order to fall asleep! JK The up side is the cost of our stay as well as the mgr. he was cool kinda like a beatnik type of artsy dude. The black turtle neck black hair and black glasses type. He cooked really good and was very professional. He also let us add a person to our room the 2nd night stay without any extra charge. Pretty impressive huh? Would I go back? I might simply for the price and the mgr. I have never found a bnb with such a low price or a mgr so chill. Oh did I mention they offer a murder mystery night? lol Never would have guessed they would offer that....sacastic much? uh, yea. All in all though it was pretty cool.

We stayed here for a Fri-Sun recharge, and it was fantastic! The acreage is pristine, and it goes…read moreall the way to the river, where we sat and listed to the babbling river roll over the rocks. For this trip, we didn't want to go out a lot, so we took our own food. There are multiple grills (gas and wood) on property, and a mini fridge in the room, as well as cold drawers in the cabana! It was a little cool still, so we opted out of swimming, but the pool is very nice and shaded from the harsh summer sun that's just around the corner. If you want to stay connected, there is WiFi throughout and TV's in your room and under the cabana outside. If you go with a group, there is more than enough room inside and out, including seating in the cabana! All of this, and they are pet friendly! Bentley had just as a relaxing weekend as we did, although we suspect he never works that hard at home either. ;-) Totally worth it!

After checking out hundreds of venues for our 50th wedding anniversary celebration, we selected the…read moreGruene River Guest House for many reasons!! It had 4 main bedrooms to accommodate us and and our three kids and their spouses. Then it provided a giant bedroom that our 10 grandchildren could enjoy and be comfortable! The main house had a large family area and a perfect kitchen! The covered outdoor kitchen was where we spent a lot of our time! The covered pool allowed use all day long!! The kids enjoyed the tubing in the river a lot!! There is a big yard where ballgames, laser tag, flying drones, and water ballon battles occurred daily!! Also the big parking area allowed all 67 of our Saturday guests a place to park safely and conveniently!! Gruene offers lots to do and we had a fun filled, busy week! The owners, Lynnae and Jeff became fast friends and they accommodated our every need! They have the place outfitted perfectly from the kitchen to the bedrooms to the outdoor furniture! This place was perfect for our family celebration!

I stayed in the 6 bed women's room and had a very positive experience!…read moreThe staff was kind, I was able to store my luggage in their storage room after I checked out, the bathrooms were clean, and the kitchen was well equipped! The location of this hostel is super central. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for a hostel in Austin.

Had a brief stay here and I must say I enjoyed the accommodations. Chill vibe, pleasant front desk…read morestaff, place was clean and when I had trouble booking I received a quick email reply. Definitely would recommend and would stay again.

I was here for a bachelor party a few months back. The place is great for a big group. Full of bunk…read morebeds and very spacious. We were pretty much there to sleep. We went out in the town during the day and at night. The manager/owner of the property charged us a ridiculous amount of money because "we threw a football threw a shed." We did not even have a football and the "shed" in the back yard was falling apart as is. Then we were charged for a camera that had gone missing. 1) we never saw a camera and 2) why would you leave your camera at your house that you are renting? smart. Lastly, he charged us for a broken door which was broken when we arrived. We noticed it but didn't think anything of it thinking the owner already new about it since it was there apon arrival. I feel he took advantage of us just because we used the words bachelor party. We were there a total of probably 15 hours the entire long weekend and it was all just to sleep. If you do stay here take pictures of everything because he will nickel and dime you for everything. whether you did it or not. I would suggest staying somewhere else.

I would say 5 stars for community because you get to meet most of your hostel mates and make new…read morefriends fast, but it loses a star for a few needed updates. We also had 8 sharing one bathroom which was a bit much for morning time when everyone started waking up around the same time. I have never stayed in East Austin before, and I loved my experience here! Plenty of good eating a nightlife options within walking distance. I had no issues with safety while there. It is a great option for solo travelers from everywhere. There are only mixed dorm rooms (no single sex), so if you feel uncomfortable with that, then it may not be the best place. I had no issue with it besides the bathroom being a little messier (oh messy guys). Brent, the hostel owner, is awesome and a great host! He took a bunch of us out to some of the best local bars.

Stay and die or leave and live. It's that simple this place should be shut down. I called and…read morespoke with the manager of the place and he told me all about the rooms, rules and of course different houses they have. I arrived later on that night and I was shocked, but I'm not judgemental so I looked for a place to park, which was very difficult since its on the street parking and then I walked to the front door and just walked in no one there to greet you or even speak to you. After walking all over the house I went to the backyard and they were having a concert in the back. The manager greeted me and walked me over to the other house where he had rooms.This is where it got scary there were men everywhere sitting on the couch in the kitchen and they looking really desperate for a woman. This hostel was the dirtiest one I have ever seen. The floors, walls, furniture, refrigerator, kitchen were filthy. The beds looked like they were there when they moved in. I did not stick around for the any surprises I just left.

this place is the worst. i don't think it deserves one star. The owner of the hostel is not this…read more"local musician" (who's name is Ray and is one of the worst people ive had the displeasure of getting to know in my entire life). although this man claims to own both houses, he doesn't, a nice oriental couple owns the buildings. that aside i payed up front for a month and i can only speculate that all of his tenant's money were going towards drugs, because it certainly didn't go toward rent or utilities. i say that not just because of how crazy Ray is, but because when the power shut off permanently; a few days into my stay he hadn't had a cent to his name. where did all of our money go? "i already spent that s**t", says ray. none of his tenants got a dollar back from him. i could go on and on, but trust me when i say this place is a scam and ray is a joke. Please don't even consider this as a last option.

We loved our stay at Menger Hotel! The history, the nicely-maintained building and rooms, the…read morebeautiful bar, the lovely balcony and view, it was lovely. The front desk staff was fine, but I saw an area of opportunity to get to know why the guest had come to this historic hotel and give us a quick FYI about certain areas, relics, and fun facts as there is so much to read and learn. Checkout was also fine, but the person didn't ask about our stay, welcome us back in the future, or anything that suggests above and beyond. Our room was nice and well-maintained. The balcony view was worth the extra couple dollars, but the furniture out there was not super comfortable. The beds were comfy, and the room was in good condition given the age. The pool was nice, huge chess board and outdoor games for fun too. The older part of the hotel had a smell that only very old buildings have; it doesn't smell musky or moldy at all, but it has that comforting old building smell. The stained glass, chandeliers, windows, elevators, all were in very good condition. I loved all the relics and getting the chance to look at the wood carving details all throughout the buildings. The older part of this hotel is wonderfully maintained - preservation is obviously very important. I loved the bar. I loved the smell. I loved the dark wood, the history, the entire feeling of the bar. Beautifully maintained and while it was a small space, it didn't seem crowded. We would definitely come back again. While we had read plenty about the hauntings in the hotel, never once did we feel that vibe, but it was a very busy Saturday night with lots of people.

If you enjoy historic hotels, I definitely recommend the Menger Hotel. The Menger has a definite…read morehistory within San Antonio and is well worth checking out. The Menger used to be an old hospital and has been re-conditioned to become a very nice hotel with absolutely beautiful Victorian style lobby. This place is really, really unique. It is beautiful and ornate in its style and fun to be in. The wing we stayed in was indeed an older one with a large step up into the bathroom with was unique. The room was clean and pleasant with a nice view of the courtyard. There are some great stories of the Menger being haunted and while we didn't see any ghosts, I can see how this could be possible being an old hospital. The hallway to our room was big and a bit eerie with the big mirror at the end of the hallway. We enjoyed our stay, the bed was comfortable but the three negative things through me a bit. The checking in and checking out was very difficult and the staff was not as friendly as I would have expected and the valet service to pick up your car was absolutely dreadful. 30 minutes to get your car? No, I don't think so. Over all, our stay was very nice and there were no other issues but the customer service was very poor which dominated my rating. The Menger is near a lot of activities like the Alamo and the Waterwalk which made thing extremely convenient. I do recommend looking into the history of the Menger Hotel and then trying them out.

Alec was extremely accommodating when our debit card was locked unexpectedly. He was very…read moreunderstanding and gave us an opportunity to get our bank card situated. Thank you Alec.

I stayed in room 115 and there was human fecal matter on the floor in the bathroom, when I tried to…read moretell room service they didn't even go in my room at all!!

If you want the assholes at Austin Express Towing to tow your car and charge you $193 to get your…read morecar out you should stay here. Obviously there is an issue with running a "youth hostel" out of a duplex which is only assigned 2 parking spots with a vulture towing company preying on clueless guests!! What a disaster, honestly. A $50/night stay ended up being a $250/night stay! And meeting someone at a coffee shop without first disclosing the location of the "hostel" has red flags written all over it. The address is actually 4800 Southway Drive, NOT 1008 Waller St, Austin, TX 78702. Connor greets you at a coffee shop on South 1st and escorts you over to the shady apartment complex! He essentially runs a business out of a rented apartment. A week after he realized I wrote this review he kept harassing my boy friend to tell me to take it down. When my boy friend asked him to send us a check for $200 for the towing fee and I would take it down Connor stopped harassing him.

This place is an illegal ran hostel ran out of an apartment. When first arriving the host, Conor he…read morewas very inhospitable, scatter brained and organized. When I would ask him questions he was very vague and irritable. The other guest there were more helpful showing me where I would sleep, gave me a tour and showed me where the towels and blankets were. If you are a young attractive female, watch out, he gives creepo vibes for sure. He can be very controlling and overbearing when it comes to socializing making things very uncomfortable. There were several occasions when he was very judgmental and disrespectful to other guest. Because he runs this hostel out of his home it seems like he expects the whole world to revolve around him. Very unprofessional and rude. There was a situation were the toilet backed up and I asked him if he had a plunger. He said no and that I was stressing him out and why did I back up the toilet? and what was wrong with me. Also, the last straw was when he told me I had to move out of the room I was already in and move into the mens dorm. I told him I was uncomfortable with that so he told me to move my stuff in the closet and wait in till something comes up. I told him I was tired and wanted to relax so I asked if I could hangout in one of the private rooms for a couple hours while I waited. He told me to quite back talking him and that I was being unreasonable and crazy. I figured this is time for me to get out. I packed up my stuff and left. I tried to get my refund back but he only gave me half. Please dont stay here if you want to lose your sanity. The guy is a crazy and delusional.