We had a great stay at this hotel. The place was very clean, and the owners were incredibly…read morefriendly and accommodating. It's also a perfect spot if you're traveling with a dog, as there are nice areas for walks. The free breakfast was a nice bonus, and overall, I'd definitely return in the future! Also I want to thank them so much for mailing my Kindle to me, just fantastic service!

Overall a nice place. Rooms were spotless, beds and pillows comfortable, furniture adequate. Shower…read moredrained slowly. The only complaint is that when my wife called to inquire about a coffee filter for the coffee maker, the response was rude, inappropriate and uncalled for. The lady she spoke with during checkout was very nice and obviously mortified at the attitude of the person on the phone. She promised to speak to the employee about this situation.

it was great but online it said breakfast end at 10:00 AM but when we got there it was closed and…read moreit was 9:02 AM the lady there said "oh it closes at 9:00 AM "

Recently, while driving through town my wife and I found this recently renovated motel and decided…read moreto spend the night while on our way back to Dallas. The woman at the front desk was very pleasant and gave us room 214 which recently had a new A/C installed and provided us a cool 68 degree stay. I did notice that at the rear of the front office they had an ice machine available for guests; but to my dismay I witnessed a woman drive up and get herself a bucket full of ice and then drive away. About 30 minutes after checking in , we received a courtesy call from the front desk asking if they could do anything for us. I haven't experienced that in years! Although we were right off the highway, the construction of the room provided us with a good night's sleep! Our bathroom was very nice with a large back lit mirror and a tub with a shower curtain that bowed outward to provide the user with a little extra space. Getting out of the shower was a little awkward as there was no support handle to grab onto either inside the shower or on the wall. Overall, a very nice stay with a Dairy Queen down the road a piece and a Cefco convenience store across the street with a small BBQ joint next door. We will definitely be back!

My wife and I saw this motel was recently renovated as we passed through on the way to Brenham. We…read moredecided to give it a try to break up the trip a little on our way back to Dallas. Upon check-in we were informed that we were the first customers to ever stay in this particular room number 214 with a recently installed air conditioning system. We are currently enjoying a 68° room! 30 minutes after check-in we received a courtesy call from the front desk; when was the last time anybody even thought about doing that?!! Very nice people here! Although the refrigerator is a little bit out of date and the microwave wave should have been cleaned better, the rest of the room looks quite impressive for the $68 rate that we were given for the night. We have a Dairy Queen down the street and a Cefco convenience store that connects to a bbq joint across the street from us. We could definitely do this again.

After a long day of taveling, we got 2 rooms, Room 119 and 120. Room 120 has wet ass sheets and…read moreroom 119 has bed bugs in the bed and all over the floor of the room. Very poor quality and do not recremend for others who choose this place for the night. Unacceptable behavior for a hotel.

This hidden gem is amazing! The staff was responsive to our…read moreearly check in request for business reasons on our part. The location is convenient to Austin, Tx. The air conditioning actually cools the room down, so bring a sweater or hoodie if you're a Millennial! The Rockdale Police Department responded to a small public service request and found a solution to our "pickle" ... kudos to Officer ? ... and the dispatcher. Best sleep in all our travels!

Great place to stay!…read more Historic, beautiful, and well maintained hotel. This is a historical site that is the oldest family run hotel in Tx. The proprietors are friendly and helpful. A joy to stay here!

Quaint and nostalgic with a touch of today thrown in. The breakfast was fantastic and inviting…read more Thoroughly enjoyed the buffet set up in the kitchen made it hip and homey at the same time. Beds are comfortable and sitting out on the porch with the creek in the background was fantastic. Enjoyed the restaurant with local family and the bar upstairs. Definitely a must go.

Wow Kay is AWESOME!! She made everything so perfect and is the sweetest…read more She was so accommodating even though we arrived late she was there to show us around and even baked fresh cookies when we arrived! It was around 9 PM who does this?! Talk about going above and beyond she really did it!! We slept well and rocked on front porch the next morning listened to the birds, morning breakfast was absolutely fantastic - there were four of us and everything was just beautiful and delicious -- the entire property is amazing and very comfortable we stayed inside the main house on our first visit to the Rose Mansion which was only last Thursday and we loved it so much we stayed again last night - this time we stayed in the Garrison cabin and it was so quaint and peaceful Kay is the best host and can tell you many interesting facts about the property nevertheless the beds were comfortable the accommodations were wonderful The feel of the property is very peaceful and relaxing and the town of Salado is absolutely charming! We will be returning!

Yester-years decor, delicious food, and attention to detail make this country venue a memorable…read morestay!

What a hidden jewel! The beautifully spacious kitchen hosts cooking classes and the large table…read moreinvites new friendships. The HAND PAINTED floors in the hall and rooms is incredibly endearing. We were greeted with fresh baked cookies and breakfast was Luxurious! Thr garlic and cheese grits have changed my life - I had to restrain myself from licking the bowl . The crossiant French toast with blueberry compote ....oh my gosh. We loved every Moment of our stay here.

Blue Hills Ranch is a can't miss experience. The staff were so incredibly welcoming, warm, and…read moreknowledgable. They went above and beyond to make us feel like family and at home. The animals are so well taken care of and loved. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience, and we are so glad to have stayed there. Special shout out to Allen the Chef who made some of the most delicious meals I have had and Anne and Jackie who were so knowledgeable about otters and kangaroos. We also loved Dundee (their baby kangaroo.)

Spent the weekend here and had great animal adventures. We stayed in the kangaroo cabins. The cabin…read moreitself had everything and was great accommodations. The place was clean and just the right size for my wife and I. Being city folks you forget how dark it is out in the country at nights. It was nice. We signed up for these adventures to make the weekend even more fun: 1. Feed baby kangaroo(Bodhi). This was about a 30 minute session where we got to feed him a bottle and kibble. It really was an amazing experience. 2. Bucket of food and self guided feeding of animals. We walked the property and hid to feed so many animals. All of the animals were friendly toward people. They were all very good motivated. We encountered a giraffe, donkeys, zebras, horses, cows, pigs, dwarf steers, camels, emu, deer, buffalo and more. The animals were often trying to bully their way to the front of the line. The cow Oreo who has not skipped a meal was always front of the line. 3. Afternoon safari ride in ATV. This was a fun ride around the property. Did not see any new animals but had a great time. The cows out at pasture were thrilled to be fed. 4. Giraffe encounter and meal. This was a little expensive but I would spend it again. The giraffes were super friendly and personable. We wanted to take them home because they were so much fun. The guide, experience and never felt rushed made this worth it. Our guide was top notch. I think her name was Jackie but could be wrong.

We had an incredible stay at this hotel and plan on staying here anytime we are in the area! It was…read morethe perfect place to get some sleep but they even had some incredible activities happening around the end of year holidays

Art museum mixed with fun mixed with comfort!!! If you're ever in town please STAY here. We came in…read moretown for Aggieland volleyball tourney and were so happy we stayed here. Not only are the rooms so cute and I mean every little detail they thought of. From the tissue holder, disco ball, chalkboard on the door, 75 inch tv, booklet with information and pamphlet showcasing the history of Ponderosa Hotel (the original). The amenities alone are worth it. First when you checkin the process is so easy and the staff is so sweet. You're also greeted with a complimentary drink. Then you enter your room through either door with a code assigned to you to enter the keypad. I loved this because sometimes those cards don't work or get deactivated. They have a beautiful lobby that is completely stocked if you need drinks/snacks. There is an arcade (games are free), pool, giant chess and other yard games, lounge chairs, pickleball court, musical playground, swing, garden, telescope, bikes to ride. My littles didn't run out of things to do at all. We may book a weekend trip just to come back and enjoy this hotel more. This is prob my new fave place to stay if I need a quick getaway. The vintage microwave and fridge in the room made my heart smile

I killed a roach in room 110 around midnight Christmas Eve/Morning. I brought it, dead, to the…read morefront desk, then went back to my room. After I was asleep, a couple hours later, I received a text message from the front desk attendant. She had use the roach as an excuse to look up my phone number to ask me for a cigarette. No other mention of the roach. I have elderly relatives in Rockdale, will need a Rockdale hotel again in the future. Probably not this one.

I've stayed here several times since moving into the area. During the pandemic my husband and I…read morestayed in this hotel for nearly two months because the pipes in our house had bursted and finding a plumber was almost impossible. Our pipes bursted again so we needed to find a convenient place to stay for a few days. The front desk clerk was very welcoming and helpful. I highly recommend her. Later we saw that the hotel water had turned brown. I thought it was unusual. I asked the clerk , who was different from the one who greeted us, about a room change. She seemed a little confused about my request so I explained that we needed to run an errand and will return. My husband insisted on handling our request because it seemed that the new on duty desk clerk was a little hostile. The clerk explained that the city works on the water system without informing the residents. I understood, however she began to ask us about our experience checking in before check in time, what time did we check in? Did the clerk explain that we could not check in before three o'clock? And we should not have been allowed to check in at 11:00 am. The clerk walked over to the sign on the wall, "Check-In 3:00p.m." That is where I nearly lost it. I am a PhD holder. My husband is also a PhD holder and we own several companies and this woman felt that she had to walk over and point to a sign to show us what 3 PM look like. I walked away as my husband continued a conversation. He's more patient than I am. So back to the question , hire and train welcoming individuals who are good at customer service.