Top Tables: Houston’s Eclectic B&Bs

By Miriam Halberstam

Those of you who watch The Gilmore Girls or who grew up on Newhart, two television shows where inns play a main role, might think they’re all like that—stately manors in small towns or the countryside, complete with a quirky handyman and an easily flustered cook.

So not true.

Houston, the nation’s fourth-largest city—hardly small, hardly countryside—has at least a half-dozen bed and breakfasts and inns. While lending themselves to idyllic getaways, the inns also cater to people traveling to the Bayou City to attend business meetings, celebrate a college graduation, see a play, or indulge in a short respite before boarding a cruise ship here or in Galveston.

As a hotel-adoring hedonist, however, I wondered why someone would choose to stay at a one-of-a-kind inn instead of a tried-and-true luxury or chain hotel. And therein lies the answer: Innkeepers provide a personal touch, warming milk for your coffee or keeping an eye out for you at night. Moreover, many of the houses have fascinating histories. Finally, each inn has a distinctive personality—and I don’t mean the handyman.

Here, then, are three B&Bs noted for their individuality, location, and charm.

Robin’s Nest seems an apt name for an inn kept by someone who has flown around the globe. Native Texan Robin Smith joined the United States Information Service (an agency since absorbed into the U.S. State Department) in the 1960s, a job that took her to Brazil, Belgium, France, and Morocco. Back in Houston, she worked in the banking industry. In 1978, as an investment, she bought and restored an 1898 Victorian farmhouse in the Museum District. Legend has it that the home was the first one built in that part of Houston.

More than a decade later, when Houston’s economy took a nosedive, Robin mulled over a career change. “For no tangible reason, the idea to turn the house into a B&B lingered in my head,” says Robin. She had stayed in a B&B only once, 20 years earlier, but in 1990, she opened Robin’s Nest with one guest room. It now has six—four rooms in the main house and two in a nearby cottage.

The salmon-colored house echoes Robin’s vibrant personality. Wraparound porch columns, braced by gingerbread, are accented with a checkerboard pattern between trim of purple, gold, and red. A blissful-looking, wooden angel dangles from the deep purple-red inn sign. In the foyer, an antique Chinese sideboard shares space with a hand-painted ceramic zebra and a lavender magazine rack.

But it’s the fabrics throughout the place that have become Robin’s signature. Robin herself sews the exuberant drapes, bedspreads, and even shower curtains that adorn the B&B. The innkeeper credits her late friend Cindy Hargrave, “a CPA with an artist’s eye,” for helping her pull everything together.

All the rooms here have queen-size beds (some with an extra twin bed), a private bath, a refrigerator, cable TV, and Internet access. Each of the cottage rooms has a whirlpool bath for two and a relaxing, private porch.

For breakfast, Robin sets out a continental buffet for early risers and prepares fuller fare later in the morning. The menu can be a medley of things, she says, ranging from French toast to herb frittatas and huevos rancheros.

As you might surmise from its name, Modern B&B, Houston’s newest guest-house, turns the inn stereotype completely on its ear. Built from metal, wood, and glass, and an easy drive to Rice University and the Texas Medical Center, the four-story B&B sits among raintrees that change from gold to pink during the spring and summer.

Innkeepers for less than a year, Rodney and Lisa Collins find themselves running the lodging happily but unexpectedly. Rodney, an award-winning architect, built the townhome a few years ago for a client. “When the deal fell through,” says Lisa, “we decided to move in ourselves.”

They had always lived in small places, however, and the house was more than they needed. Frequent travelers, Lisa and Rodney prefer B&Bs, and “for years we had talked about opening one of our own,” says Lisa. Last year, they decided to make their dream a reality and turn the townhome into a B&B, “knowing right away we would offer the ‘treehouse room.’”

This glorious, 800-square-foot space takes up the entire fourth floor and has 18-foot ceilings and lots of windows. Two balconies offer views above the treeline. “There’s a good feeling up there,” says Lisa. “Everyone who stays there gets a great night’s sleep.” The room has a king-size bed, a private bath with a whirlpool tub and separate slate shower, and a private entrance. Two other, light-flooded guest rooms, on the third floor, share an adjoining bath.

Decorated in a warm contemporary style, the Collinses’ living area has a black sofa and a modern piece of wall art that used to be a tabletop. The health-conscious couple raise chickens (yes, it’s legal in the city limits), grow their own herbs, fruits, and vegetables, and cook organically as much as possible. Lisa’s breakfast specialties are 10-grain waffles, bacon, eggs, and grapefruit, but she’s just as likely to whip up a smoothie or make biscuits from scratch.

Amenities include cable TV, DVD players, and Internet access. A centrally located refrigerator and microwave serve all the rooms.

For Connie and Bob McCreight, 1986 proved to be an auspicious year. That’s when they got married, and when Connie’s parents, Donna and Tillman Arledge, opened Sara’s Bed & Breakfast Inn. The McCreights purchased the inn seven years ago, continuing the family tradition.

Houston’s oldest B&B, Sara’s (named for Connie’s younger sister) is four miles from downtown in the Heights, a historic neighborhood with more than 100 structures listed in the National Register (see “Small Town in the Big City,” October 2001).

Facing a wide, green esplanade, the lovely 1898 Queen Anne mansion, soft pink with white gingerbread trim, has a welcoming porch. A second floor was added in 1980 along with two of the B&B’s most wonderful features: a turret and a widow’s walk. Inside, the first and second stories are designed around a staircase set beneath the turret, creating a remarkable, three-story open space.

Filled with antiques and collectibles, the inn’s 12 rooms and suites are all decorated differently. One has a nautical theme, one a Western motif, while another, dressed in varying shades of cream, proves incredibly soothing. “We have one guest,” says Bob, “who likes to try a new room every time he stays here.”

With so many rooms, Sara’s actually feels like a small hotel. Amenities like voice-mail service and plush robes number among the big-city perks, but with a beautifully appointed Victorian parlor right across from the check-in desk, the intimate inn ambiance remains intact.

The McCreights offer continental and full breakfasts, including homey indulgences like sweet-potato pancakes and eggs-and-sausage casserole, served in the sunny Garden Room.

All of the guest rooms/suites have private baths, and accommodations include full-, queen-, or king-size beds. An inviting, two-bedroom, two-bath balcony apartment in the carriage house is also available. Additional amenities include TVs, VCRs, and wireless DSL.

Whether you’re staying a night, a weekend, or a week, Houston’s size needn’t daunt travelers who prefer lodgings that shun the crowds. At these B&Bs, an inn is the “inn” place to be.

The Inn-side scoop: For general information about Houston, write to the Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau, 901 Bagby, Ste. 100 (77002); 713/437-5200; www.visithoustontexas.com.

Note: Reservations are required at all three inns.

Robin’s Nest is at 4104 Greeley St. (77006); 713/528-5821 or 800/622-8343; www.therobin.com. Rates: $89-$175.

Modern B&B is at 4003 Hazard St. (77098); 832/279-6367 or 800/462-4014; www.bbonline.com/tx/modern. Rates: $80-$125.

Sara’s Bed & Breakfast Inn is at 941 Heights Blvd. (77008); 713/868-1130 or 800/593-1130; www.saras.com. Rates: $70-$200.

See the full article in the May 2005 issue.

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