Austin’s Inn At Pearl Street

We are way overdue on this review, since we stayed there on the July 4^th weekend! We were visiting family near Houston and needed to find a place last minute in Austin for a 2 day trip. We found the Austin’s Inn on a trip adviser web site and gave them a call.
Wow, what a great experience we had. The rooms were all decorated charmingly with different themes. We got the Far East room. It was so comfortable and really quiet.
The hostess was so friendly and helpful, gave us a quick tour and the details on breakfast, a map of Austin and recommendations. We had a great stay for a reasonable price! It was close enough to everything near downtown and had easy parking.
We will definitely call them the next time we visit Austin.

What a horrible place. To get information for a potential wedding, it’s like pulling teeth. Honestly, you would think that if you’re going to spend THOUSANDS of dollars, they would at least have their information together and would make it a little easier for you to get all the details. Not the case at all. They’re short with you, arrogant about their information. and just a complete waste of time. Not impressed with them at all.

A charming bed and breakfast in the heart of campus. Perfect place to stay for a weekend visit in Austin. Great people running the place and easy access to Austin’s scene.

Normally the cost of the bed and breakfast includes a homemade breakfast in a dining room. Not so this «self-​service» B&B. Your options are either a scheduled breakfast in your room for an extra charge (which we didn’t want) or a continental breakfast in the dining room (which we can get at a chain motel).

We had our wedding at the Inn and stayed the weekend there as well. From the very beginning Jill and her staff were very easy to work with and knew exactly what to do to make us comfortable. They were very organized, and went out of their way to make our big day super special. We had several meetings in person with Jill and her staff, and never felt they missed a step. They were wonderful to work with, and the Inn was a beautiful place to have a wedding in Austin! It was very affordable, and we were glad we had them manage the food as well — they did a great job! We live in Austin, and after looking at so many other venues, this was the best choice. They also worked well with our wedding coordinators and vendors — all perfect!

My wife and I were planning a nice little trip to Austin and since it would be the week before the SXSW musical festival would start I figured there’d be hotels available, but I was wrong. The only place that was around our ideal area and had reservations was Austin’s Inn at Pearl St. Having never stayed at a bed & breakfast I wasn’t sure what to expect, I really enjoyed my stay.
It was really close to everything. We never had to drive more than 20 minutes to go anywhere. It’s super close to Guadalupe St. the 6^th St. bars, and the Whole Foods market off Lamar St.
The ambience and décor of the house and rooms give off a very old yet eloquent vibe. We stayed in the Library room which was the only room on the first floor. We both found the room comfortable and cozy, especially the bed. The bathroom was a little small, but was fine since it had all amenities.
The staff was great in making sure we had everything we needed. Parking was covered and was never a hassle (1 car per room).
As far as the breakfast part it was the usual cereal and yogurt. Honestly it was no big deal to us since we ate at restaurants the whole trip.
The whole experience was great and I would definitely recommend this place for a nice romantic getaway. It definitely earns 5 stars without a doubt.

I have to admit I was skeptical after i read some of the reviews on here… but I am basing my review on my weekend stay, not anything to do with a wedding.
I found everything about our weekend stay to be 5 star-​both the staff and owner were extremely accommodating and friendly from the minute we checked in.
We stayed in the French room-​which was beautiful and comfortable. The whole property is so welcoming that we didn’t feel rushed to leave and find something to do. Waking up to breakfast and fresh coffee and being able to sit out on one of the many porches that the property has, was really memorable.
I have recommended the b&b to at least 5 people, and am hoping to be able to visit again soon.
One tip and this is not a complaint-​if you are staying during the weekend the apartment complex across the way gets noisy after the bars close. We ended up just getting some earplugs-​I am a light sleeper, and will request a room away from the street next time.

simply the most arrogant group of managers ever. i wish i had come to Unilocal before booking here i would have seen the consistency in how they try to come off as charming but then hide behind emails and only respond when it makes sense to them. no surprise that they haven’t had positive reviews in years. there are lots of good places out there with lots of good people, this isn’t one of them.

I had a month to plan a wedding and had no idea it would turn out as good as it did. The venue is absolutely breathtaking, especially with all the lights in the courtyard. Because of all the natural décor and lighting I did not spend a penny on décor, and it was so beautiful and romantic. The staff helped coordinate everything so I did not have to stress about anything. It is a hidden gem located in the center of Austin.
Thank you Jill, Ted, and Team!

I feel generous giving this b&b 1 star. Terrible management. Parking issues even though management tried to accommodate by giving us a designated spot, someone moved the cones and parked there later in the evening anyway. They are very flakily and try to blame everything on other circumstances. Shady renter lives on property and while we were there two policemen and manager and staff were talking to him outside his apartment. Not a very comfy feeling. Although management said entire b&b was booked, we stayed in main house and no one was in there with us at all. Supposed to have continental breakfast with fresh coffee brewed from 6 to 10 a.m. First morning coffee was not made until 7:45 a.m. and again they tried to blame other occupants. Second morning house where coffee was served was locked with a new key so we could not even access home for the breakfast or get coffee. As we were leaving, staff member walked up speaking very little english but offered to let us in for coffee. This was at 8:15 a.m. and we were already packed up ready to leave. They offer no maid service apparently because after being gone all day when we returned to our room the bed was not made and there were no clean towels. The balcony outside our room is very unstable and the fire hazards in this place are very scary. Terrible lighting because there are no light fixtures just lamps. I would never stay here again. I love b&bs and I am not a picky person. Actually, I have never ever even taken the time to write a review on anything but considering how dissatisfied we were and with the amount they charge per night for what we received I felt I wanted to let others know to disregard reviews on expedia. The glowing reviews have to be fake. These people are flakey and unorganized. DO NOT STAY HERE!

Jill and Yessica were so friendly and helpful!
During the event I attended at this beautiful venue, not one detail was over looked. The ambience felt like a quaint country escape, I forgot I was so close to downtown. The service was phenomenal, I will definitely have them at the top of my list for future events! Not to mention the inn itself is beautiful and its’ accommodations were absolutely lovely.

I called the Inn to make a weekend reservation and can honestly say I have not come across a ruder person than Jill. She has zero customer service skills and constantly interrupts you when you are talking. Not only was she extremely unhelpful, it was difficult to get a word in. After getting frustrated on the phone, I decided to send an email to, hopefully to get a more professional response. After receiving no reply, I had to call again and deal with Jill again who demanded to know who I was, when I asked her if she could please read my email because all the info was there, she told me she gets hundreds on emails and cannot take to time to find mine.
It was just too much hard work to deal with her, I decided to go elsewhere.

We stayed in the Far East room for an Austin get-​a-​way weekend.
Positives: Beautiful furniture, unique style, gorgeous antique decorations fitting every room. Okay location ($ 7 cab ride from downtown). If you are coming to explore Austin, you probably won’t spend too much time in your room… so don’t let the décor sell ya. Jessica, a young employee greated us when we arrived, gave us a friendly tour and even got us a glass of wine. She had good energy and seemed very kind.
Negatives: For $ 225 a night, the breakfast is unimpressive. –Dry cereal, bread, yogurt, some fresh fruit.
Small picky notes: The shower took about 5 minutes to get hot and the water pressure was very weak. There were no DVD remotes in the rooms and the owner told us to look under the bed rather than helping us reslove the problem. We ended up watching DVD’s on our laptops. When other guests took a shower late at night (12am-​3 am) it sounded like water was running through our ceiling. Being a light sleeper, this woke me up every time. When the weather is cold, the house is very chilly. –Bring your coat to breakfast if you plan on eating in the dining area!

Would never of known about this place other than the Living Social deal we got — was eager for our romantic getaway this past weekend and everything seemed good at first with initial impressions and the tour. Then we got into the room and my wife remarked «why’d they put a computer monitor in here?» I know there’s many things to do in Austin besides stay in your room and watch TV, but still a minimally decent sized flat screen is inexpensive.
Then there was the light on in the hall. Not understanding the layout or the lighting situation, we slept the majority of the first night with a blaring light coming into our room from the hallway through a glass portion above the door. Our second night, after we knew how to turn off the lights in the hallway it was a flood light glaring into our room from the garden below on the other side. Finally Sunday morning we were awoken to a hallway smoke alarm’s annoying beep indicating it had a low battery. The lady at check-​in said they answered their phones all night, guess not Sunday mornings at 8, and I had to leave a message. After not being able to go back to sleep I went downstairs to grab a bite and ran into a nice lady who I thought might be able to help, but since she did not speak English she had to make a call. Then the young lady from check-​in gets on the phone, clearly just awoken, and proceeds to somewhat apologize and tell me «no one yet had reported it» and «they would have someone look into it» with no urgency like it was a task for an electrician and she had no concept of the extent of the irritant to us and other guests.
We had high hopes for their quaint, old, B&B but was disappointed not having the service and accommodations you’d expect at their price point.

This place is ok, but not amazing. I agree that the owner is rude on the phone. She interrupts and doesn’t listen to what you’re saying. Then she insists that you «shoulda said THAT sooner!» Granted, I could have said that sooner if I hadn’t been interrupted.
No matter what they say or advertise there is NO wireless connection. They say they are wireless, and post signs with directions regarding how to log in. When you try to use them, you realize they are for-​show, as they don’t work. everyone you ask seems clueless about how to access the it. You’re told to go to the front-​office for everything, which is fine – but then the front office should be open by 10am, shouldn’t it?
If they had someone polite answer the phone, and if they just admitted to having no wireless connections – this place might get a better rating. Unfortunately, for the price, and the rudeness I’d have to give it 2 stars.

The Inn at Pearl Street is a quaint little place with lots of kitschy decorations. It feels a lot like an old grandma’s mansion except the grandma is a mean old hag. If you like music like Yani and Enya (insert gagging sound) playing all day around the grounds then this is your place!
As most of these comments have listed the owner is truly a displeasure to deal with. It’s been a long time since I have been treated so rudely by the owner of a business. Whatever you do not ask for any common amenities like the bathroom or trash because she will deduct $ 50 from your deposit for throwing a piece of tissue in the trash. Rather than be up front about her limitations and expectations she handles others needs with disregard and contradiction. After watching my friend get married there and seeing how she treats her customers I absolutely would NEVER pay her money or stay at her Inn. She is two faced, unkind and a very bad manager.

The manager double booked rooms for my wedding and told me that I never made reservations. I would have been fine with the double booking — mistakes happen — but instead of an apology, I was treated as if the mistake was mine. Also, the cake cutting service didn’t cut enough for all the guests, and the catering wasn’t enough to feed everybody. The atmosphere and price are the only things that this place have going for it.

My best friend had her wedding here in April. It is beautiful! Fairy-​tale quality, especially after adding fairy lights. It was exactly what my girlfriend wanted, and it turned out beautifully.
My beef is with the management. When I showed up for dress rehearsal a little early, the manager (Jill) approached me by saying, «Who are YOU?» After I explained that I was part of the wedding party for the next day, she seemed to calm down a bit, but the damage was done – I was definitely wary of her, especially after she insisted that there was absolutely no place for me to use a restroom. When the officiant/​coordinator showed up, Jill flipped out. She insisted SHE was the coordinator and that was non-​negotiable! She was argumentative and really upset my girlfriend (K). She made set-​up difficult, snapped at the vendors, threw tantrums every time someone corrected her, and basically managed to get in everyone’s way all day long. The only person who was ever able to deal with her was me, by brown-​nosing my BUTT off to try to make things easier for K. I was told that after I left at the end of the night, Jill yelled at one of the other bridesmaids. Also: K and her husband didn’t get their deposit back because there was a muddy footprint on a carpet somewhere. Buyer beware. Go into this with your eyes open.
All that being said, if you can handle Jill, the location is beautiful and the rooms are amazing and unique. The breakfast is good, the baked goods hidden around the inn are fabulous, and as I said before, it really was everything K wanted it to be.

Do not stay here, do not have your wedding here.
These are words that will ring absolutely true with a lot of previous reviewers. Nothing has changed and don’t expect it to.
My fiancé and I visited several different Bed and Breakfasts before coming to the Inn at Pearl Street and choosing it. We met with Jill Bickford and although she didn’t have our proposal on hand at the time of the appointment (Alarm #1), she was pleasant and we followed through with the tour without issue.
A week passed, then one of our relatives actually linked us to the horrible Unilocal!reviews for Austin’s Inn at Pearl Street. This sent unpleasant chills down our spine, as we were moving across the country within the month and we had already placed our non-​refundable deposit with the Inn.
My fiancé, a girl whom plans everything out to a T, began getting nervous as did I. Is this where we wanted to spend our wedding? Previous reviewers had noted how she yelled at the wedding party, ruined their perfect wedding, didn’t provide the services set in the agreement, etc.
This is definitely not what I wanted for my bride to be. Once we settled down in our new residence, my fiancé sent off a list of kind list of questions that she wanted answered before signing the agreement.
Over a week passed and no response from our «wedding coordinator». My bride to be (BTB from here on) called her. The flightiness (seemingly very unstable) in Jill came out of remission and not only did she not know whom BTB was but didn’t know the date the wedding was scheduled for.
Jill hadn’t checked her business’ e-​mail in over a week (On vacation. What? No out of office e-​mail or alternative contact method?) and had to pull up the e-​mail.
BTB, rightly so, wanted an e-​mail (a.k.a. written) response back but Jill disagreed and said that the 20 minute conversation should have been good enough for her. She had 6 weddings to manage and didn’t have time to answer all the questions that «these brides» seemed to have.
I came home and gave Jill a call. At first she was all roses and sunshine until she realized that I was going to be asking her for our deposit back (Supposedly non-​refundable, but nothing was signed!).
She insisted that she sent an e-​mail to BTB with her answers, though the phone was passed to someone named «Charlie» that she told to tell me (yay for her not covering the handset microphone) that her «internet was down».
Not only was this very unprofessional but this only made me hold her closer to the fire. I asked when I could expect the e-​mail from her, she couldn’t guarantee anything.
We are now planning (afar) our wedding elsewhere and plan on telling everyone we come across on any sort of consumer review forum to avoid the Austin Inn at Pearl Street.
You and your wallet will be glad that you did.

Before I go into this review, I should admit to some dorkiness — I first heard about this place from a book called «Haunted Texas Vacations.» Now, I’m not saying I necessarily believe in ghosts and ghouls and all that, but it is fun to read about, and for a while, my ex-​boyfriend and I got pretty intrigued by it all. For our one-​year anniversary, we decided we wanted to stay at a «haunted» hotel.
At first we were set on the Driskill, but at $ 330 a night, we had to rule that out. Enter the inn at Pearl Street, and its French Suite, which — according to the book — had been the «hotspot» for a couple of sightings of a mysterious woman nursing a sick child. We even went so far as to research the place at the History Library, and discovered a couple of interesting tidbits, like the fact that a family who’d once lived there in the early 1900s lost not one but two boys, both at the age of 4 months, and both on the same day (though 10 years apart). Weird, huh?
But I digress. Research accomplished, we booked the suite, and arrived midafternoon to be greeted by the very friendly and welcoming innkeeper. She told us that we might even have the place to ourselves that evening, as no other guests had checked in (unfortunately, that turned out not to be the case), and she gave us complimentary wine and encouraged us to explore the place.
It’s not exactly Victorian, but similar in décor — the place is just chock-​full of neat old furniture, and each suite is done up with a different theme — French, Gothic, Far East, and so on. Downstairs, there’s a foyer, sitting room, kitchen, dining area, and living room, plus the big back deck, which was all set up with Halloween decorations and jack o’ lanterns (Halloween was the next day).
We whiled away a couple of hours, but were eventually driven back upstairs by the annoying other guests, who insisted on watching a football game (with the volume turned WAY up) in the main room. I don’t know why they didn’t just check into a Best Western.
Anyway, I’d like to say that our whole evening was relaxing and restful, but with all the reading I’d done about mysterious wraiths and spooky dead children, I didn’t get much sleep. At one point, I remember having half-​dozed off, and then waking to a strange, eerie blue light filling the room, and an odd buzzing sound — only to realize that my boyfriend’s cell phone alarm had gone off.
So that’s all that happened. If you don’t believe in ghosts and you enjoy quaint bed-​and-​breakfasts, then the Inn at Pearl Street is just perfect. But if you MIGHT believe in ‘em, well, don’t say I didn’t warn you if you spend a wakeful night. At least it was a cool pre-​Halloween experience!