Brackenridge House Bed and Breakfast

My wife and I stayed 3 nights in the Wren's Nest during the first week of Nov 2025. We had the place pretty much to ourselves. The room was clean, and the bed was comfortable. The decor was nice and the antique furniture was a good match for the room/house. The kitchenette was a plus. Off-street parking was nice to have. Breakfast was very good. We ate our breakfast on the front porch watching the neighbors walk their dogs and push children in strollers while the blue jays, grackles and squirrels scampered in the live oaks overhead. Lily was very responsive to any requests we had and gave us good ideas for things to do in San Antonio. Pros: 1) The neighborhood was gorgeous. It seemed like every house we drove past was unique and historical. Wished we had more time to spend wandering the neighborhood. 2) Close to downtown San Antonio and the River Walk. We used Lyft/Uber ($6-8) because we are lazy and didn't want to pay for parking, but definitely walkable (less than a mile) to downtown. 3) Breakfast was excellent and served promptly. The menu varied each day. Cons: Not many, but if I had to nitpick...1) It's not as quiet as an Amish-country getaway. You are in a city. You hear people out and about and train whistles in the distance. Nothing that woke me up, but don't expect complete silence. 2) The driveway is a little tight. No problem for a standard car but an Excursion would have a tight fit. 3) No common room/eating area. One of the things we like about staying at B&Bs is meeting other people and breaking bread together. There are common areas on the front and back porch, but nowhere for all occupants to gather together. Bottom line...if you are coming to San Antonio for a few days, the Brackenridge House B&B is a great alternative to staying at a hotel downtown. You'll actually feel like you are part of a unique neighborhood rather than being stuck in a corporate hotel that could be in any city, anywhere in the country. And the price with free parking and breakfast included is probably cheaper than staying at a hotel downtown, at least it was for us.

We stayed at the Brackenridge House for 7 nights. The location was perfect. It was in the middle of the beautiful King William District and a short walk to the riverwalk, and about a 15-20 minute walk to the touristy part of the riverwalk. It is in a very quiet neighborhood. The only real noise we heard was an occasional train blowing it's horn. Lily was a wonderful hostess. The breakfasts she made us each day were delicious, filling, and diverse. She is also a very nice, sweet woman. We didn't ask for much, but she provided us with what we asked for. She even gave us a portable electric heater for the room when we told her we get cold pretty easily. We asked her if we could check-out at about 11:30 instead of 11:00 and she said we could stay up until 12:30. When we left, she greeted us with hugs and thanked us for staying at her house.The only complaint we had is that we had to keep our shampoos/conditioner on the shower floor as there was no other place to put them. If we ever come back to San Antonio, we would absolutely stay here again. If you are looking for a quiet place to stay in a nice, safe area with a great hostess and delicious breakfasts, then the Brackenridge House is the way to go.

My husband and I really enjoyed our stay at this historic B&B! The accommodations were perfect and hostess Lily very attentive. We love the front balcony and back deck for relaxing! Lots to see, eat and enjoy at the nearby Riverwalk! Great walking neighborhood -checking out all the beautiful historic homes while enjoyed the shaded park like community.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time at the Brackenridge B&B in October 2025 for five nights. Lily is gracious, accommodating and caring. She prepared nourishing and tasty (not fussy) breakfasts including fruit, sausage, orange juice and rotating featured items like waffles, muffins and apple French toast. She even accommodated dietary needs without our asking. 🥰 As others have noted, this is a clean, comfortable older home centrally located just south of the River Walk in the King William Historic District. This allows for great access to downtown via a short walk while providing access to charming restaurants, shops and services. It’s a safe and quiet neighborhood with friendly people, grand Victorian homes and shade trees. What more could you ask for? (We would have even walked the mile or so to the Alamo, but it was hot that day, so we drove.) We were there during First Friday when shop owners, artists and craftspeople and restaurants open their hearts and doors. And it was extra special because it fell during Oktoberfest! Such fun to join with others to do the Chicken Dance while enjoying bratwurst, potato salad and seasonal beer. We will definitely stay here again. If you’re in the Wren’s Nest Suite, look at the Gibson Girl print on the wall. You’ll swear it’s Lily herself. Thank you again for a lovely time and for your warm hospitality, Lily and Roland. - Lauren and Shawn

We came to San Antonio to show Texas to friends from Massachusetts. I found Lily to be very pleasant on the phone before we arrived. Our vehicle was packed with, not only our things, but also had to accommodate the luggage from our friends when we picked them up from the airport. I asked if we could check in a bit early to off load before we met their plane. The answer was no, but she did allow us to store part of our gear by the stairs on the first floor. That worked. The house is old as are all the big houses in King William. It needs a fresh coat of paint on the front to be a bit more inviting. The rooms are suites and the arrangement with bedroom and kitchenette/ bathroom is really nice and offers space for a couple to easily enjoy. The upholstered furniture and rugs are old and could use a fresh up, but the bathrooms are very nice and new and the towels are thick and clean. L A few notes about comfort and safety. The air conditioning is not controlled by the occupants of the rooms and the ceiling fans were not enough to keep us comfortable at the pre-set temperature for the house. The shower has no grab bar. I slipped twice, but was able to recover. Since many guests might be older, like me, this should be remedied. The toilet, though new, runs off and on and it is noticeable at night when a guest is trying to sleep. The service was mixed. Accommodating as to fresh towels, emptying trash and setting up a day bed and providing a map with comments and directions for us to find things to do. But, if you need any flexibility on check in or out, you will have difficulty. I am sitting on the porch writing this because my husband is at the airport with our guests. I was told I had to be out by 11:30. As far as I can tell, there’s no real attempt to accommodate, and today, I couldn’t even store my luggage by the stairs for no more than an hour. Hence, a drop in rating from possibly a 4 to a 3!