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Terrell Castle Bed and Breakfast Inn – reviews, photos

950 East Grayson Street, San Antonio, TX 78208
Hotel amenities
Terrell Castle Bed and Breakfast Inn
Ranked #23 of 46 San Antonio B&B and Inns
4.0 of 5 stars 14 Reviews
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14 reviews from our community

    Trip type
Traveller rating
    7
    1
    0
    3
    3
Date Rating
Anchorage, AK
1 review
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
“A Nightmare I'll Never Forget”
1 of 5 stars Reviewed 21 September 2007
9
people found this review helpful

As I sit on the eve of another Family Vacation to Hawaii, my nightmares have turned again to the dreadful experience my family and I once suffered – at a place called Terrell Castel. It was June of 2004, and I had just returned from Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom 1); we had two toddlers and we really needed to stay in a place with people who gave a hoot. The owners, Vic and Diane Smilgin, were some of the most shockingly self-focused, mean spirited, twisted people I have ever encountered. Thus, our ordeal at Terrell Castel (in my 42 years of life), was the worst experience I have ever had, anytime, anywhere, at any level in the hospitality industry. The first night when I went down to the owner to request a baby bottle be microwaved for warm milk, he snarled at me in a SHOCKINGLY DEMENTED MANNER. I’ll never forget it if I live to be 110. This bizarre and unpredictable behavior continued throughout our 5 day stay. WHY DID WE PUT UP WITH IT? Well, IMMEDIATELY upon arrival, they asked for our Credit Card and CHARGED IT IN FULL. I was exhausted from War and travel, and finding another place to stay in San Antonio in June would have been difficult. To add insult to injury, some of my wife and children’s belongings were stolen by the Mexican maid who did it behind our backs under a ruse of kindness. All I can say is that I honestly hope others will be spared the horrors of an experience like this. Of the many things that stood out to me as BIZZARE, was a bumper sticker on Diane’s 700 series BMW. It read, “If you are not outraged, then you are not paying attention.” This was, evidently, her philosophy of life, because she and her volatile husband reeked of rage, contempt, and craven selfishness. Remember folks, when you stay in a place like a B & B, the OWNERS run the show, up close and personal. And if the owners are sick people, you are in for a hellish time. To this day, words still escape me to fully describe the extremely tense and volatile atmosphere of Terrell Castel. DO NOT STAY AT THIS HOTEL/ B & B.

  • Liked — Leaving
  • Disliked — The treatment recieved
  • Stayed June 2004, travelled with family
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Location
    • 1 of 5 stars Check-in / front desk
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 1 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 1 of 5 stars Service
    • 1 of 5 stars Business service (e.g., internet access)
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
A TripAdvisor Member
Alvin TX
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
“Knights' Dreams Come True”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 27 June 2006

The Terrell Castle was a treat! My twin boys have dreamed of being knights in a castle and this dream came true. We only stayed one night, which wasn't enough for us. We were the only guests so we didn't have to worry toomuch about making too much noise. The boys were able to explore every floor and we got a peek at all the rooms. I thought they were all nice. Only draw back of our stay was no tub for the little ones, but we knew that going into it. Breakfast was a treat, "dragon's blood juice!" (cranberry juice) The hosts were great and caught the boys' attention with tales of dungeons. I felt at home here and so did my kids. We look forward to returning to the Castle.

  • Stayed June 2005
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
San Antonio, Texas
1 review
“What a great place!!!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 22 January 2006

I have just come home after a sisters' weekend at the Terrell Castle B&B. We had a wonderful time and found the accomadations to be beyond our expectations. The rooms were very clean, as was the whole house. Our rooms were done with lovely antiques and the linens were very pretty. We felt very welcomed and comfortable from the moment we arrived.

The breakfasts that were served each morning were scrumptious. It was like going back into time, dinning in the beautiful dinning room... eating on linen and lace and beautiful china...fresh flowers throughout the house... great food.

The formal stairway was the perfect place for all of us to gather for a final picture. The owners were so helpful and gracious and so proud to share their home with us. The house is situated on a beautiful acre across from Ft. Sam Houston, so it is very pretty to sit on the porch and just relax in the afternoons. All six of us were very pleased with our accomadations and would consider it again for our adventure next year.

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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Mississippi
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
16 helpful votes 16 helpful votes
“Good food, poor accommodations”
1 of 5 stars Reviewed 18 January 2006
7
people found this review helpful

We stayed two nights in the Giles Suite with our two daughters, ages 4 and 6. After spending the day at a San Antonio theme park, we called to inform our hosts that we were on the way. They told us they were not home and that they didn't even recall our reservations. I had reserved the room two weeks ahead of time through their online reservation service, and was holding the reservation confirmation in my hand. They told us they would be home soon and to go ahead to the castle and wait for them. We arrived around 5.p.m. The hosts arrived around 5:40 p.m. When we finally got up to our suite, it was terribly hot because the air conditioning wasn't on.

The Giles suite was spacious and the mattress on our King-size bed was comfortable. The girls loved having their own rooms and had no complaints about their beds. But, what I remember the most is how disappointed I was when we first walked in the castle. The castle was beautiful, but it was in desperate need of updating on the inside. The outside needed some repairs as well, but not nearly as much as the inside needed to be remodeled. The pictures on the Website looked much better than reality. The carpet in our suite and in the halls had stains and was well-worn. It appeared to be 15-20 years old. The interior seemed to be furnished with cheap, yard sale finds--lots of trinkets, lamps with dingy lampshades, misplaced what-nots, and the like. Although the inside wasn't filthy, there was a very strong, musky odor throughout the castle, and it was cluttered and dusty. As for the outside, the front was nice, with a spacious wrap-around porch, nice shady yard, and lush St. Augustine grass, but the back yard was littered with various objects and not set up for guests to enjoy. The old carriage house, which wasn't a guest room and next to the parking area behind the castle, was in disrepair. It was littered by various objects such as paint cans, ladders, and other debris.

The breakfasts were delicious and abundant with fresh fruit, eggs made to order, french toast, juices and the best omelet I've ever had. The breakfast was the best I've had at any bed and breakfast. The hosts were personable and friendly and they weren't terrible people, just terrible at operating and maintaining a bed and breakfast. The castle has potential to be unique and enjoyable. But, the owners (hosts) had not invested the time and money to make it happen.

The main reason we stayed at the castle was because it was a child-friendly B&B, and we thought it would be neat to spend the night in a castle. Even though the girls had a wonderful time playing princess, I wouldn't return, nor would I reccommend it to anyone. The poor condition of the property (inside and out) outweighed the novelty of staying in a castle.

  • Stayed August 2005
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 2 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 1 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 1 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Midland, Texas
Senior Contributor
26 reviews 26 reviews
Reviews in 13 cities Reviews in 13 cities
23 helpful votes 23 helpful votes
“Disappointed with Terrell Castle”
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 20 November 2005
3
people found this review helpful

We were a little concerned as we drove through the neighborhood to the Terrell Castle. It was rough-looking, but we had no problems.
The castle itself could use some updating and we could hear our neighbors through the walls. Generally clean, just worn. Food was OK, but won't stay here again.

  • Stayed November 2005
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 2 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
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Additional Information about Terrell Castle Bed and Breakfast Inn

950 East Grayson Street, San Antonio, TX 78208
Price range (per night):* INR4,474 - 9,506

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