BEALL MANSION An Elegant Bed and Breakfast Inn — Hotel in Alton

If you’re an antique collector or lover this is the only place to stay in Alton. I went here for a work trip and have extreme diva standards when it comes to hotels. In Alton there isn’t much to choose from. For a decent hotel you’ll have to drive to St. Louis which is 30 minutes out of my way for meetings. I chose this place because it’s a B&B and it was gorgeous from the pics and literally 6 minutes from my meeting the next day. Once I booked it, I got a call from one of the owners, Jim, who asked me about my tea preferences and what he could do to make my stay there more comfortable. I was ecstatic. Tea and antiques!

Once I got there I was blown away at the detail they put to maintain a long gone era of Victorian décor. Everything was carved and commanded a presence of luxury. Also, I immediately notice how calming and quiet it was, which was a pleasant surprise! I really dislike loud noises of any kind (high anxiety here), and I felt peace in this place. Jim helped me take my luggage to my room and even gave me a tour of my room outlining all the details and amenities just in case I wasn’t sure.

My room was absolutely gorgeous! There was an 8 or 9 foot tall carved teak armoire, a great size bathroom with separate shower and bathtub and homemade lavender infused bath salts his wife made! I took a bath every night and I felt like a queen! I was ecstatic. There was even a separate antique vanity strategically placed in the corner of the room right in the middle of two windows so that light would surround it evenly. It was fabulous. I enjoyed all the attention to detail. They made sure a guest would not need a thing. The bedding was perfect. Down comforters and down pillows and cotton sheets, none of that microfiber nastiness. It smelled and felt like home.

The most important thing was the food! They had a tea station in the dining room for 24/7 use. And the kitchen was open in the morning for breakfast. Tea, oatmeal, bagels, fruit, eggs. Perfection! I would’ve been happy with just the 24/7 tea station. And let me tell you it was just bliss to be able to obtain some decent tea and hot water at any point throughout the day. I am HUGE tea drinker! And this was the reason I fell in love with this place. There was also coffee and their own brand of tea which was also quite delicious. They even had stevia if you didn’t want the 5 other choices offered for sweetener. On the other side of the dining room there was a station for CHOCOLATE! I was a mess. They were all carefully placed in crystal dishes with the flavor or type of chocolate being offered just above it. Just shoot me. It was amazing.

Sadly, I stayed here for less than the time I actually booked it for since I had a cancelled flight and rushed to book something earlier as a result of the airline. I was in such a panic to leave that I left my very expensive leather backpack in the room and didn’t notice until I was already at the car rental location. When I called over I spoke to Jim and he went to my room to locate it and said he would overnight it to me as per my request. It contained not only my laptop but also my house and car keys! I was distraught, but knew Jim would take care of it as he had taken care of everything else while I was there!

Overall the price was more than fair for the room. Cleanliness 1000%. Quiet. Beautiful. EXCELLENT customer service. Oooh and there also was free brandy in the parlor. I gotta stop because otherwise I’d be writing a dissertation. Please stay at this place when you’re in...

So my husband surprised me with a stay here for my birthday, and I can honestly say we would not go back. If given the option to leave and get a refund I would have taken it. I always try to list the good and the bad and weigh the value for the cost, so I'll start there. Good, some very beautiful antique pieces, mansion itself is very beautiful and definitely feels like a step back in time, chocolate bar was nice (we don't eat many sweets but nice selection of chocolates), bed was comfortable, whirlpool tub was nice, and room was clean. Now the reasons I would never pay as much as my husband did to stay here again, first the breakfast. Alot of reviews say the food is delicious, amazing, etc. I myself cannot comment on the cooked breakfast as it was an additional $50, what was offered instead as "free" is the continental breakfast, which consists of you going in the fridge (pic provided of butler's quarters) and picking what you like. There was 1 hard boiled egg, a few danishes in Ziploc bags, several beverage options (silk milk, flaxseed,etc) bagels in the door, oranges in the bottom drawer, and frozen toaster waffles in the freezer. Ridiculous to me personally bc if you pay over $200 for a room (w/ an upgrade option) at a b&b, a decent breakfast should be included. Next a lot of reviews stated the owners are extremely friendly, I won't say they weren't however we only spoke when we first arrived and another brief encounter that evening. Jim gave us the tour and keys, etc. He was nice and informative. We met his wife briefly when we came down later to warm up food, she was friendly and asked how we were doing. When we left at around 8:45 the next morning there was no one to be found other than a young lady who came out of the kitchen and took our key, no one said thank you for staying with us or offered us assistance in the breakfast area, nothing. So all the excessive comments on hospitality I did not get to experience but they were nice on the two occasions we saw them. Next the room, overall the room was nice and comfy, the only issue we had was the water coming out of the sink would not get hot, or even warm so we had to get all of our hot water from the tub. They also have robes in the room with little cards saying you can by a used robe for $99 or a new one for $149, I felt that was just another example of just how overpriced they are for services offered. At the end of the day it was not my cup of tea, simply because I don't feel it was worth the cost at all. That should have been a $125 stay at best, but that's just my opinion. Take from the review what you will, I'm simply listing our experience and opinions to give folks another perspective in case it could help someone else...

My beautiful bride and I choose to have an intimate wedding, actually to elope. Our search for locations brought us to the Beall Mansion. The mansion is absolutely beautiful and from a time when craftsmanship and artistry were a part of every detail. Throughout the mansion are fine marble and antique furnishings which set the tone for an elegant stay. Jim and Sandy are the most amazing hosts you could ever hope for, attending to every need and detail. When you arrive it is obvious that these are caring and very professional “innkeepers”.

Organic chocolates and teas are just a small sample of what the Beall Mansion provides for their guests. If I had to describe the Beall mansion in one word that word would be “real”. You can find mass produced blah and uniformity elsewhere, this place is all about being special and genuine. In addition to being such a wonderful place to stay the staff did an excellent job of facilitating our wedding. They provided our wonderful minister, witnesses and even put us in contact with an excellent photographer.

Whether you are looking for a quiet and beautiful place to stay or you want to be married in a location that provides classic appeal and romance the Beall Mansion is where you want to stay. Quite simply I can not recommend them highly enough and we will be...