Dixie Motel Brenham — Hotel in Brenham

The Dixie Motel is a gem. I stopped there on my way back to Houston after watching the eclipse, based on Google reviews, and struck lucky!

It's a very small operation, with only eight rooms at present, and on the night I stayed I seemed to be the only guest. That makes for a very personal experience--I enjoyed meeting and chatting with Karl, the owner, a very interesting guy.

The motel itself was built in the fifties, then allowed to become dilapidated before Karl and his wife bought it and began renovations. There are two buildings with rooms; so far one has been renovated, and the other stands as a reminder of just how much renovation was needed! The renovation has been done extremely well: I had the King room, and it was spacious, comfortable, and stylishly furnished and decorated. There are period touches, such as a (working) antique fridge and a gramophone, with vinyl to play on it!

Guests get a key to the 'breakfast room' as well, containing a buffet table with a spread of goodies, including fresh fruit and a juice press, which can be enjoyed at any time. I took a tasty local beer from the antique fridge, and enjoyed it in the afternoon sun at a table in the courtyard: very civilized. I also enjoyed some fruit and pressed juice before bed--lovely.

The motel is about 500m from the main road in a residential area, so it's pretty quiet, and the rooms must be well insulated for sound because there was a storm the night I was there, which blew down a branch from one of the trees, but I slept like a baby throughout.

Breakfast is self-service in the breakfast room; the buffet is expanded with breakfast items from 7 to 10a.m. It's a cold breakfast, and normally I prefer a hot one, but actually I found it delicious and satisfying--I ate boiled eggs, granola with yoghurt and lots of fresh berries, and more pressed grapefruit juice. I was provided with ground coffee and a one-cup filter in my room, so I could make myself coffee the strength that I like.

Brenham is a small town with considerable charm, and a long list of restaurants for dinner. There was a list, with walking distances, provided in the room; Karl also gave me a recommendation for a central American place, which I sampled and enjoyed. There is an interesting looking BBQ place quite near the motel, but it was closed on the day of my visit, unfortunately. I didn't want to drive after the beer (6.6%!), so I decided to walk into the town (and see a bit of it), and Uber home. That last part didn't work out for me: while Uber had cars available while I was making my plan, there were none by the time I had finished my meal. So I had to walk back as well--no biggie though.

Karl also gave me a recommendation for a scenic drive in the area, ending at a rosarium, which I did the next day instead of my planned outing (to a place that turned out not to be open). I enjoyed it very much! This is the kind of local knowledge that is very hard to get by Googling, but can really enhance a trip.

The Dixie Motel is not a dime-a-dozen motel like so many others; it's a unique and memorable experience. Stay there. You owe it...

I was skeptical to book this place just because of the name “motel” . Typically you think “motel” and think cheap, bad area, bad people and the list of negativity goes on. This was a last minute booking for my sons baseball tournament and all other big name hotels were sold out and I was traveling alone with my two children. I read some reviews and decided to try it out. The website to book is very user friendly I didn’t have any issues with booking. On the day of checking in I was slightly worried while on my drive headed there because typically big name hotels will send you a email the day of your stay reminding/confirming your check in and I did not receive that. However moments later I received a personal text message from Karl, the owner. He wanted to confirm my check in time and said the room would be ready. When we arrived I went to check in and he was at the front desk waiting for our arrival he was very pleasant and handed me a welcome gift along with room keys and breakfast room key and offered me a tour of the place. They have a filtered water dispenser available around the clock along with a breakfast room which my toddler renamed the “fruit room” And had to stop in there every morning for fresh fruit which they put out. They also have a retro original refrigerator stocked with yogurt and fresh milk, local beer from local breweries but the best part that sold me was when there was a pitcher of fresh homemade tea that he said his wife makes daily! That alone had me sold on this being a great choice! Once getting the room you could tell it recently renovated as it had that “New” smell. The room was beautiful and very comfortable made me feel as if I was I was in the comfort of my own home. The room was equipped with a retro looking small fridge with fresh organic milk that was stocked daily. There was also a record player and vinyls that my son really enjoyed trying out. The shower was small stand up shower (no tub) but great! My son is 6’4 and loved the placement of the rain shower head. The motel is tucked away in a quiet neighborhood I felt very safe and also felt like my vehicle was safe. I typically worry even at big name hotels about my vehicle being broken into, here I didn’t worry about it at all. The bed was very comfortable and I loved the lotion that they had it smelled of beautiful fragrance. Overall this was one of the best places I have ever stayed and would pick this place again, over any...

The Dixie Motel is a recently and beautifully renovated motor court type property in a quiet residential neighborhood close to downtown Brenham. The new owners are incredibly friendly and accommodating and went above and beyond expectations in making sure my daughter, granddaughters, and I were comfortable. They’re doing an amazing job renovating this property. The front building is complete, and we stayed in one of the rooms there. The other building is in early renovation stage.

The responsibly designed space uses soothing colors and stays true to the original property’s footprint, which is one of the Dixie’s most appealing qualities. Our room felt open and airy, with crisp white walls, soft gray trim, and three windows. There was a nice bit of open floor space where the children could play. Our room had a very small stone-tiled shower with a great rainfall shower head. The bathroom was equipped with the added feature of a timed heater system that could be set for anywhere from one minute to four hours. Like many renovated properties today, the two full-size beds are the low platform style. We all had a great night’s sleep and woke up refreshed and ready for the first day of Spring Break — and the Dixie’s central location made getting to area attractions easy — from the Blue Bell Creamery to the shops and eateries on the courthouse square. This would also be a great “home base” for visitors to Antiques Week held in Round Top and Warrenton in the spring and fall — it’s just 25-30 minutes to Round Top from Brenham (Goggle Round Top Antiques Week and Junk Gypsy for details).

A unique feature of the Dixie was the turntable and case of vinyl records in every room. Ours offered a range of styles, from James Taylor, Harry Chapin, and Fleetwood Mac through Jerry Jeff Walker and Emmylou Harris to Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. The selections probably vary from room to room, and it’s a fun feature!

In the room, in addition to a nice selection of teas, there was the option of a pour-over coffee maker and Brenham’s own fantastic Independence Coffee! A water bottle refill station is also conveniently located in the outside breezeway. Free parking is provided, right in front of the rooms.

Thanks so much to these owners for so beautifully preserving some of the “old Brenham” and also giving visitors a way to experience the motor court days of “yesteryear” with 21st...