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***Under NEW ownership & no longer a "B&B" as no breakfast is served.*** The only hotel located in downtown San Marcos within walking distance of the town square, Crystal River Inn has been a prominent part of the San Marcos community for over 40 years. This boutique hotel offers something for every type of guest, whether you are looking for a gorgeous wedding venue or a fun weekend getaway with beautiful hotel rooms. Our lodging options include 8 listings, each with private bathrooms, daily housekeeping upon request, and on-call 24hr front desk. Our garden makes our small inn one of the most romantic hotels in the area. Give us a call or visit us online today to find out why we are one of the best local hotels in San Marcos.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Family
Romantic
Location
326 W Hopkins St 3 Blocks From Courthouse Square, San Marcos, TX 78666-4404
Crystal River Inn
256 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Call the inn to set up a two night stay to celebrate my wifes birthday. The owner called me work out the special details. When we got there we stayed in the Frio room. There was an unexpected gift for my wife of chocolates, a vase of flowers, and a card. Had made arrangements for wine and cheese plate to be there when we got there and it done very classy ( innkeeper/chef put it together. She scheduled the spa treatment to our convenance. It was perfect.
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Date of stay: November 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Cathy Dillon, Owner at Crystal River Inn
Responded Nov 16, 2020
I am so glad you guys came...it was awesome watching the smiles on your faces! Please come back one of these days soon.......it's a safe place to just get away from it all. blessings, Cathy
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We can only echo what others have said. We stayed in the Blanco Room and found it lovely. The room and, in fact, the entire house is filled with lovely antiques that fit in nicely in the 1883 mansion. Just a few steps from our room was the second floor veranda where we found comfy rocking chairs for watching the San Marcos world go by. We also loved the location just a few blocks from the restaurants and stores of downtown. Our preferences lean toward good locations and small B&Bs over big name hotels by the interstate. If we looked hard we could see a few signs of the building's 140 years but it didn't take anything away from this lovely establishment. Whenever we're in San Marcos, we hope they'll have a room for us.
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Date of stay: April 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:We loved the Blanco room. And the cookies on the table in the kitchen are so tempting.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hosted my sisters bachelorette party here for a Murder mystery weekend . It was just our party for the weekend and mystery . All the ladies had a great time and are ready to do another mystery . Cathy , Mike and the girls were very accommodating and made us all feel like we were at home . Everything was clean and the food was plentiful and very good . Loved the old historic feel of the inn. Poor Mike helped us all along with the murder mystery . At times we were a bit out of control- very hard for 14 women to speak one at a time 🤣. We got the hang of it by Saturday morning . We had a great time and actually two of us figured out the mystery !
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Date of stay: March 2021Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Very disappointed in our stay at this B&B. This inn has seen better days, the building and in particular the room we stayed in, was dated, in poor repair, in need of a total renovation. Describing the room as “designer “ is a gross over statement. The air conditioning was controlled by a thermostat in the hallway, it was either too warm or too cool. The room was very damp and musty, towels never dried. The electrical outlets were in short supply, the best option for charging devices was in the bathroom, not convenient. The luxurious tub had peeling paint and cheap plastic shower curtains. If you do choose to stay here, be aware that there are multiple buildings, make sure you know where your room will be. Parking is very limited. I felt that the website was a bit misleading, pictures of swimming, references to playing bocce ball and spending time in the garden gave me an expectation that was far different from the reality of being in the middle of traffic and next door to a frat house. We were in the Thomas House, which has retail space on the first level, which equates to strangers coming and going during the day. Our room had a lock and key, but all you had to do was give the door a good shove and it would open, even locked, the door didn’t latch properly. Breakfast was definitely not as described on the website, it was adequate but certainly not gourmet. Maybe the Crystal River Inn was as described in older reviews, but be assured it was not what we expected from reading those reviews.
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Date of stay: May 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My stay was decent. The frat boys at the bar next door were loud well into the night, the power went out anytime you used a hairdryer, the shower didn’t work, and breakfast at 9 isn’t very convenient if you have a morning meeting like I did. But big issue was after my stay. The Inn sent an email with a 10% off code for my next stay. When I attempted to use the code the next month it didn’t work. I forwarded their own email to the management and the response was that they didn’t know what code I meant, even though it was in the same email. So I responded with the code and pointing to the email text therein, and the staff ignored that email completely. When I called later the same day, I was told that room price was raised that same day and it was no longer available, but I could have another room for the original rate, but they wouldn’t honor the discount. Then when I said I would take it but didn’t think it was fair to send a discount then refuse it, they said I couldn’t have the room anymore. Just very deceptive and unprofessional management, and it was the owner’s decision not to honor the discount (that was supposed to be good all year). Lots of nicer hotels in San Marcos who don’t deceive guests.
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Date of stay: February 2022Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My 2 sisters, one brother in law and myself spent the night at Crystal River Inn October4, 2022. We found each member of the staff we encountered to be very courteous, as well as very helpful. However the cleanliness and maintenance, or actually lack thereof was very disappointing. The exterior and exterior of the building and grounds was absolutely just dirty and uncared for. We rented the two bedrooms downstairs. The carpet in the bedrooms was very stained and the smaller bedroom had not been even vacuumed. lint, small pieces of trash, dirt literally everywhere. The closet was piled with boxes, shoes , hats, leaving nowhere for a guest to hang clothes. The light fixture above the bed had many spider webs and the air conditioning vent grill was black it was so dirty. The bedspread was stained and just dirty. The woodwork like baseboards and doors were in need of paint and a good deep clean. The larger bedroom was better. Stained carpet but at least had been vacuumed and the closet was empty. The bathroom floor was in need of cleaning. We sat in the library to visit where the ceiling fan was covered in black dirt and again the floor was very dirty. The photos on the website appeared to have been from many years ago. My guess is there will not be many return visitors.
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Date of stay: October 2022Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We love staying here at the Crystal River Inn San Marcos. The owners always go above and beyond our expectations with their warm welcome and hospitality.
This was our second trip staying at this beautiful home. We celebrated our anniversary and my birthday here.
Our room was very comfortable, we thoroughly enjoyed the library in our room and the big king bed was very comfortable.
This particular weekend was the fun, very suspenseful murder mystery weekend. We met new friends, ate scrumptious food and the entertainment was amazing!
Owners Cathy and Mike Dillon made sure my birthday was memorable with a surprise birthday cake.
We highly recommend staying at The Crystal River Inn for your be ext Bed and Breakfast stay and especially for the Murder Mystery weekend filled with laughter, making memories and great tasting food.
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Date of stay: February 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Definitely book in advance for the Murder Mystery Weekends. Be sure and take several friends and...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My stay at the Crystal River Inn was a miserable experience. The windows to my room (described on their website as "serene") were about 30 feet away from a bar that played VERY LOUD LIVE music until 10:30 pm. There was no way the supplied foam ear plugs, noise machine or box fan could come close to drawing out the 80 decibels of noise. I had to cut short my intended stay by one day or I'd go bonkers. No consideration or refund on the charge. Beware.
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Date of stay: October 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled solo
Room Tip:Be sure to ask if your room faces Zelick's--the bar with the loud live music.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Corley LEtoile, General Manager at Crystal River Inn
Responded Oct 24, 2024
We are very sorry you did not enjoy your stay Amy. We understand that having live music next door may be a problem for many and do our best on our website to disclose the potential for noise due to our great downtown location to properly set guest expectations prior to booking. And as mentioned, we do provide ear plugs, a box fan, and sound machines in all of our rooms. The live music ends at 10pm by city ordinance. As a small, independent property, we must stick to our cancellation, change, and no-show policy which is agreed to upon booking.
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It made our weekend trip memorable. So many nice touches and we want to return to our "getaway". Location is ideal. Stayed at the Blanco Room. When we checked in, our room keys were in the kitchen with a welcoming note from Cathy Dillon, the owner. I had previously spoke to her to make the reservations. The next morning Regina fixed us a tasty breakfast and we found her to be welcoming. It was the atmosphere in which the owners Mike and Cathy Dillon created that brings back repeat customers.
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Date of stay: October 2022
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Check out their website to choose the room that fits your needs. Beautifully designed rooms....
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We got the chance of a couple days off,so decided to drive down to san marcos tx and visit our brother(also it was our first time down in Texas). Miss Cathy and Miss Regina are so sweet, polite and welcoming. Staying at the Crystal River Inn was like home. It was cozzy and welcoming. Everything was so close around too, I basically could count my steps to the pizza place next door, they had huge! delicious slices of pizza.Texas deff got a spot in my heart. Thanks to the inn it just made it better.My bed was so confy and the bath was so big. The inn has a hair salon, nail and spa, and physical therapy. It was such an awsome experience. Thank you Crystal River Inn.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Cathy Dillon, Owner at Crystal River Inn
Responded Nov 16, 2020
Thank you so much for the kind words. We loved having you! FYI, until August of this year, we had three buildings and I believe you were in our Rock House. It has been sold, so next time you return, be sure to ask for the Barton Springs room or the Cypress Creek, in the Thomas House...they both have huge tubs and comfy beds also!
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There are more places to choose from in the San Marcos area.
PRICE RANGE
$132 - $177 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
crystal river hotel san marcos
LOCATION
United StatesTexasSan Marcos
NUMBER OF ROOMS
8
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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