Behr House Bed and Breakfast

Behr House Bed and Breakfast is a traditional bed and breakfast located in the Texas Hill country town of Fredericksburg, Texas. Behr House offers five units for booking, four of which are found in the main house and the other being the renovated 1860s stone barn. Behr House does not accept pets or children younger than 15 years of age. The town of Fredericksburg is known for its German heritage and many wineries in the area. There are also many state parks in the area to provide various outdoor recreational activities and several historical locations offering tours and exhibits of noteworthy people who lived in the region.

About

Behr House Bed and Breakfast has a total of five units available for guests to book. Four of them are located in the main house, and the other is a renovated 1860s stone barn called the Behr Barn. Each comes with a Roku TV, comfortable bamboo mattress, luxurious bedding and towels, hair dryer, access to wireless internet, and a hot homemade breakfast served each morning at the main house back patio or around the farmhouse dining table. All of the units have private bathrooms, with the exception of Emma’s Room and Sophie’s Suite if the two rooms are booked in conjunction with each other. The Behr Barn and Friedrich’s Suite are considered the premium suites at the property and come with all the amenities as the other rooms, but these two have luxurious bath accommodations, larger sitting areas, and more square footage in general. The Behr Barn has a small sitting room, a kitchenette with a mini-refrigerator, microwave, and Keurig, a private courtyard , and the most square footage of all the units with 645 square feet. Friedrich’s Suite is the largest guest room in the main house with a 12-foot vaulted ceiling, walls with 1900s-reclaimed logs, a king-sized bed, and a large sitting area with a big screen TV. Due to the additional amenities, the Behr Barn and Friedrich’s Suite are the most popular among visitors.

Breakfast is served to guests on the outdoor patio, weather permitting. Otherwise, the meal is served around the large farmhouse dining table in the main house's Great Room. Breakfast is always homemade, with an emphasis on seasonal dishes. For example, a French Toast bake is topped with seasonal berries for spring and summer but made with pumpkin puree for a bread pudding consistency for fall and winter. The business tries to incorporate as many locally grown ingredients as possible as well as those grown from their own garden. Special dietary restrictions can be accommodated with advance notice and are often noted as part of the reservation process. Breakfast is offered at either 8:30 AM or 9:00 AM seating.

Behr House offers several common areas for guests to gather other than their private guest rooms. The Great Room offers multiple seating configurations with sofas and chairs and a big screen TV and fireplace, as well as the farmhouse table for breakfast or use for board games later in the day. Outside, there are multiple patio areas surrounded by lush flower beds and butterfly gardens, a pavilion, and a fire pit.

Lyndon B. Johnson State Park is one of many historical locations that guests can find in the vicinity. At the state park, patrons can learn about the history of Lyndon B. Johnson. Visitors can explore several outdoor areas, such as Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, which offers many recreational activities, including hiking, rock climbing, geocaching, stargazing, and camping. Another state park nearby is Pedernales Falls State Park, which has a river that allows visitors to swim, tube, fish, ride horses, and mountain bike. In downtown Fredericksburg, guests can learn more about World War II at the Pacific War Museum and Admiral Nimitz Gallery.

The historic Fredericksburg downtown has many shops, boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, and bars for guests to enjoy. There are also more than 50 wineries in the immediate area along the 290 Wine Trail, as well as distilleries and breweries.

Culture

Shelley, one of the owners, would like her guests to feel “luxurious, yet comfortable and at home” while enjoying their stay at Behr House. The feel is one of a small boutique hotel. To create her desired environment, Shelley explains that she has spent the time to decorate thoughtfully so that guests feel relaxed, yet pampered. The owners interact with their patrons frequently, without “hovering.” Guests also have the opportunity, if they would like, to interact with other guests, especially over breakfast. Shelley remarks, “It warms my heart when guests gather and visit in the Great Room, play board games, or sit around the fireplace enjoying a glass of wine or hot chocolate, or enjoy the outside patio to watch the sunset.”

The typical demographic of patrons are usually couples of various ages, and the business is open year-round, though closed over major holidays such as Christmas and Thanksgiving. Many people who have stayed at Behr House have left reviews of their experiences. One guest who recently stayed at Behr House wrote, “Shelley and Jim were wonderful hosts. They had great recommendations on places to go in town, and the breakfast on both mornings was fantastic. The room we stayed in was amazing. The mornings on the porch were so peaceful, and we really enjoyed our stay.”

Behr House Bed and Breakfast has several policies in place that guests should be aware of when they arrive. Quiet time is observed from 10:00 PM until 8:00 AM. The establishment does not allow for pets to be brought in, though there is a gentle, older dog in residence. Smoking is prohibited inside all the buildings; however, guests can smoke outside in a designated area. Children under the age of 15 are not allowed as this is primarily a couples' and adult experience.

History

Friedrich Behr, a German immigrant, purchased the property in 1858 and later built the 1860s stone barn and 1890s stone portion of the main house with his son, to whom he passed the ownership. There have been five other owners of the property since the 1890s beside the current owners, Shelley and Jim, who purchased the property in late 2019 and have run it as Behr House Bed and Breakfast since June 1, 2020.
The Behr Barn was the first bed and breakfast guest house in Fredericksburg, having opened in the early 1980s under the name of the Schmidt Barn. The main house was used as a residential living space until the current owners purchased the home and barn and combined the two. Shelley and Jim came to be in the hospitality industry because they did extensive travel during their time in England while Jim was based there while serving in the Air Force. The couple stayed in many bed and breakfasts over the years while there and grew to love what they had to offer. After many years of searching for their ideal location, they found it in Fredericksburg. Thus the Behr House Bed and Breakfast came to open its doors to guests in 2020.

Shelley and Jim have made several changes and upgrades to the property since they became the proprietors. Much work was done to the property with its hardscaping outside, such as the addition of patios, garden beds, courtyards, a pavilion, and water features. On the interior, wood floors were added to all guest rooms, a closet was converted to a bathroom for one of the guestrooms, and the entire house was furnished, upstairs and down. The owners are starting to market for small weddings of 50 guests or less, as well as corporate and an association business for small retreats.