Brazle Haus Bed and Breakfast has been in operation since 1998 in Brownstown, Illinois. The business has two rooms available for reservation located on the second floor of the building. The Common Room is also located on the same floor, and is used for multiple purposes, including as a library and an entertainment room. It can also be used as an additional room by adding beds and cots. Another common area is the deck outside that has sitting and a hot tub. The bottom floor has a suite that is rented long-term to tenants, while the rest of the level has the dining room used to serve breakfast each day. Judy, one of the owners, makes breakfast each morning and usually sticks to serving savory dishes with meat and eggs. The business is open year-round; however, Judy reports that the bed and breakfast is often completely booked at certain times in the year.
The Brazle Haus Bed and Breakfast is located in the town of Brownstown, Illinois. A long-term suite is located on the bottom level of the inn. The dining area where breakfast is served is also located on the bottom floor. On the upper level, there are two rooms available for reservation. One room has a queen-size bed while the other has a king. Cots and twin beds are available for bigger groups if extra arrangements are needed. The floor only has one bath, which leads the owner only to rent the floor to one family at a time, but depending on the circumstances, the owners may make it available to two different families simultaneously. One of the rooms is themed after trains and railroads, and the other has décor centered around farming. Judy and Vernon Brazle, the owners of the bed and breakfast, have family in each of the industries and, as such, use the décor to remind them of their family. The second floor also has a common area for guests that has various forms of entertainment, including television and books. This room is themed with memorabilia for the University of Illinois since both the owners attended the school in prior years and taught there. Overall, Judy explains that the downstairs area is decorated in a traditional manner, featuring family heirlooms.
Visitors are offered amenities such as a hot tub on the outside deck during a stay at the Brazle Haus Bed and Breakfast. There are tables and chairs for visitors to utilize on the same deck and a swing on the other side of the house. The property has a pond stocked with fish that guests are free to fish at and launch paddle boats from. Fishing licenses aren’t required since the pond is located on private property. Additionally, there is a creek that runs through the property. Over 100 acres make up the premises of the bed and breakfast, with the actual building being located towards the corner of the land. “Neat, rural ambiance” is one way Judy describes their land.
Breakfast is served every day at the Brazle Haus. One of the owners, Judy, cooks the meal herself and says she tends to cook savory dishes and occasionally adds sweets. Her hope with her cooking is to “fully satisfy the appetite” of guests. One of her most popular meals is upside-down cooked pancakes with fruit. Meat and eggs are served with the meal. Biscuits and gravy, waffles, and pancakes are a few other items she can make for breakfast.
The nearest grocery store is 17 miles away, and the local gas station food mart is 8 miles away. Due to this distance, the owners do not take visitors that show up at the door; they must instead call ahead if they wish to stay at the Brazle Haus. Judy and Vernon live on the property, which is another reason they require reservations to happen through the phone to interact with patrons before they arrive at the property.
Since opening the Brazle Haus Bed and Breakfast, Judy, one of the owners, says they have received “numerous repeat customers” who want to stay at the property again. Judy says they often get previous visitors who call asking if they are still open and in operation because they want to come back. The owners have established policies for all visitors who come to their land, one being a strict no smoking policy or open flames such as candles. Additionally, pets are allowed; however, the owners make an effort to keep their dogs from others and make visitors aware of this before their arrival. The only other animal on the property is an outside cat. Judy also expects all guests to enter the premises sober and to adhere from becoming drunk on their property. Patrons are welcome to walk throughout the land, but the owners expect them to respect their cash crop and damage the plants.
Judy tells her guests that they are “friends they have yet to meet” and that within a short time of being at the home, they hope they feel like real friends and like they were at home during their stay. One way the owners do this is through a relatively high amount of interactions between them and visitors. The owners say a unique aspect of their business is that it is a place to “relax, refresh, and become friends.” One previous guest remarked that “We had an amazing stay; Vernon and Judy were sweet to us. The home is beautiful, as is the property, and there was a wonderful breakfast. Everything was opened up to us, and we enjoyed meeting the family.”
The bed and breakfast is located in a rural area, relatively secluded from the city. It’s a 17-mile drive to the nearest grocery store, which the owners make guests aware of when they call to book their stay. The Cumberland Road is a historic road built by Vernon’s ancestor that crosses through multiple states and is located near Brownstown, Illinois. One activity in the surrounding area is shopping; Judy says that “antique businesses are fairly close” to the bed and breakfast. If visitors are willing to travel a distance, Amish country is located farther from the business that past patrons have visited during their stay. Foxwood Wine Cellars, located about 30 miles away from the property, is a slightly closer attraction, as well as Kaskaskia Dragon and the American Farm Heritage Museum. Depending on the location that patrons visit, Judy offers recommendations of restaurants to visit since they are relatively far from town.
Brazle Haus Bed and Breakfast is open year-round; however, Judy reports that there are certain points in the year when the business is completely booked out. The owners haven’t noticed a typical time that the business is at its peak, but that they are available anytime.
Vernon and Judy Brazle established the Brazle Haus Bed and Breakfast in 1998 and have been operating it ever since, serving as the owners and innkeepers. The land that is now home to the bed and breakfast originally belonged to Vernon's parents. After their passing, part of the land was left to Vernon and Judy. The inspiration to turn the land into a bed and breakfast came in 1984 when the Brazles visited multiple parts of Europe and stayed at a bed and breakfast, which led them to the “dream” of creating their own business. Later on, they drew up the layout of how they would want to design the house. The house plans Vernon crafted ended up being what Judy had envisioned, which later came to fruition.
The house was specifically designed to be a bed and breakfast; however, when the building was finished being constructed, the owners waited three years until they officially opened the business due to water issues in the city. Since opening, there have been a few changes made, and Judy says they don’t have any future plans for the property at this time. In the years that the inn has been operating, Judy and Vernon's family have grown, and with that growth, they have the goal of being able to create a "family environment" where others can feel welcome. Since becoming an innkeeper, Judy says that her favorite part of her job is meeting people who come to stay at their property.
2311 N. 1450 Street
Brownstown, Illinois 62418
United States
Bed and Breakfast
Judy and Vernon Brazle
