Main Street House is a bed and breakfast located in Brenham, Texas, northwest of Houston, Texas. The business is open year-round and offers five units in total. Breakfast is provided each morning with several continental items, and on the weekends, the owners can also provide a hot, made-to-order dish. The common areas, known as gathering rooms, have a variety of activities that guests can participate in, including card games, yoga, and playing music. Many of the rooms are decorated with artwork created by artists from various places. The property also has several historical features, including a boiler from when the house was first built. Pets and children 12 years old or younger are not allowed to stay at Main Street House.
Main Street House has a total of five rooms available throughout the year. Each room has a king-sized bed and a private bathroom. Amenities found within include a smart television, access to Wi-Fi, bathrobes, soap, shampoo, and bottled water. Everyone who has a reservation at the bed and breakfast receives a parking space off the main road and breakfast the following morning. One unique room is the Third Wheel Room, which is smaller in size and allows guests to bring an extra person. The Third Wheel Room cannot be rented out alone and must be used in conjunction with another unit on the second floor.
A continental breakfast, toasting station, cereals, smoothies, fruit, yogurt, and a type of protein are available to the guests all day and every day. The owners can accommodate lactose intolerant, vegetarian, and other diets that guests may require with advanced notice.
On the weekends, the owners are able to do a hot, made-to-order meal where guests can order eggs with various fixings. Sometimes they will also have pancakes, sweet potato hash, quinoa energy bowls, and more. For patrons to get the hot meals, they need to order their meal between 8:00 and 9:30. Suzy, one of the owners, says they can be flexible depending on what activities guests have planned for the day. Finally, for people who rent out the entire house, the owner is able to give them the option of a buffet-style breakfast, where they will make a significant amount of food and allow guests to take as much as they would like.
There are several common rooms that the owners call "gathering rooms" where visitors are able to congregate at their leisure. One gathering room has a piano, guitar, games, rain stick, and more. Another place guests can go is a living area with a television and three small glass-top tables where people can work, watch TV, visit with other occupants, or eat breakfast. The Butler's Pantry has several beverages like coffee, tea, and several snacks that are available throughout the day. Outside, one can find a back porch with seating and tables covered by umbrellas.
While on the property, visitors can take advantage of a free "little library," a small container near the establishment's entrance with books. The owner explains, "People can leave a book to take a book if they would like to read while they are staying in the area." Yoga mats and several instructional resources can be found in one of the gathering rooms, allowing guests to participate in yoga and other meditational activities. Another activity that can be arranged on the property is a massage. There are a few massage studios in town that can send a masseuse to the house for an in-room massage, but that is something that guests must organize themselves.
Outside of the business is the town of Brenham. Brenham has a variety of attractions and restaurants within the city limits as well as outside of its boundaries. Main Street House is about two blocks away from the downtown area, where there are restaurants, music venues, and places for shopping. People can walk to many of the businesses in town, and a public park is located about three blocks away. Live music venues are typical in the city, with one such place for entertainment being Unity Theater. Unity Theater is known as a professional-grade theater where live performances can occur. There are also a variety of restaurants in the town that the owners like to recommend to their patrons. Some of their favorite places to get food include Volare Italian, Blue Bell Creamery, and Tilted Windmill. Volare Italian is a classic Italian restaurant that is within walking distance of Main Street House. Blue Bell Creamery is known for the various ice creams for sale, and Tilted Windmill is a coffee and tea house serving breakfast and lunch items.
Suzy and Keith, the owners of Main Street House, would like their guests to feel relaxed and refreshed when they stay at the house. Suzy explains her goal further, saying, "We promote the four R's: rest, relax, refresh, and reconnect." A few ways the owners try to accomplish their goal is they try to give their patrons options for breakfast and have the ability for guests to check in by themselves or check in with the owner's help. The option for checking in with the owners allows visitors to meet them and ask questions if they have any when they arrive.
The business has several policies enforced, and the owners ask that guests abide by them while they are staying at Main Street House. Children under the age of 12 cannot be accommodated at the bed and breakfast. Pets are not allowed at the establishment either. People can smoke outside but are not permitted to smoke or vape inside the building. The business has a policy in place regarding when guests pay for their room. There is no down payment required for rooms, so money is not taken until the guests arrive for their stay.
Main Street House does not hold events often, but they are capable of hosting smaller events. There have been several house concerts and piano recitals in the past, and the owners have even held a murder mystery weekend. Suzy, one of the owners, explains that "when people rent the entire house out, [she] has no problem hosting an event with visitors."
The owners report that the busiest season tends to be March through May, and they have more increased business in October and November as well. The typical demographic of guests tend to be 45-60 years of age. Suzy believes it is because people within that age range like the services, amenities, and flexibility that the business provides. A few aspects of the establishment that people mention in their reviews include things like breakfast and how close it is to other companies. One person who recently stayed at Main Street House noted, "We had an evening stroll downtown for dinner, followed by drinks and live music. The house was beautiful and had everything we needed right at our fingertips. We enjoyed coffee on the porch and great breakfast and conversation with our host, Keith."
The Main Street House opened six years ago in September 2016. However, the building has been around for much longer. The house was built in 1920 and was used primarily as a private residence. It wasn't until the 1990s that it became a bed and breakfast, but it later closed in the early 2000s, after which it was used again as a private residence. Then, in 2016, the current owners of the property purchased the home and opened it to the public under the name of Main Street House.
One of the owners of the business, whose name is Suzy, mentions that she fell in love with the building and enjoys sharing it with people who come to visit Brenham. Over the years, the owners have tried to preserve the history of the house. A few relics that can be found in the home include a boiler that dates back to when the house was first built, though it does not work because a modern heating system has been implemented. There is also a wall-mounted electric can opener from the 1970s that still works.
Much of the décor in the house was designed around artwork that the owners gathered. Suzy explains that she and her husband purchased artwork, then created the rooms around what they had obtained. The owners used to own an art gallery and wanted to take that aspect with them when they bought the property. Ever since they opened Main Street House, they have collected art from various people from places like Missouri, Texas, and England.
Suzy and Keith, the current owners of the business, were led into buying Main Street House because they already owned another inn called Ant Street Inn, which is a few blocks away from Main Street House. They wanted to expand Ant Street Inn but were unable to, so they decided to create a whole new establishment instead.
409 Main Street
Brenham, Texas 77833
United States
Bed and Breakfast
Keith and Suzy Hankins
