Day Trips: Hotel Faust

Photos by Gerald E. McLeod

The Hotel Faust in Comfort mixes the historic with the modern for a unique night's stay. Without losing its century-old charm, the former stagecoach hotel has been upgraded to today's standards.

Years ago, there was a hotel in the Hill Country town with the slogan "Sleep in Comfort, between Alice and Loraine." The point was that, between the Panhandle and South Texas, Comfort was a good resting point. The tongue-in-cheek implication was something different.

All of this has nothing to do with the Hotel Faust, other than the fact it is a comfortable base camp as you explore the scenic back roads northwest of San Antonio. Built in 1880, the two-story, limestone-block hotel was designed by Alfred Giles of San Antonio. Giles also built at least 11 county courthouses during the golden age of courthouse construction; seven remain standing.

The famed architect built the hotel in a practical design with only subtle ornamentation. After the railroad turned the town into a vacation destination, the hotel was enlarged into an L shape.

Currently with only eight rooms, the hotel is a quiet space in the center of a quaint little town. A gazebo in the rear courtyard offers a gathering spot to enjoy the cool evenings. Nearly everything in town is within walking distance, or you can borrow one of the hotel's bicycles.

Even at double their original size, the rooms are small but adequate. From creaking wood-plank floors to high-tech ceiling fans and luxurious towels, the hotel is a fun mixture of historic and modern elements.

The Hotel Faust in Comfort is not to be confused with the hotel in New Braunfels with a similar name. For info, see www.hotelfaust.com.

1,444th in a series. Follow “Day Trips & Beyond,” a travel blog, at austinchronicle.com/daily/travel.