Fig Tree Manor

Fair
Traveller Type: young couple
  : The owners where nice and the breakfast was good.
  : Where to begin, first of all it was hard for me to get to the house from the street, too many uneven bricks to walk on. Than there were steps to get to the front door and they were difficult to manage when carrying luggage. Upon entering. the lady of the house lit lots of candles that set off my allergies and the male host was pleasant but upon greeting just talked a bit much before we could put our things up. The room was dusty, musty and hot. Room needs it's own separate a/c unit. Bed mattress was in poor quality, doors where too hard to lock, towels did not look clean, did not put mints out. Floors too creaky and owners do not do proper repairs, such as balcony upstairs that had been broken by a guest prior to our arrival and last but not least,there where too many cats!!! Four outside cats and 4 inside cats that went where they pleased, cat hair everywhere. No kennels for the cats. The breakfast was nice.

Good
Traveller Type: young couple

Wonderful
Traveller Type: family with young children

Good
Traveller Type: young couple
  : The breakfast was quality at the best. The chef really knows how to cook and prepare delicious dishes. The owners were exceptionally courteous and always inquisitive to make sure we were enjoying our stay. I really felt conversations were friendly, more than business-like.The location is wonderful. We were able to walk to many of the shops and eateries we wanted to visit. The distance to Olde Palestine and downtown Palestine is roughly equal. We often purchased items, walked them back to our room or our nearby parked vehicle, and then continued walking to other places. I know this seems weird, but in today's America, not using a vehicle to get around is oddly nice.The old house is fully decorated with rich woodwork, elegant furniture, and artistic wall hangings. I spent time admiring what I could.
  : The bed we slept in needs a better mattress, a better box springs, or both. We sank together all night to the middle of the bed.There is notification of cats on the premises. I should have given that more consideration. I didn't know there would be so many cats in the house and lying where they pleased. We were told the cats are restricted to certain places. However, no matter how much pet owners clean up after their cats, the cats will leave behind hair. We kept a lint brush in our vehicle so that whenever we walked some place, we could start from there sans cat hair.

Poor
Traveller Type: young couple
  : Leaving.
  : This B&B offers an over abundance of decor, spiders, dust, cats, and information. We were informed of the life story of the ladies within 5 min of arriving. Then we were told that the key didn't work and that the innkeeper would need to access her room thru ours. We suggested an upgrade at that time since there was only 1 other room not available. We were introduced to the pet spider Charlotte located on the porch (I am scared of spiders) guarding her 2 egg sacks. The patio is covered in webs and yet we were criticized for not wanting to sit out there for breakfast. This patio is also home to an over abundance of cats. We agreed upon breakfast at 8:30 and when we got down there promptly at 8:30 the cats ate before us....All the cats. Waited for breakfast until almost 10am. The other couple left without breakfast. When we were finally served not much was noteworthy. Runny scrambled eggs, baked bacon, cold toast, and a parfait that was more fruit than yogurt. Was asked what kind of jelly we wanted, I said blackberry and my husband said grape. He was given a hard time about having kid tastes, yet the jelly we were given was 1 serving of strawberry. Note: after watching the cats lick the butter on the table of the couple who left without breakfast, we opted not to use our butter. Don't plan on using the pool at this place as it is slime green and smelly. However, we were assured they had recently shocked the water and it was looking better. The noise created by the innkeepers cooking for someone other than their guests that went on until 2am did not encourage a good night's sleep. The overgrown foliage makes it difficult to navigate the walkway and the balcony in disrepair is not recommended for sitting, standing, or walking. The dead trees, Fig Trees, laying in the yard symbolizes the state of this manor home.

Disappointing
Traveller Type: young couple
  : The home was beautiful and I loved the way it was decorated. I didn’t mind all the cats . My husband did say though that there’s no litter box apparently for these indoor / outdoor cats to use if they are in overnight and that there were several places that they had used on the hard wood floor.
  : The property was fine but the owners of the bed and breakfast were not there that weekend and I believe it was a family member and her friend running the place for them while they were out of town. They seemed intoxicated the whole time . Also we were told that breakfast was at 8 am Saturday morning. Then it was between 8:30-9, then it would be ready at 9. I came out ans had coffee with my husband on the porch and they still had not started cooking at 9:15. The lady kept coming out to ask us questions about what we wanted to eat . My husband told her we had those tickets for the Palestine Texas Railroad at 11 am but we wanted to leave right at 10, it took 15 minutes to get there . We just wanted to look around the depot and all . And she said “ they just want you to buy stuff there “. Well that’s what we wanted to do . We walked out of there with our suitcases at 0958, no breakfast or anything . That’s part of the bed and breakfast experience as far as I’m concerned. I won’t be staying there again. They did offer a free night to my husband but we have no reason to go back there . They also offered $20 back on our account but I declined but did appreciate the offer . We also were supposed to get a tour around the property and home and we never got one . It was disappointing but we still enjoyed the train ride and their back porch is very relaxing.

Good
Traveller Type: young couple

Wonderful
Traveller Type: young couple
  : The breakfast was outstanding and presentation was beautiful. The decor of the home was candy for the eyes and the seasonal (halloween) decorations were fun and well planned. The living room area and deck in the back with friendly kitty cats saying hello from time to time was inviting and comforting and the atmostphere of community and camaraderie that the proprietors create for their guests is fun and interesting. The neighborhood where Fig Tree Manor is located is clean, well maintained, very quiet and conveys a feeling of safety for guests. There are two excellent restaurants and a small park within very near walking distance. Fig Tree Manor is a time machine, where you cross the threshold and appear in the 19th century, but have the comforts of 20th century at your disposal as you may desire. Kudos to Tom and his team.
  : It was all good. However from a perfect world perspective: A little more shelf space in the bath for toiletries would be nice, and I think a lot of people coming here are older, or are retirees, and what used to come easy/natural (sleep...) is difficult under even ideal circumstances. Many of us old folk have gotten used to king beds and not being crowded out by our bed hog spouse :). If all the rooms had king beds, or if I had to pay a few extra bucks for a king, I would have gladly paid it. But to be clear, the queen bed was pretty comfy. I am a big guy, and I just get a little clostrophobic.... Overall, the Fig Tree Manor was eclectic, comfortable and an excellent and fun experience and was a true bargain for the money.