While crossing the state of Texas took the very first settlers weeks if not months, the modern-day drive on Interstate 35 can get you from the southern border to the northern tip in one day. Along the interstate, there are still reminders of the state of Texas’ past, like the historic Stagecoach Inn in Salado. The inn, which was once known as Shady Villa or the Shady Villa Hotel, was constructed in the late 19th century. Located in a small town about an hour’s drive north of Austin, the second-oldest continuously running hotel property in Texas has seen lots of change around it. Still, some of the original frontier architecture remains intact as a tribute to the way the land once was.
The nostalgic property in Salado is sandwiched between two Central Texas cities. In the south, there’s Austin, the state’s capital, which also has the nearest international airport. Then, there’s Waco to the north, an artsy gem often called the “Heart of Texas.” The roadside motor hotel is a two-story wood-framed property that sits under a canopy of Texas oak trees next to the northbound side of what is now a bustling Interstate highway. Stepping inside the Stagecoach, guests are transported to a modernized chic hotel resembling a 19th-century scene in Texas — where stagecoaches were once the primary form of transportation.
The Stagecoach Inn served as a respite for Texas’ very first travelers
The land where the original property, called the Salado House Hotel, was built was said to be one of the first lots sold in the town of Salado in 1860. The property opened as an overnight resting point for stagecoach travelers along the Chisholm Trail, a trail used primarily in the late 19th century. Four-wheeled, enclosed wooden carriages moved primarily by horses and mules were the primary mode of transport for the first several decades of the Shady Villa’s existence, and they were how the first customers found a spot to sleep on their journeys through Texas.
The hotel changed hands during the early part of the 20th century, and Dion and Ruth Van Bibber eventually purchased and restored the property in 1943 and opened it as the Stagecoach Inn. That name still is attached to this Texas Historical Landmark. Though the property has been modernized in recent years, it still has touches of the original Texas architecture that transport our minds to a bygone era. The hotel also runs a restaurant — part of Ruth Van Bibber’s vision for the hotel when she became a co-owner was to open a high-end Texas tearoom in the establishment, where hungry travelers can enjoy luxurious meals and sweets.
A modernized Central Texas getaway with small-town charm
The Stagecoach Inn’s 48 rooms have been renovated to bring a fresh appeal to the classic framework of the property. Guests love the clean rooms, and the air conditioning is strong enough to combat the hottest of Texas summer days. The wood panel clay-tiled rooms showcase the hotel’s classic southwest elegance, the bungalow-styled suites offer relaxing space and a living and dining room, and all rooms have balconies. The original building architecture shows in the property’s wooden infrastructure and exterior, but modern amenities have transformed the Stagecoach for today’s traveler…