The English Merchant's Inn

While looking for a place to stay in Waxahachie, Texas, I came across The English Merchant Inn, a bed and breakfast. This place intrigued me and decided to book this place for a week, since I was tagging along a business trip my husband had.Check in for this hotel is between 3- 6 pm. Unfortunately, my husband and I were not able to check in during that time and luckily had been able to get ahold of Howard, one of the owners of this place, and told us he would still be awake to check in until ~10 pm, when he goes to bed. But that he would leave the key in the cottage, where I had booked to get in, in case we come in after that.Howard was very nice when we met him (we ended up arriving after 9 pm). He showed us to the cottage, which is a small little place behind the main house (where there are 4 other rooms). The cottage has a king size bed with small living room. The bathroom is just a short few steps away from the sink. There is also a shower and a footed tub. I'm not a fan of baths and so I booked this place specifically for the shower. I wasn't too sure if the rooms inside the main house had showers, as I only saw photos of the footed tub (but there are a few rooms that do. I believe the room on the first floor only has a tub).The living room had a large TV and a Keurig machine with plenty of coffee and tea pods. I liked that a lovely tea set was provided to have my tea made in.As for breakfast, Howard had provided information for 3 places around town that we could get breakfast at. We ended up going to the White Rhino Coffee a few times and also El Mexicano Grill once.Overall, I would say that staying here was comfortable. Howard was very friendly and greatly appreciated him showing my husband and I a tour of the main house and most of the guest rooms (as we were the only ones staying at this bed and breakfast).But there were a few things that I want to mention that was unexpected. One was the daily housekeeping. Because my husband was at work during the day, I was staying in the cottage by myself. On our first day, my husband picked me up during his lunch so that we could pick up lunch at a nearby restaurant and then eat it at the cottage. When we came back, our door was wide open. I was surprised and thought I had forgotten to lock the door. But when I came in, I saw Tony, a friendly employee removing the sheets from our bed and putting on new ones. He told me that normally he comes by in the morning while guests typically would go out for breakfast but that he was late today.I had told him we didn't need housekeeping the next day. However, he came by, but only because I had asked Howard for some more tea pods for the Keurig, so he had Tony come by to provide new ones and clean towels. I didn't know if Tony would come but had a feeling, so I tried to take a shower very quickly when I woke up the next morning. The door that has the sink does not lock and because the way the shower and the mirror at the sink is angled, you can see someone taking a shower. This definitely made me feel uncomfortable, not knowing if Tony would come in for housekeeping and see me.Another thing that I want to mention is the train that goes all day and all night. The first morning we were here, I heard the train sounding the horn at 6:45 am and kept on going. My husband told me that typically the train will sound the horn when passing by intersections so cars know to stay back. I didn't really hear the trains too much later that first night. However, on the last night, the trains were going off all night long. I was so incredibly tired and severely sleep deprived when we woke up early the next day for our flight to fly back home to Los Angeles. I hardly was able to sleep (the train horn is very loud and you can hear it from several miles away).Also just wanted to mention that I heard a rooster around 6:30 am every morning and also heard the rooster in the afternoon each day. Same with hearing dogs barking. These noises didn't bother me but the train sound was definitely a problem. Of course these outside noises are not the fault of The English Merchant Inn but wanted to mention them.I really enjoyed my stay in the cottage at The English Merchant Inn but not entirely sure if I can stay again with all the noise. Where the majority of hotels are in this city, they are on the outskirts of town. According to my husband (he has traveled to Waxahachie several times for work), you can't hear the trains from the hotels, where he stayed before). If I was to stay here again, I would have to bring some really good ear plugs to block out all the noise for a restful night's sleep.

Absolutely loved this bed and breakfast! It was beautiful, comfy, and clean. The owners we super nice and fun to chat with. Will definitely be visiting again!

We very much enjoyed our stay at the Inn. The place is full of old English life. It's quaint, quiet and comfy. There is always old timey music gently playing in the study that adds to the ambiance. Old books are in nearly every room. The stained glass windows, footed bathtub, creaky floors and narrow staircase all reminded me of a house out of a Stephen King novel. It was charming and well aged. I would highly recommend and wish we had more time to stay and check everything out. Great Mothers Day stay!

This was the most amazing place, my wife and I had a kid free weekend and can't wait to do it again. Howard was amazing, he contacted me the day before and was very helpful. 5 stars isn't enough!!

Absolutely fabulous stay. The host, Howard is wonderful and filled us in on Waxahachie history when we arrived. The home is so welcoming and beautiful. Our room was extremely clean and we had a ton of pillows for our bed. The room is well appointed and had everything we needed. Prior to arrival, Howard sent a text with local restaurant info which was helpful. The location is about 2 minutes from downtown and is in a quiet neighborhood. Thoroughly enjoyed our stay! Thanks Howard and staff!!!

My husband and I stayed at the English Merchant Inn the night of our wedding. Mr Baskin stayed up to greet us and even left his wedding crystal champagne flutes from his wedding for us to use. The home is absolutely beautiful and our room was charming. The breakfast was presented with an English flag and the banana nut french toast was my favourite. The fireplace was always on creating a cozy atmosphere. We live in NYC but people like Mr Baskin are great reminders of what makes the south so special and gives the true meaning of southern hospitality. We can not recommend the English Merchant Inn enough for a weekend away or a memorable wedding night.

Wow!!Simply put, WOW! Loved it! My wife and I just got married and this was a first night together. We were so happy to have made the decision to spend it here. Not only is Howard the BEST host but the rooms had beautiful antique furniture, amazing claw tubs and it literally felt like home. We enjoyed our stay thoroughly and had a super awesome (complimentary) brunch at White Rhino to cap off our stay. We appreciate the quietness and serenity we experienced there. We loved the decor and just appreciated the whole "feel". It may not be for those looking for a trendy fully modernized hotel with all of the up-to-date features (though they DO have Wi-Fi, A/C and satellite TV) but DEFINITELY for those that appreciate the kindness and "breath of fresh air" that you get from a colonial and country living environment. We will be back for future anniversaries! Big recommend for anyone staying in Waxahachie.

What a magical place! Innkeepers Mary and Howard were incredibly kind and gracious, going out of their way to ensure my partner and I were comfortable and very well fed :-) Breakfast was sumptuous and beautiful: Prosciutto-wrapped melon to start, followed by a cheesy frittata with farm sausage and fresh-baked cranberry and orange scones served on antique French porcelain plates. We splurged on a suite, the first room on the left, with a sitting room and fireplace decorated with a cool mix of Mary's antiques. But nothing is too precious here! From the minute we arrived, she and Howard helped us feel right at home, giving us tips on where to shop and dine.If you're looking for a fun, stylish and beautiful getaway in a historic town with plenty to see and do, stay at the English Merchant's Inn in Waxahachie!

We had a great timeUpstairs rear has a big screen tv and lots of board gamesNice outside seating on the porch Atmosphere is like your cluttered grandmother's house, lots of books and Knick-knacks Great sheets and comfy bedTony has great stories regarding the town an house!

Beautifully decorated historic home. Hosts were gracious. Beds were super comfortable; soft pillows not hard foam ones, and upscale silken linens. We sat by the downstairs fire to read. Upstairs has several common use rooms--the TV room: big cushy club chairs and sofa, ice maker, fridge, and microwave; coffee bar area; another seating area with an antique table perfect for Scrabble, Puzzles or cards ( see shelves in the TV room) ; library stocked with books, music, etc. Overall-a top BnB.