One of the most beautiful hotels I've ever had the privilege of staying in! Even before I get into the details, just know that if you're road tripping across Texas it is 100% worth driving an extra hour or two to stay here!! While the town of Big Spring isn't much to look at, this hotel has been resurrected from the dead and made to shine brighter than ever. Seriously, if you get the chance to look through the crazy renovation pictures in the lobby you have to see just how bad the condition was when the owners bought it! Despite the age, the elevators weren't worrying at all, and the woman at the front desk recommended a high floor to us for the view. I'm glad she did because it really was beautiful to watch the sun set across the vast flatness of Texas from the 11th floor. Before I get to the room, I have to shoutout how beautiful the lobby is. Grand staircase, beautiful decor, an antique car, informative history on the walls, AND an amazing bar and a great restaurant on site too. It's awesome, and my friend and I were both impressed by the drinks we got with dinner. We were all very satisfied with our dinners and the portions were generous. Customer service was also top notch in every aspect, and that's definitely not just because they gave us a delicious homemade chocolate chip cookie (omg so good). Now to get to the hotel room... first of all, it was HUGE! Probably the biggest hotel room I've ever stayed in. Two big beds with a generous amount of space around them, a full coffee bar at the entrance to the room, a big walk-in closet space, a vanity, and a huge bathroom that had a soaking tub AND a spacious shower stall. Honestly, we were stunned by the size of the room and that was only capped off by the comfort of the beds. After road tripping across Texas all day, these were absolutely magical. We'd wanted to stay in unique places on this road trip and I'm so glad we did because Hotel Settles isn't just beautiful, it's also comfortable and very luxurious in the accommodations and food / drink options on site! Highly recommend!! read more

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Love this place so much and stay here every time we need to spend the night in this part of West Texas. Rooms are big and so comfy. Atmosphere is elegant without being snooty. Restaurant is top notch. The only place to stay in Big Spring.! read more

We are visiting Big Spring Texas and stayed at Hotel Settles. The hotel is very clean, well-maintained, and comfortable. We dined at the hotel's restaurant, Settles Grill, and the experience was excellent. We ordered: * Shishito Peppers * Ribeye Steak * Angus Settles Burger Everything was cooked perfectly and tasted amazing. The Ribeye Steak was especially outstanding -- very juicy, tender, and cooked to perfection. Compliments to the chef! Our server, Tamme , was wonderful -- very polite, friendly, and professional. The service was quick and on point. If you're visiting Big Spring, Texas, I highly recommend staying at Hotel Settles and dining at Settles Grill. Don't miss the Ribeye Steak! Thank you to the entire Hotel Settles team for a great experience read more

Great place to stay! Came to the pancake breakfast featuring clay Douglas and overall it was a pleasant experience! Barry stayed here and is highly recommended! read more

Hotel Settles - Clay Douglas Pancake breakfast! - Hotels Near Me - Big Spring, Texas

What a great time. My wife and I stayed here over the weekend. The only bad thing was all the used condoms from the Meet and Greet! We were told this was the room Barry and his boyfriend stayed in. There were at least a thousand condoms all used under the bed. I believe Barry was running a Glory Hole out of the room. It's been. 8 years since that glorious day. read more

Great ambience, excellent food and great service 10/10 recommend Cool old hotel with excellent staff

one review claims the 14th floor is really the 13th. They are mistaken, we stayed on the actual 13th floor (room 1302) and it is clearly marked as that in the elevator. The 14th floor may include an owners suite. The rooms are nice and the grandkids loved the pool. Restaurant is good. read more

Stayed multiple times here without an issue. Called to make a reservation and no rooms except the suites. I booked the Ryan suite. Biggest mistake. No light on the entire floor, until someone downstairs at the lobby flipped a switch. No water. Had to call downstairs and have someone flip another switch. No hot water. Room service guy didn't have a key to enter the private section. Kept knocking. Housekeeping showed up twice in the morning. We asked for a 1230 pm check out when we first got there. Upon leaving, I explained the situation and a manager showed up. Unphased by my comments and told me thanks for the feedback, it will be a staff training issue. I am glad my $950 for the night could train someone. The hotel may be nice, but the staff including the manager needs an overhaul. I will avoid for now read more

Hotel Settles was our hotel of choice for the Clay Douglas Appreciation weekend. We made the right call. The rooms were spotless and the staff friendly but never overbearing. The recommendations of Dells Cafe and Casa Blanca for historic lunch spots were on point. Thanks to everyone for a great stay read more

I was in Big Spring for a business trip. This hotel came highly recommended by my coworkers and business partners. Boy am I glad I stayed here. This renovated historic hotel is a gem. It is absolutely beautiful. They have a restaurant and bar inside the hotel, a beautiful pool with a jacuzzi , a gym and a spa. I was in room 902. The view is of downtown which appeared to be abandoned and old. Next time I will request a pool view if they have it. I work for a government insurance company so I was able to call and get a Government rate. The government rate is not available on their website. You do have to call. I called and booked with Zoe and her customer service was second to none. She was so pleasant and very informative. She answered all my questions. I arrived on Sunday just before midnight. They do lock their doors at midnight so if you don't have a room key you will need to call to be let in. I like that they have lots of cameras and they lock the doors to keep people safe. They have free street parking and a parking lot across the street that is free. The parking lot has a lot of pot holes. Pay close attention to the street you exit on because the street on the main road is a one way street and the other road is a two way street. That's the fun part about being downtown, you get to guess if this is a one way street when signs are not visible. The Greyhound bus station is not to far from the hotel. I noticed that while driving around at night. I felt like I had the hotel to myself most of the time. Only after work hours did it seem to have more people and most of them were heading to the bar. I am looking forward to my next time in Big Spring. I will stay here again and next time I am going to the spa. I highly recommend this hotel. read more

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Do not waste your time or money to stay at this Place. reviews look good and all but I'm willing to bet most people who made them are friends or workers. We booked for 1 night as a little get away ( home is only 8 miles away ) 1st night amazing staff, food , etc. 2nd night different staff. kids were here to swim till 7. At 5pm they came out ( manager short latino lady ) said kids have to go. Hotel is for guest only. Said our room number and they are our kids. She quickly popped off with are they staying the night. We said no but they can. She proceeded to tell me for them to stay we have to buy another room. 250$. so we did so kids can have fun. Friends at the pool were all laughing and joking and Manager got Butt hurt. So they cut the party off ... Then decided to tell us we need to leave property. After you get $1500 in 2 days with no drama or damages or loudness or anything you cut us off because you have to work and we rent a room to have fun !?? Save your money. Motel 6 is better. they keep the light on for you. read more

I love the ambiance , the history, the "pharmacy" bar, the rooms... except.... The beds have gotten so squeaky and creaky they repeatedly wake you up. The mattresses are good , I believe it's the bed frames themselves. I understand "antiques" but they have gotten progressively worse. We've stayed here multiple times but this is probably a deal breaker. Please correct this or it will be the Hampton inn from now on. read more

I don't care if you have to drive across country to visit this 5 star luxury hotel in an abandoned, original ghost town. Do it. You'll have the time of your life. Original cowboy style ghost town still existing with a few small businesses? Check. The hotel will blow you away. Similar to the old Ritz Carlton in Pasadena, CA. Stunning. Love the pool, hot tub area. Perfect wooden cozy, high ceiling bar, great restaurant on site. What more can I say? Bedding and pillows were perfect. Hotel rooms so quiet. Hotel staff, perfect. Cannot even think of one slight downside and I'm very critical and picky about hotels and restaurants. Downside? Weather was cold so we couldn't get to the pool without freezing. lol Note: don't even think about wanting to get into the mind blowing antique stores a block away. Owners don't care enough to open them. EVER. Oh! I also heard there's a spa at this relaxing hotel but didn't get to try it out. Stay here if you love luxury hotel getaways and adventure! You'll thank me later. read more

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This hotel is glorious. Watched the sunset from our room, wearing the Settles robes with a beer. It's a truly lovely place and an amazing deal. read more

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We were driving into Big Spring after having spent the better part of the Sunday at Carlsbad Caverns. My wife and I were both weary of having spent the past eleven days on our road-trip when unexpectedly rose on the horizon, this hotel. What the hell was this doing stuck way out here in the desert?! I had no idea, but I aimed to find out. Besides, the wife wanted to stay here as soon as she laid her eyes upon this place. I pulled up beside the hotel and we went in. Not knowing what to expect when I walked in, I must say I was taken back by how immaculate everything inside this place was! I took a quick look around and I had to check myself because I felt I had stepped into some sort of time warp back to the 1930s or something. Everything inside the lobby floor of this place looks amazing! With my AAA discount, they would let me a room on the 13th floor for $179. Awesome. I must say I was surprised at that Hotel Settles includes an official "13th floor" because most hotels seem to skip that number. For some superstitious reason, a lot of building elevators list the 12th floor, omit 13, and go directly to the 14th floor. Essentially, they pretend there's not a 13th floor (when in reality, their 14th floor is the 13th floor). There's probably a story as to why the 13th floor is included here at Hotel Settles. I'm guessing this Settles fellow wasn't at all superstitious, and thumbed his nose at the notion not to include it. Also, there's an actual 14th floor here as well - the top floor. I was told by another guest who had been staying at the hotel for the past month that the 14th floor is the penthouse, and that they charge $2500 for the weekend for it. Yikes! Too expensive for my blood, but I'm sure that's nothing for some oil or wind turbine baron looking to party out here some weekend. Our room on the 13th floor wasn't so much a room as it was a suite, way more than ample space for two people. It was on the southeast corner of the building, and the view from our room was amazing. You can see for miles and miles! The bed was super comfortable, but for some strange reason, there wasn't a fitted sheet on our bed, only another regular sheet which did not stay put. My only complaint about this place, really. The shower was huge! All in all, the room was downright super. We could see the pool from our room, so we got ready and went downstairs to check it out. The pool area is really, really cool, and the place we choose to hang out at for the rest of the evening. We were able to order drinks and food from the hotel's Pharmacy Bar up until they closed at 9:00, and they even delivered it to us outside to our table beside the pool. The door to the pool area locks from the inside out at 10:00 pm automatically (when the pool officially closes), but as long as someone is already inside the pool area before 10:00 pm that person is able to come and push the door open from the pool side to let you in. We hung out in the pool area until around 11:30 pm and no hotel employee ever appeared to kick us out. read more

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Gorgeous and comfy hotel! I wouldn't stay anywhere else when coming to the Big Spring area! The grill menu changes weekly or monthly - but regardless the food is always fresh and tasty! The staff are also very nice! Being pregnant I am constantly staying hydrated and they also accommodate me with my requested pitcher of ice water and countless room service food items! Lol would recommend! read more

I'm a 75 y/o retired Naval officer. I live in Midland, TX, a 40 minute drive from the Settles Hotel in Big Spring, TX. For several years we've wanted to experience that beautiful and historic hotel. So for my wife's birthday I took her and the kids to the Settles for a quiet weekend. After checking in we found a couple of room problems that could be normal in any hotel stay. We reported that the wall lamps above the beds were loose and falling off and has very small bulbs so that an old guy like me with cataracts couldn't see well. In addition, of the two (2) phones in the room, one didn't work. A technician came and confirmed our evaluation of the lamps and the phone, however, he informed us that he wouldn't be able to repair those problems until after we would check out. It didn't seem to occur to him that we couldn't use those items after we would check out. My complain to the front desk elicited the same response and we had to settle for the fact that we would have to do without those items. In addition, no discount or a move to a new room were offered us. The next day we found that we'd also have to do without coffee in the room since the Keurig machine was defective. And why even bother mentioning the fact that the shower head was sending out far few streams of water since many of the holes in the shower head were plugged. We didn't complain of that since we had already experienced their lack of customer service with the phone and the lamp problems. We checked out and went home. In the afternoon, awaking me from my afternoon nap I received a call from the Settles. They were calling to tell me that I was being charged an additional $70. What horrible damage has we caused to owe the Settles another $70 on top of the room charges of $495.12 for two days stay? They contended that they found yellow highlighter on a pillowcase and a small amount of blood on one of the sheets. Our party consisted of myself, my wife, and our two (2) children ages 8 & 10. Anyone who has kids knows that they bleed. They have bloody noses, accidents, cuts, etc. And the hotel wants to charge us for the normal happenings of life? And as a 75 y/o guy I have cataracts. My cataracts are yellow and strain out the color yellow from my environment. So due to their lamps that didn't work and my cataracts I probably did leave some evidence of my sojourn in their room since I read with an active highlighter in my hand. In our home, both yellow highlighter and blood are washable and are never seen again. Yellow highlighter is not indelible. It's water based and is completely cleaned from linens with a good washing. I've traveled all the world during my 35 year Navy career. I've stayed in all levels of hotel luxury from 1 star to 5 star. NEVER has a hotel ever charged me for normal vagaries of life. What started as a lovely weekend for my wife has been forever marred the Settles Hotel's attempting to grab for every available dollar with no consideration of serving a clientele with graciousness and with a desire to see them return. Will I ever stay at the Settles Hotel again? What do you think? read more

We had a great experience. I've been intrigued about the hotel after seeing stories online and in magazines. We rerouted a drive from Santa Fe and couldn't be happier. Stayed in a Heritage Room with Parlor. It was beautiful and extremely comfortable. Had a great nights sleep. It's got the mystique. If you're into it you'll be really into it. If you just want a great place to stay this is a great place. Take some time for the pool - it's like a vintage movie. We ate at the Pharmacy Bar on a Sunday night - it really felt like a throwback meeting place for travelers and locals. We thought the food was good with very friendly and personable service. We'll be back and I'll look forward to see how things around it are redeveloped. read more

We discovered this west Texas gem in Big Spring on our drives to Santa Fe, New Mexico. We now plan our trips with an evening at Hotel Settles instead of anywhere else because of the 1930s history, elegance, and the comfortable rooms. If you haven't discovered this Art Deco centerpiece of downtown Big Spring - plan to do so on your next trip - indulge in the spa and outdoor pool. read more

The hotel's vintage aesthetic is gorgeous. Beds and linens are so comfortable, loved the furniture choices in the room and throughout the hotel. Grounds were pretty. Was disappointed that the pool area was closed but I suppose that's just the season we're in right now - was only warm enough for the pool one day anyway. Tallest building in town so third floor and up gives you a pretty great view. Liked the security of the key carded elevators. The bar was very pretty, billiards area impressive - wasn't terribly impressed by the drinks.... nothing wrong with them at all but the bar itself is so grand I expected a larger selection of liquor and perhaps more hotel specialty drinks; that's not normally my MO at a bar - I like pretty traditional, basic fare but I also don't usually go to hotel bars and when I do they usually have fancy schmancy concoctions. Several fun things to look at within walking distance - antique stores, municipal auditorium, old theater, a bar and a couple of restaurants. Other fun things were a very short drive away and big spring is pretty easy to navigate. The place has a very grand and romantic vibe to it and I would absolutely go again and recommend to others. read more

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This hotel is a true gem. The renovations have made this into a beautiful, welcoming, and indulgent experience. Our room was very large and very comfortable. Love, love, love the deep, soaking bath tub. The food was great and reasonably priced. The staff was friendly and accommodating. Hotel Settles is a destination on its own, whether you need to be in Big Spring or not. read more

Had thanksgiving brunch here and everything was delicious along with excellent service. This led me make reservations for our party of four for "a delicious Traditional Christmas Day Brunch". Unfortunately, that was not the case today when we arrived for the traditional Christmas brunch. I was very disappointed. Instead of the wonderful dinner I was expecting, we were served food on par with truck stops and convenience stores. To summarize briefly: the portions were small, condiments (gravy, cranberry sauce, butter, salad dressing and rolls) were quickly provided, but had to be requested. The turkey was dry, the cornbread dressing appeared to be only cornbread, the green beans and mashed potatoes were a one on a scale of one to ten with Alpo being a four..., the rolls were hard and cold. One person in our party ordered a chicken breast salad. It was ...interesting. The greens were wilted and soggy and chicken appeared to be covered in herbs, but was tasteless? Part of the bone was sticking out of the breast, if indeed it was a breast. I guess they look that way when carved with a chainsaw. Now on a positive note: the iced tea was good, our waitress was very cordial and attentive...and the butter was good...and the cutlery and napkins were clean. Well, that's it. We might try Hotel Settles for thanksgiving dinner in 2023, but after today's lame showing - probably not. Maybe a corn dog at Loves Truck Stop. read more

Beautiful hotel. They have restore it to its glory days. So gracious. The rooms are fantastic. This is a real diamond in the West Texas desert. read more

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Beautiful historic hotel in middle west Texas! Who knew! Worth the price! Loved our stay.

Great historic hotel. Clean and comfortable. Restaurant above average and service very good. Kind of a hangout for locals which makes for interesting conversation over a cold beer. Rooms large and very old fashion. Patio and pool are huge and very well done. Step back in time and Way better than even the expensive chains. read more

The more I try this place, the more I am impressed with the consistently great quality of the food and service, plus it's reasonably priced. Their menu (apps and mains) changes frequently. The rib & shrimp cocktail apps are amazing. Chicken fried steak is greasy greatness. Entrees are all solid, good portions. Haven't tried their brunch items yet. Grab a premeal drink at the Pharmacy Bar before dinner. read more

Hotel Settles - Hotels Near Me - Big Spring, Texas

I am a Big Spring native and was very excited to see this ole' gal open up, bring some life into "downtown" We were there for my grandfathers funeral so needless to say we were all over the place with our emotions, we had about 6 rooms booked total by different family members. Check in hit a few bumps and we are still waiting on revers on 3 charges but due to the holiday I am sure we are in for another 2-3 day wait, however, the ladies were all helpful during check in considering I was a mess. Restaurant was good, but the do not separate checks, no bueno, this really needs to change. With large groups and multiple tickets = more tips........it's never a good thing to have to keep track of your drinks and meal costs while you are trying to enjoy time with family...bummer Bar was accommodating which was nice, gave us all time to just relax and catch up with family we had not seen in a very long time Rooms were great, very spacious, clean and I doubt there is a bad view out the window from any room. Downside: 1. Elevator issue the morning of the service, this gave me a rattle, once we made it down to the lobby we told front desk (from my understanding so did other guests) and was told "oh okay, i will call someone" as if this was first notice of issues 2. Theft of a necklace, I normally do not ask for room service on short trips like this due to this exact reason, no safe so i took a chance, the necklace being taken is not what upsets me is the fact that this happened while we were at my grandfathers funeral, the necklace was put away in my makeup bag so someone had to actually dig for it :(. I did notify the front desk, very apologetic and promised they would talk to the staff regarding this issue. Overall - we will stay here again, will chalk up incidents as one time issues, now i know how to plan my visit and not to leave valuables in room.....or take them at all if it can be helped. read more

Beautiful place. I didnt realize there was such a place in big spring, TX. A room like this would be 300 plus a night in Austin, DFW, or San Antonio. Large spacious 2 bed room with a separated dressing room and bathroom. Marble floors, huge shower, comfortable beds. They supply robes as well. There is a decent restaurant in the lobby and a great little bar. The pool looked nice and was lit up at night, we just got in too late to enjoy it. The only complaints I could give is that there is never anyone at the desk when we went and no bell so we stood around a bit, and the water is super soft. To the point it felt like I still had soap on. But for West Texas it's surprising to have such an elegant place and I would stay again in a heartbeat. I almost cancelled our second reservation in midland to stay another night. Especially for the fact a room at the la Quinta in Odessa cost nearly as much as this grand place! read more

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My fiancé and I stayed at Hotel Settles on a roadtrip. We chose to stay at Hotel Settles because we wanted to make the drive more exciting and stay somewhere upscale and historic. We drove instead of flying because we wanted to minimize our exposure risk and assumed that Hotel Settles would be adhering to the promise made on its website that the safety of its guests were of utmost importance. Instead, we walked away from Hotel Settles concerned with COVID-19 exposure levels due to flagrant instances of Hotel Settles failure to enforce the state-wide mask order. They were holding a large maskless event in a ballroom and allowed guests to mingle freely in the shared lobby area. After my fiancé and I get in the elevator, 5 drunk maskless guests follow us in and the door closed before we could try and get out to take the stairs. As such, we were exposed to 5 maskless, drunk individuals in a small elevator who had just been in a ballroom with other maskless people. Because Hotel Settles was not enforcing that those event guests need to mask up upon exiting the private room and entering the public lobby, every other guests safety was put at risk. Upon checking out the next morning, no one in the lobby was wearing a mask, not even the lady at the front desk checking us out. Multiple employees, including the lady who checked us in the night before and one of the guys cleaning the lobby, were wearing their masks improperly under their nose. All of this is to say, we paid the Hotel Settles premium prices for the area with the understanding that as a respected business, our safety as guests would be prioritized. Considering there is a mask mandate in Texas according to the governor's executive order GA-29, this experience demonstrates that Hotel Settles' management does not respect the current guidelines put forth NOR the rights of their guests to rest somewhere safely. read more

Was there for the Clay Douglas Appreciation Pancake Breakfast in January of 2018. The pancakes were delicious and a got a free signed copy of all of Clay's books! A great hotel! read more

I wanted to acknowledge a kind act of Gratitude. I am traveling on a bus. I landed in Big Springs, TX with a five hour layover on a Sunday. On Sunday, there is not too many places open for food and coffee this early. After searching for an Uber or DoorDash, I found that I was simply out of luck. Then, I look up and see this Marvelous hotel just a few yards from me. I called the hotel and the lady kindly told me to come and get some coffee. I walked over (actually limped over as I have a pretty big injury to my leg), and was prepared to buy the cup of coffee. They actually gave it to me and were so extremely kind. I might also add that it was (is) the best coffee that I've enjoyed in such a long time. I know nothing of the hotel, the rooms, their amenities...but I know that they have the BEST customer service and made me feel so welcome. I would imagine that that kindness snd excellent service extends itself all through this hotel. Thank You for making my day! read more

One of the most opulent hotels I've stayed. Comfort was at the forefront, history everywhere, and don't miss the Settles Grill! Should be on everyone's bucket list! read more

Such a beautiful, historic hotel in the middle of nowhere! Comfortable bedding, refreshing pool, and great service. I would definitely stay here again. Extremely reasonable pricing for the luxurious quality. The bar has great cocktails and a small lounge with a pool table and a fireplace. read more

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We stopped on the way to New Mexico and stayed in this historic, beautiful hotel. Once we realized how amazing it was, we decided to stop back in on our way back home. Again we had a fabulous room and the bar and food was delightful. Gabriel was great bartender for us and took care of our every need! read more

GOOD FOOD But the price was too high. I'm sorry. I would have expected higher quality food. Might go back for drinks and a dessert. But not a meal Everyone was Friendly read more

Hospitality is the art of making the visitor/ guest feel welcome and wanted. You walk into this beautifully restored and immaculately maintained hotel and you are giddy. You are greeted warmly and swept away by the hotel, her history and just the grandeur of her lobby. You are not disappointed at all when you enter your room. We had the Ryan suite- again beautifully appointed and maintained. At this point you are on Cloud 9 because you feel the money spent on the upgrade has been worth it. You feel that traveling to such an out of the way place has led you to a jewel in the desert. The swimming pool, hot tub and gardens are lovely, elegant and welcoming. Home run you are thinking? Pretty close but just a bit outside. If you have any dealings with the food service staff ( the bar is fun and popular and the food really good) this lofty heady feeling of service and hospitality will be ripped from you like defeat from the jaws of victory like mastered only better by the Cowboy football team. The food service staff is mad - mad they they are working. They are mad that you want to be seated or order from the menu. They are mad and they let you know it in no uncertain terms. The lady at the bar was mad. The lady in the restaurant Sunday morning was mad and there were only two other tables filled We got great service at Denny's and they had three servers, a full house and a line waiting - that was a real head scratcher. So sad because that feeling overshadows all the great effort put into a beautifully restored and maintained hotel read more

Gorgeous hotel in the middle of lackluster Big Spring, Texas. Seriously, there is not really a reason to come here but if you're within an hour or so, this hotel is worth a special night. It is just a beautiful historic hotel. It was a little too chilly while we were visiting to use the pool, but we did find the game room downstairs that appears to double as a "speakeasy". Kind of fun. We ate at the Pharmacy Bar while we were there and it was good. Spring for a nicer room for your stay. We had booked a regular room but it would not lock properly so we lucked out and got upgraded. Honestly, the differences between the rooms were night and day. Totally worth the extra money, especially if you're going there to celebrate something special! Let's face it, you're in Big Spring so you'll probably be spending a lot of time in your room. read more

Oh, to find a kindred spirit in West Texas--I don't feel as alone anymore. Such was the feeling once I delved into my dinner tonight at Settles Grill inside the beautifully redone Hotel Settles. Everything was on point, which was a delightful surprise given my experiences with restaurants in the Midland area. Well, here goes: APPETIZERS: Chicken Fried Olives ($5) and Blue Crab Cakes ($8). Both were similar in presentation--fried and served in small bowls with wooden skewers for easy piercing. The crab cakes were sublime; they had excellent texture and its jalapeno honey glaze complemented the cakes well. Also, they were good crab cakes. Think about that for a moment: Good crab cakes in this part of Texas. What miracle occurred that caused this? The olives provided a tangy counterpoint to the crab cakes. Fried and stuffed with pimento cheese, they became quite addictive over the course of the meal. But the star of the show, the belle of the ball... ENTREE: New York Strip Steak w/Green Onion Mashed Potatoes, Oak Barrel-Bourbon Steak Sauce, Tobacco Onions ($28). When it came out, it stunned me. It looked great. The steak had a great color, the mashed potatoes looked even and fluffy and delicious, and--impressively enough--the server waited until I cut open the steak in order to ensure it was cooked properly. If you're familiar with West Texas dining, you know that This. Never. Happens. Yet it did, and I was all the better for it. And yes, the steak was immaculate. I ordered mine rare (I wanted to see what this place was made of), and it was cooked to perfection. The steak was among the best I've had in Texas. Point of reference: Nick & Sam's in Dallas. Frankly, the strip steak had an overall better flavor than the one I had at Nick & Sam's; the steak sauce, while unnecessary, outshone the one I had in Dallas. The mashed potatoes were flavorful; the onions, combined with the steak, really elevated the dish to another level entirely. Forget West Texas--this is one of the better steaks I've had in general (another point of reference: Peter Luger's in New York. The Luger was transcendent, but this one really holds its own). I'm going to be thinking about this steak for a while. DESSERT: Buttermilk Tart w/Cocoanut Whipped Cream, Caramel, and Toasted Cocoanut ($6). I forced myself to eat some dessert, and I'm glad that I did. This tart was incredible--it had the right amount of sweetness, a heavenly consistency, and a balanced taste. The cocoanut cream, well, it made me feel light and breezy. Desserts around this part of Texas have the subtlety of a five-car traffic accident; thankfully, this one had a sophisticated interplay with the ingredients. And it tasted dang good. SERVICE: fantastic. On point, on time, incredibly polite, and helpful. I felt like I was in Austin again. Well, this is it. This should be the restaurant by which all others in this area are judged. And you really should--maybe this is a harbinger of things to come for this region. If not, I'm moving to Big Spring. The Settles Grill reminds me of better things, of better places. Settles Grill is that better thing. Big Spring is that better place. It's finally here, and not somewhere else. read more

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What a lovely dinner we had. A newly restored hotel and grill waaaay out in west Texas. It would fit in any city in CA. My husband calls this sort of restaurant "high yup". That means that the food is cooked fresh, by a chef, and is taller than it is wide. This is High Yup in Big Spring. A specialty...don't forget this is Texas...is deep fried green olives. Quite good. We'll return and stay in the hotel next time. And, we'll eat high yup! read more

We're from Dallas and were traveling to El Paso 2 days ago and decided to get off I-10 and find lunch not wrapped in paper like fast food on the highway. As we drove through town I saw a tall building and recognized it to be a hotel (The Settles) that I had read about maybe a year ago in The Dallas Morning News that was being restored to it's 1930's splendor by a locally born native son named Ryan. As we drove by the Hotel was saw "Grill" sign in the window and circled back, parked and walked in the lobby. We LOVE old hotels like the Warwick in Houston, Brown Palace in Denver, St. Frances in San Francisco and our own Adolphus and Melrose Hotels in Dallas. The lobby at the Settles is stunning with twin ascending stairways to the Mezzanine with magnificent Grand Ballroom, in a class with these other places. But, back to the Settles Grill. What a fabulous experience - hostess, waitresses, restaurant/bar manager (Kelley Salay) and food/beverage. We told our waitress and we were driving through and happened upon the grill. She was very helpful and as I was in the mood for a burger at mid day she agreed that the Settles Burger was a good choice with some interesting condiments - I do not recall the exact descriptions but there were horseradish pickles and an onion "relish" that was perfect and tomatoes sliced very thin the way I liked them. Burger was as good as I've ever had. My wife had the Black Bean burger that she also found to be excellent with the "coated" French Fries. Lunch was topped of with Cappuccino Creme Broule, with whipped cream on top. As we were finishing our meal the general contractor (John Deere - can't make this up) stopped by the table and told us a little about the hotel renovation - nice guy who told us to make sure and see the Grand Ballroom before we left. As we were leaving the hotel I noticed a large portrait on the landing of the grand stairway and asked a person at the front desk and was told the beautiful woman was the mother of the hotel owner - likely from a picture taken when hotel was in it's heyday. If you are in west Texas about 40 miles east of Midland treat yourself to a stop at the Settles Hotel and dine at the Grill, you will not regret it. read more