Phenomenal. I can't think of a better word. What a magnificent, historical, romantic place to be Valentine's weekend. The owner, Jack, is the sweetest man. It turned out our paycheck wouldn't be deposited until the middle of our stay and he let us come anyway with the trust we would pay when we got it! The lady, Diedra(sp?) is exceptionally nice as well. Neither of them have any problem sitting down with you and talking about the history of this building, all in which is SO interesting to learn. Let it be paranormal, past guests, famous cowboys or just interesting people like WWII soldiers. This place treats you like family. Everyone is so nice, some people staying here seem like regulars so there's always a nice quiet talk going on outside on the porch or in the dining room... last night I actually heard guests out there playing an acoustic guitar and another singing along over the sounds of waves!! Yes. Waves!!! The Bay is right across the street... this would be a WONDERFUL place to bring the kids as there's two large, very nice, play areas within view of the front porch! A big pier next to those and what looks like a boat docking station on the other side. Just beautiful. Quiet. Relaxing!!! The rates are outstanding for what you get here. Sure, you could spend a little extra and get a nice fancy place somewhere else, but here you have serenity and the opportunity to take a walk back in time, unlike any place I have ever been! Our original room, RM101, was very old country style. The kitchen didn't have a stove so Jack loaned me a toaster oven! I was able to cook a fine meal for my boyfriend (chicken parmesan!) using that and a pan from home, I cooked noodles on the hot plate :). I walked around taking pictures when I came across Diedra cleaning rooms, she let me take a look at one that wasn't occupied and it was SO nice!! For an additional $20 a night Jack let us upgrade to that one. It has a full fridge, stove, oven, living room, bigger bed. GET THIS ROOM IF YOU HAVE KIDS. for 3 nights we're spending very little over $300. The ONLY thing I wish was different would be the breakfast. It consists of cereal, toast, coffee, milk and juice. This place would be set even if they just offered some premade biscuits and canned gravy! You can buy biscuits in bulk and big cans of gravy could be heated up in the microwave, so easily done. Just a suggestion :). Even bagels and cream cheese... I don't know. I want FOOD, LOL. This isn't a big enough deal breaker for me to take a star away for though. Love love love this place. I can't seem to express that enough. Highly recommend. read more

See all

Do not except your run of the mill, fancy regular hotel. This hotel has been through both world wars. It is dated but it is extraordinary. It has personality and character. Super nice workers and great service. Clean and well taken care of. I thought it was wonderful staying in a historic hotel. read more

I like staying there. Really like rooms with a kitchen and fridge and they have coffee in the rooms . Very convenient if you're going fishing on the Palacios 's pier. They are doing some small renovations so it makes it a little dusty I'm not gonna say anything bad about the hotel but whoever cleans the rooms doesn't really do a good job but I'm sure the management will figure that out . I do appreciate the clean towels. In the coffee in the room the beds do need mattress covers that would be a plus and it just makes me more comfortable read more

Random TV production stop brought our crew here - the hospitality was awesome and the BEST part about staying here was... dun dun duuuuuunnnnn The owner gave me two awesome yellow vintage victorian chairs. AHHHH!! What a steal! (hearts literally - literally - floated above my head) I'm about 50% done re-upholstering them and they are one of my most prized possessions... so do you think I'd stay here again? UM YEA! You don't get that type of hospitality at the Hilton!! read more

My brother has this fascination with old hotels; he likes to hunt them out and arrange family gatherings at them, as often as he can manage. Sometimes this is all right, as at last Thanksgiving, when he arranged for us to stay at the Blackstone Hotel in Fort Worth. Then there are the ones like the Luther Hotel. The Luther is a huge, ramshackle beachfront hotel, an old-time summer resort built in 1902 that has survived many storms and one bodily relocation more or less intact. What hasn't happened to it is any kind of modernization. The general decor seems to be frozen somewhere around 1940, with some more recent furniture in the common areas, but little later than 1970. The second-floor hallway--three stories, no elevators--had balding *orange nearly-shag carpeting*, peeling back at the joins and just ripe to trip someone up. It's something like staying at your grandparents' house, which hasn't been redecorated since your parents were kids, and that your grandparents can't see well enough to realize everything in the house is threadbare and moth-eaten. Travel writers kindly call the hotel "unchanged" and "quaint;" with the injection of two or three million dollars' worth of remodeling and infrastructure updates it might aspire to quaint. My own impressions range from "dilapidated" and "shabby" to "firetrap," 'cos I sure didn't discover any fire escapes or other such essentials. The outside, in best seaside tradition, needs painting and has needed it for years. (People in coastal communities seem to have a love/hate relationship with paint; the love--and the paint--goes onto their boats and stuff that has to go in the water, and everything else gets left.) The hotel has thirty-eight rooms and suites; there's also a row of eight stuccoed motor-courts on the edge of the property, but they've been allowed to go down so far that they're now beyond repair, and the managers, an elderly couple who've run the place for some years, say they'll have to be torn down soon--although I think "soon" is probably being expressed in geological terms, and they'll actually fall down first, the way things in small towns do. We had what passes for a "suite," and I suppose it is, by fishing resort standards. It had one minuscule and one reasonable-sized bedroom, two airliner-size bathrooms that were carved out of the bedrooms, which is *why* our bedroom was tiny, a nearly full-size kitchen (with non-working range but working fridge), and a common entryway/"sitting room." I don't think there was a stick of furniture in our bedroom that dated later than World War II, the 1970s velveteen loveseat in the sitting area had an enormous rip in one arm that someone tried (and failed) to conceal with strategically placed pillows, and our bedstead was so wobbly that I went in hourly fear of it collapsing. Air conditioning was courtesy of window units which did, for a mercy, cool efficiently. Our room had a period ceiling fan--"period" meaning it has one speed, high. Our shower may have been the most ridiculous piece of the whole experience. Besides the hot and cold taps, there was an ordinary gate valve spliced into the pipe just behind the (leaky) shower head, and that was what actually controlled the water flow. It's handyman engineering--while it may do the job, it's not elegant and certainly not the best solution. Despite all this, the hotel was full for the July 4th weekend, and it seems to be one of those places people keep coming back to, perhaps for sentimental reasons. Guests actually talk to one another in the lobby and on the front porch--the hotel does have a two-story-tall front portico, complete with white-painted slat-back rocking chairs. The Luther must have some appeal that I'm missing, though; I can't see how anyone could possibly be staying here for the creature comforts. To cap the experience, there are no room phones, and damn sure no Net access. read more

The Luther Hotel - Panorama of hotel's front, shot from the boardwalk - Hotels Near Me - Palacios, Texas

I'll admit, if you're looking for something fancy this won't be the hotel for you. I ended up here when my dad and I drove to the gulf for some fishing on a whim. Located directly across from a lighted pier, this hotel was perfect for us. The building itself is a piece of history, having been built it 1903. We enjoyed learning about the history of the building and the area. In their breakfast room they provide notebooks full of historic news articles, old hotel records (back to 1905) and copies of correspondence between the hotel owners with LBJ (they were friends). When considering the hotel, the biggest thing to keep in mind is how old it is. I think most the negative reviews come from those who expected a typical run of the mill hotel. Despite this, the location is fantastic, and the staff were very friendly and helpful. Rates were great too. Thanks for the hospitality, Luther Hotel! read more

I have to agree with most of what Fortunatus said. But I have to say, I found the ambiance interesting and the hotel full of character. On the downside, the hotel overall smells musty and all the carpets are well worn and very dirty. I kept my socks on in the room and wished I had flip flops to wear in the tiny, tiny shower. The hot and cold faucet handles leaked and I got a quick hit of scalding water when I turned the shower off. I'm only 5'2" and was still cramped when using the toilet. There are rumors of a ghost in residence and I experienced two encounters that I won't go into here. It seems the hotel was a hot spot several decades ago and served as a vacation stop for the rich and famous. I enjoyed looking at the Rita Hayworth and Carole Landis photos from the 40's and imagining the times back then. I was in town for work and was booked here by a production company for a television pilot. I won't be going back on my own dime. read more

I feel really bad giving this hotel such a bad review, but I can't give it any more stars. The owner is super nice and I think he's only been taking over for his parents so like 6 months, so maybe things will get better. Forget decor or anything fancy, this place is run down, not very clean, and has a severe lack in privacy in many of the rooms. I will let my photos do the talking, but I have to add that a random man came up to me in Palacios and started complaining about the hotel also. read more

See all

This is my favorite hotel in Palacios it has been around way before I was born and had the nicest staff the owner is jack and he is awesome they are remodeling some rooms and we love coming here since we are huge family of fishermen and we are always here. read more

I am giving this a 5 star not because it's a fancy place but because the people here are amazing! Not just Jack the owner but all the guests too. When you come here be prepared. Get in the mind set that this is over 100 year old hotel. This is not the Hilton you are accustomed to. The rooms are clean. But they are not fancy. It's a beach side hotel and there for there is a lot of humidity. But the ac works great. The bathrooms are tiny but sufficient. Please come and enjoy the front porch! This place is fantAstic. We will be back and often! read more

See all

You will either love this hotel because it's old (1903) or hate it because it's old. However, no one can fault its expansive grounds and location facing Matagorda Bay. It's flat beautiful. We love that you can walk across the street to the fishing pier and visit with locals or wet a line yourself. Or stroll the beach. Or sit on the front porch and drink your morning coffee or sundowner, or better yet visit with the cats on the back porch. It's old, it's funky, it's a great place to get a good nights sleep. read more

we stayed there mother's day weekend.... it was yucky!!!! the carpet and sinks the bathrooms....omg the whole experience was teriible and sooo overly priced!! they charge as if you where staying at the hilton or something!! Never will stay there again and will def not recommened to anyone not if my enemies.... read more

Here's the scoop on the Luther Hotel. The owner is awesome and you feel like family when you walk in the door. The place is old but it is charming. If you're wanting the bland and sterile environment of a big city hotel, this place is not for you. Yes, it needs work and the decor is dated but the bed was soft, the sheets were clean, and the people were awesome. My husband and I stayed over Valentines 2015 and we both had a wonderful stay. If you want an unusual and uniquely Palacious experience... you'll love The Luther. We loved it and will definitely be back! read more

Quiet, quiet, quiet, .....not the most glamorous, yet you will not be disappointed if you need a shower, nice bed, and plenty of room....I have stayed hwre the last two years for a couple of days at a time, you can't beat the price and or the stories this place has in its rich history. read more

I disagree with the other visitors. I think we are visiting this hotel for different reasons. My mother always told me, if you don't expect anything, you will never be disappointed. I loved this old hotel. It is rich with history and full of stories. Jack is quite friendly and will come out with a great story about the people, the furnishings, heck just about anything, which adds to the interest. It's run down BECAUSE IT'S OVER 100 YEARS OLD. I don't know that any person who complained would look like they do now at 100 years old. I totally understand the scattered decades of furniture. If I had a hotel, I wouldn't want to keep beautiful antiques where people come and go and want to set down a cold soda or a hot coffee.... it takes an antiques expert to repair such treasures. If you want the Hilton, go to the Hilton. If you want friendly accommodations with a free trip back in time and a peek into the past, The Luther is a great place. On a side note, It is supposedly haunted. I stayed in a room which a previous guest had reported a presence. When I went to bed at night, I could not sleep with the bedroom door open. I had a chair in front of it, too. (hehe) Also, I took many pictures and caught a few orbs. Exciting stuff. Like I said, I disagree with the other visitors but I think we had different expectations of what it would (or should) be like..... I had none. GREAT JOB JACK!!! BTW, if you want internet anywhere, get a jetpack device... comes in handy ;) read more

Very nice. The staff was awesome; Jack is a cool guy. The place was super clean. This is not a Hilton, and is 100+ years old. But we enjoyed the penthouse and a regular room. Both very nice. read more

I hate to give this place just 2 stars as the owner was a very nice man, but when I booked my room I sure wasn't told by the owner the condition of this place. I believe back in the day it was a lovely grand sort of place to stay,,and very well could be today,,but isn't.! The whole place smells very musty, doors would open and close for no reason at all,,I guess the window blowing through the place, the carpets were very worn, stains on the ceiling from leaks, electrical cords running under the carpets and down the hall, light fixtures very dated and flickering, the floor of my room was very sticky to my shoes,,the widows in my room were jammed shut by old paint, the bed was the last straw as it had bed bug stains on the mattress and the sheets were stained with some sort of body fluids, the toilet was leaking and the fridge in my room was rusty and had stains all inside of it. I decided not to take the room and told a little white lie, that I had to leave because of an emergency,,my emergeny was I didn't feel safe there, as the lock to my door was jammed with something. Its a shame that this great old place has gotten so run down that its a real fire hazard. I wish someone would re do the place to its old splendor. read more

This is my second time staying here. The first time I flew into the airport, one mile down the road, with my son for a weekend fishing trip. This time I brought my wife because I thought she'd like the old hotel with all it's history and nostalgia. She was not disappointed. The fishing pier is right across the street and there are a couple of restaurants within walking distance. The owner is real nice and tries to make you feel welcome. read more

What a wonderful place to stay and relax. The hotel owner is great. This hotel is very historic and clean. A lot of wonderful stories Jack tells and the history is great too. read more

I love this hotel. There is so much history and character here...plus, as others have said, the owner is super nice and will help you with anything you need. Just a warning though, although it was definitely THE place to stay in the early 1900s, this hotel is not fancy. The décor is dated and the wallpaper may be peeling, etc. Breakfast in the morning is very basic...so plan to grab a little bite and then eat somewhere else later. The rooms are clean though, the beds are comfortable and the view is nice. I will definitely stay here again. read more