Welcome
The Big Bend Holiday Hotel
Unexpected luxury in the Terlingua Ghost Town
in the shadow of the Chisos Mountains, where great stories begin
The Big Bend Holiday Hotel is conveniently located in the Terlingua Ghost Town
You'll find many things in the Ghost Town in the exact condition they've been in for centuries, and that's great for exploring, but at the end of the day you'll want air conditioning.
That's when you'll want to know about the Big Bend Holiday Hotel, with its gorgeous rooms in a historical West Texas setting.
The Holiday Hotel is no franchise resort. It's lovingly restored and operated by the Bill Ivey family, who are longtime residents of the Terlingua area.
You are invited to enjoy yourself just as they do, noting that the Big Bend Holiday Hotel is perfect for raucous revelry or a romantic rendezvous (or both).
Enjoy.
Ghosttown Lodging
Sophisticated accomodations in a primitive setting.
These vintage rooms have been restored to such an astonishing level of comfort and luxury that you won't believe you're so far away from all your troubles.
You'll forget that you're staying in a nineteenth century ghost town until you open the door -- but you'll know you're in Texas. The decor has an absolute pioneer heritage that has been embellished with twenty-first century opulence.
The Casitas
There's no place like home...
...and these casitas are homes that have been lovingly restored from period authenticity to state-of-the-art coziness, with a charming level of post-vintage luxury.
They combine the services of a fine ghosttownish hotel with the extra roominess of a private home.
Stretch out. Share the space with your companions or close the door for some alone-time and snooze, siesta, or celebrate.
Rio Grande Rock House
Travel back in time...
The Rock House is almost too good to be true. Built as a trading post at the turn of the last century -- long before the road existed as anything more than a path -- it's literally on the fabled Rio Grande, overlooking the spectacular mountains of Mexico.
It was the only spot of civilization on the long ride between Presidio and Lajitas, a lone way-station where trappers brought their furs and the locals traded their candelilla cactus to be made into women's makeup.
Back then, if you made it this far, you would trade anything you had for something cool to drink.
The PERRY Mansion
It took over a century, but your room is ready!
Since 1906, the Perry Mansion has proudly overlooked the Chisos Mining Company (now the Terlingua Ghost Town). Unfortunately, bankruptcy and a hundred years of decay overwhelmed Mr. Perry's dream house -- until now.
A three year restoration has renewed the dream and it's available to all. Enjoy desert living at the top of the world. This is as good as it gets.
The restoration of the Perry Mansion was but a fantasy until owner Bill Ivey assembled a team of specialists who shared his vision. After too many years of hard work, the Perry Mansion has blossomed into the premium lodging site for the Big Bend.
THE GHOSTTOWN
The Glory Days of Terlingua are gone, but the Good Times roll on!
The Chisos Mine was a hellacious place to work, but today all that hard labor has been replaced by leisurely strolls over memory-laden lawns of stone and rubble.
Sun-bleached relics remain strewn amid the ruins of the miners’ hand-built hovels. Bits of outdated equipment remain near the steel gratings that cover crumbling mineshafts. Fossils peek out from shattered rock, waiting to be discovered.
And vestiges of homes suggest the harsh family life of the miners who bore the realilties of quicksilver mining, not the dreams of wealth.
TERLINGUA
Terlingua isn't just a place, it's a state of mind.
People come here for a lot of reasons, but the most common reason is to have a good time. It could be the scenery, the sunshine, the history, the chili, or the intoxicants, but usually it's a combination.
In the Sixties, hippies came to Terlingua because they'd heard there was no work available.
Not much has changed.
ST. AGNES CHURCH
Nothing tests faith more than mining for mercury.
That same faith stands witness today in this modest structure. Intermittently abandoned, it is more than quiet, it is reverent.
Lovingly restored to its original state, visitors to the Ghosttown stop in to meditate, pray, or just get out of the hot sun.
TERLINGUA CEMETERY
A lot of great stories end here.
Everyone stops by to visit the Terlingua cemetery. Almost everyone leaves.
There's a harsh serenity here that expresses a blending of the earthly and the spiritual. And while it's very Texan, and somewhat Mexican, it's so much more than a "Boot Hill."
THE STARLIGHT THEATRE
The heart of Terlingua.
By the time you get to Terlingua -- no matter where you came from or how you traveled -- you need a drink. Even if you were already here, you need a drink. That's why the Starlight Theatre is still here. That, and the great food.
BIG BEND PARKS
Prehistoric exposure.
Miraculously, the Rio Grande was placed exactly between Texas and Mexico, following every twist and turn of this international border. That, and the spectacular desert mountains on both sides, created a landscape worthy of not one, but two, Big Bend parks.
The Big Bend National Park rivals any park in the country. Next door is the Big Bend Ranch State Park. Take your pick.
AREA LINKS
Visit our friends and neighbors. They'll tell you where to go. And what to do. And other things you'll need to know.
The Terlingua Mansion is Owned and Operated by the Bill Ivey family.
Each Room has NO Cable Television OR Telephone. Enjoy the break.
Free wireless internet is usually available.
Breakfast is not provided, but all rooms have coffeemakers and our special blend of coffee.
A mini-fridge and a microwave oven are available in every room.
Room Service is very expensive and requires 48 hours notice.
© 2020 Big Bend Holiday Hotel