small logo     Updated 7 December 2001   URL is http://our.tentativetimes.net/marfa/arcon.html

The Arcón Inn, Texas Treasure

by Magdalin Leonardo

Marfa pages are:
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All text and images © 1998 Magdalin Leonardo, email magdalin2000@earthlink.net  

The Inn itself

The Arcón Inn, a gorgeous, two-story Gothic Victorian adobe home, is just a few blocks from the Marfa courthouse, at 415 North Austin Street. Their website is http://www.bedandbreakfast.com/bbc/p150264.asp
"Arcón" is the Old Spanish word for "treasure chest." One look inside The Arcón Inn and you’ll discover the name fits it just perfectly. The Arcón Inn is filled to the brim with art and antiques from many countries.

just one wall      Parts of the Arcón Inn are like a virtual Spanish shrine, decorated with religious sculptures and paintings that look like they’re straight out of some 17th century church. Marvelous mirrors, glowing chandeliers, countless angel figurines, elaborate wooden screens, and of course, a generous collection of treasure chests, are just a few of the intriguing items you’ll find in the living and dining areas. And that's just downstairs!

White Bedroom

Upstairs, the main house has two full baths and four bedrooms, each one lavishly decorated with antiques from the cities after which they are named. I stayed in the Paris Room, the smallest of the four. But the prettiest one was the London Room. (Apparently, it was Martha Stewart's favorite too--she stayed there once!)

The Madrid Room

The Madrid Room, drenched in red, has two small twin beds and an outdoor patio.

 

The Lima Room is the largest of the four, with a beautiful, king-sized canopy bed. The rooms range in price and include breakfast. Extra rolling beds can be added to the larger rooms for an additional fee...so you may want to go in a group! Especially if you decide to stay in The Arcón Inn's Casita.

The Casita sits just behind The Arcon Inn and can accommodate up to eight people. This 1850's Spanish adobe cottage has two huge bedrooms, two private baths, plus a kitchenette, sitting room and private patio. A total 800 square feet in all, the captivating Casita rents for (price may have changed since 1998) a night. It's a pretty popular place--and when you see it, you'll agree!

I spent a lot of time with Mona during my four-day stay at The Arcón Inn, and she is one of the sweetest, most fascinating people you'll ever meet. Mona's roots lie deep in this Texas soil. Her great-grandfather, J.R. Blocker (yup, just like Jett), was a rancher who came to Texas in the 1800s from South Carolina. He later became a member of the first Texas Cattleman's Association. Mona's husband, Rodolfo Garcia Salazar y Lesdesma (Whew! That's Rudy for short), has an equally historic lineage. Rudy's grandfather moved to Mexico from northern Spain. Later his family settled in Texas to escape the Mexican Revolution.

Mona's son, Greg, is another friendly face you'll see at The Arcón Inn. Greg, a chef who doubles as an artist, created the marvelous metal sculptures that dot The Arcon Inn's landscape. He also cooked me a delicious breakfast while I was there and will soon be opening his own restaurant in town. The Tumbleweed Grille, which will be run by Greg and his partner-fiance Laura Suehs, will feature grilled steaks, chicken, burgers (all Texas beef, of course), great salads, old-fashioned fruit cobblers and much more. Mmmm...I can't wait!

Mona calls Marfa "a magical place" and many of her guests at The Arcón Inn seem to agree. Although the inn had only been open a year (when this was written in 1998,) eight of her guests have either stayed in Marfa for good or bought property in town. Fate...or coincidence? Why not book a room at The Arcón Inn and find out? Email arconinn@christophers.net for reservations. Your trip to Marfa will be a memorable one.
Phone +1-915-729-4826
Fax +1-915-729-3391

All text and images © 1998, 2001 Magdalin Leonardo.

NEXT: Reata Ruins

Continue Your Voyage:

  1. Overview: Where the heck is Marfa?
  2. Getting There
  3. The Arcón Inn
  4. Reata Ruins
  5. Reata Ruins Part Two
  6. Little Reata
  7. El Paisano Hotel
  8. Borunda’s Bar and Grill
  9. Part One, Faces and Places
  10. Faces and Places Part Two
  11. “Jimmy Beans”
  12. Part One, Reata Restaurant, Alpine
  13. Reata Restaurant, Alpine, Part Two
  14. About the Author

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