The Ogé House on the Riverwalk

A classic plantation house built during the Greek Revival craze that spread across the South in the years before the Civil War, the Ogé (pronounced OH-jhay) House is the crowning glory of San Antonio's historic King William neighborhood. The inn's owners have created an understated tribute to the antebellum South, complete with a veranda from which one can look out over the pecan-shaded estate. But it has all the modern amenities: From the registration desk to the in-room premium cable TV and the state-of-the art telephone system, their inn has the ambience of a luxury hotel.

Built in 1857 by pioneer Texas ranger and cattle rancher Louis Oge[ac], the three-story manse sits on 1.5 acres of landscaped lawns and gardens overlooking the Paseo del Rio. It had been a boardinghouse before the Magatagans purchased it in 1991 and set out to transform it into San Antonio's brightest B&B. Kitchenettes were turned into lovely vanities; walls were painted in creamy whites; bathrooms were overhauled; and pine floors were polished and draped with fine Oriental rugs.

Today each room isequipped with premium cable TV and telephones, bathrooms were modernized to put the house in tip-top condition. The home is furnished mostly with early American Victorian furniture, but there are some Texas-style items, mainly found in the Bluebonnet Room.

Even one of the home's tributes to things Texan---a bullhorn sofa in an upstairs lounging area---was purchased "up nawth." Texas-theme furnishings are also found in the Bluebonnet Room, complete with a rolling-pin bed and a West Texas judge's desk. Otherwise, early American Victorian furniture dominates the guest rooms and suites

The house's second floor is the main floor, with an entryway, sitting room, library, kitchen, dining room, and two guest rooms. The first floor is an English basement, which houses a guest room and suite as well as the Magatagans' living quarters. The three third-floor suites are the most impressive: Each has access to the wide veranda or, in one case, a small private balcony.

Location: 209 Washington St. in the King William District

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