Red Bluff Cottage

Montgomery’s Cottage Hill Historic District sits on one of the highest points in the city, and Red Bluff Cottage has looked out over the Alabama River plain and the state capitol from that ridge for decades. The two story raised Victorian cottage was built in 1987, but it was designed to blend seamlessly with the late 19th century homes around it, and from the street it reads as a much older house. The porch, the gingerbread trim, and the tall windows all echo the neighborhood’s original architecture.

The property opened as a traditional bed and breakfast under owners Mark and Anne Waldo. In 2001 it passed to Barry and Bonnie Ponstein, who kept the bed and breakfast tradition going for more than two decades. In 2023, Paul Hodges took over the property, and today Red Bluff Cottage operates as a whole house short term rental rather than a staffed inn. Guests still book by the room, but the entire cottage, all five bathrooms and every common space, can also be reserved as one unit for a group.

Inside, the house is furnished with antiques collected over its years as a bed and breakfast: a carved king size sleigh bed and antique armoire in the King Room, English Barley Twist twin beds in the adjoining Twin Bedroom, a queen poster bed with a handmade walnut dresser in the Poster Bedroom, and a La-Z-Boy sofa bed tucked beside a queen sleigh bed in the Sleigh Bedroom. The Owner’s Suite, upstairs next to a sun porch and library, has a king bed, a walk in shower, and what past guests describe as an enormous closet. Every bedroom has its own private bathroom, which makes the cottage practical for groups traveling together, including multiple couples or extended families who want their own space under one roof.

The common areas are set up for a full stay rather than just an overnight visit. There is a complete kitchen with a stovetop, oven, dishwasher, and the cookware and dishware to use them, plus a separate dining area, a living room with a desk for anyone working remotely, and a washer and dryer for longer trips. Outside, the wraparound front porch, garden, and gazebo give guests somewhere to sit that isn’t the interior of the house, something reviewers have specifically called out when describing evenings spent on the balcony playing board games.

Location is one of the cottage’s strongest selling points. Red Bluff sits close to the interchange of Interstate 85 and Interstate 65, so it works as a convenient stop for travelers passing through, while also being an easy walk or short drive to most of downtown Montgomery’s landmarks. The Alabama State Capitol, the Civil Rights Memorial Center, the Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice, the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, and Riverfront Park are all within range, along with Alabama State University. Guests looking to go further afield can reach the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Capitol Hill or the Hyundai manufacturing plant tour with a short drive.

Reviews collected on the property’s own site describe current owner Paul Hodges as responsive before and during stays, quick to answer questions, and accommodating of groups that range from four retired couples splitting the bedrooms to an eight person family reunion that used every bathroom in the house. Guests have also mentioned the pool table as a draw for larger groups looking for something to do between sightseeing trips.

Rates run from about 100 dollars a night for the Twin Bedroom, which is booked only as an add on to the King Bedroom to form a two room suite, up to 250 dollars a night for the Owner’s Suite. The Poster, Sleigh, and Double Queen bedrooms fall in between at roughly 200 dollars a night. Free parking and free Wi-Fi are included regardless of which room, or the whole house, gets booked. Reservations run through the property’s own website, and the address is 551 Clay Street, in the Cottage Hill Historic District a short distance from Montgomery’s downtown core.