There have been a lot of changes this year at the 10-year-old Hotel Derek.
The Galleria-area hotel was sold to Lowe Enterprises Investors this summer, gaining new management from Destination Hotels & Resorts in the process.
In addition LEI's promise to spend $4.5 million to update Derek's guests rooms and common areas, the company originally said that the Derek, Houston's first independent hotel with a modern design, would not be changing its name or affiliating with a national hotel chain.
Instead, Hotel Derek is joining WorldHotels, an affiliation of more than 500 independent hotels worldwide that aims to offer the booking power of a large brand without the loss of individual identity.
Hotel Derek will be the second WorldHotels member in Texas, joining Dallas' 100-year-old luxury property The Adolphus as part of the "Deluxe" collection. Other deluxe properties include Hotel Madero in Buenos Aires, Copenhagen's Hotel D'Angleterre and The Eliot Hotel in Boston.
