I fell in love with an American (Texan) in Paris (was working for American company in the city) first date at the top of the Eiffel Tower (BEFORE it was cool, worst food in Paris at that time, only the tourists, who didn’t know any better ever ate there!!), however, he soon overcame that false start and after 9 months we were engaged – as my mother said when I called her and told her I met someone … “ …. Please tell me he is NOT French!!, no, I said, he’s a Texan!” We married in native England, honeymoon in the Bahamas and then arrived in Houston!!! was soooo homesick – brother in law bought me a puppy to help ease my pain – I fell in love all over again… Shortly, after puppy arrived, just 8 weeks, Dick was out fishing with his father, I didn’t have a driver’s license at that time, puppy fell off the bed, thought he had broken his leg, cried like a baby (which he was) called mother in law who raced over, it was a Sunday (before Gulf Coast Vet. Emergency clinic) we eventually found a vet that was open – waited and waited for him to finish with another emergency, all the time trying to calculate whether I had enough money to pay him (VERY poor from funding aforementioned wedding and glam honeymoon!!) when we finally got to see him, he was sooo wonderful, told me good news, nothing wrong with puppy, he was crying like a baby because he was a baby…. I thought oh great, now I have to tell Dick I took puppy to vet and paid many $$$$ for no reason… Vet then asked me ‘ … how did you get to Texas?” told him story, met a Texan in Paris, fell in love, ya da, ya, da, ya da … also told him my boss in Paris was an Aggie – noticed he too was a graduate of the Texas A&M school of vet. Medicine – so mentioned how kind my Aggie had been, had given me a wonderful surprise bon voyage party when I left Paris for England … he listened, was kind and gentle the way all vets seem to be (perhaps this is the answer to the healthcare situation in America, let’s swop out doctors for vets) … when I went to check out, holding my breath that I had enough money to pay the bill, his receptionist told me “ …. This one is on us, welcome to Texas!!!” It was such unexpected kindness, that it still makes me pause … that’s when I fell in love with Houston… to paraphrase Gertrude Stein, a wonderfull American who made her home in Paris, “ … England is my country, but Houston is my hometown!”
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November reservations now available for Montrose's new boutique hotel
Houston’s new boutique hotel has taken an important step towards opening this fall. The Hotel Saint Augustine announced it has opened its reservation books for dates beginning November 15.
Located in Montrose near the Menil Collection (4110 Loretto Drive), the new boutique hotel — the first in Houston from the Austin-based Bunkhouse group — will contain 71 rooms spread across five, two-story buildings. The grounds will include four landscaped courtyards connected by walkways; native plants such as eyelash sage, dwarf rock palm, and blue rabbit’s foot fern that have been grown for the property; and a secluded pool. Nightly rates start at $379.
"We are so incredibly excited to open the doors of Hotel Saint Augustine later this fall, beginning a new era of hospitality in Houston,” general manager Omar Abreu said in a statement. “That authentic Bunkhouse experience that Texans have grown to love, brought directly to the doorstep of one of the nation’s greatest art collections and coupled with the city’s rich culture and diverse culinary scene, will truly be an experience like no other."
Houston chef Aaron Bludorn will led Perseid, the hotel’s restaurant, as well as direct the food and beverage offerings for the lobby bar and event space. In April, the chef told CultureMap that Perseid will take inspiration from French bistros while incorporating Texas ingredients and the global influences that shape Houston’s dining scene.
“I love that classic style of dining, but it’s also very informal,” he said. “It’s a little hedonistic on some level. There’s nothing like steak frites with an extra side of sauce au poivre to dip your fries in.”
Building on the reputation for thoughtful design that’s displayed at properties such as the Hotel Saint Cecilia and the Carpenter Hotel in Austin as well as the Hotel Havana in San Antonio, Bunkhouse worked with Post Company, a New York and Wyoming-based design firm, on the hotel’s interiors. Texas architecture firm Lake | Flato took the lead on the property’s design with assistance from landscape architecture firm Ten Eyck.
Although the project isn’t affiliated with the Menil Collection, the hotel takes inspiration from its proximity to the globally-renown museum. Saint Augustine is the patron saint of printing, which ties into the Menil Drawing Institute. Similarly, Post Company has included Surrealist-inspired art throughout the hotel’s interiors.
To celebrate the opening of its reservation book, Bunkhouse is offering a special discount code with a host of perks. Use NEWINTOWN to receive 20 percent off the best available rate, American breakfast for two ($20 per person, per day, maximum of two guests per occupancy), a complimentary upgrade to a suite, and a late checkout of 2 pm (based on availability).
Although the Hotel Saint Augustine is Houston’s first Bunkhouse property, it won’t be the only one for long. The company is also developing the Hotel Daphne, which is expected to open in the Heights next year.
By any measure, this year has been an eventful one for Houston’s hospitality industry. Not only has the city welcomed a number of promising new restaurants — everything from locally-owned concepts such as Bar Bludorn and Turner’s Cut to regional and national concepts such as Toca Madera and Little Rey’s — it’s also seen the opening of a major new hotel with the Thompson on Allen Parkway. Although Hotel Saint Augustine is small, its arrival will be greeted warmly by Houstonians and visitors.