A long-rumored and highly anticipated boutique hotel is finally arriving in Montrose. After more than a decade of speculation, a new, design-centric hotel will check into the heart of the Museum District.
Dubbed Hotel Saint Augustine, the new inn will be nestled on Loretto Drive — adjacent to The Menil Collection — and comes courtesy of Bunkhouse, the hip, Austin-based hospitality company known for attention to design, music, and community-driven experiences. The first Houston presence for Bunkhouse, Hotel Saint Augustine is slated to open in fall 2023, the company announced.
“Hotel Saint Augustine will be a unique addition to the Montrose neighborhood and Richmond Avenue corridor,” Menil spokesperson Sarah Hobson tells CultureMap.
“The abundantly landscaped hotel, designed to be only two stories tall so that it remains in scale with the surrounding buildings, will enliven this corner of the neighborhood with new amenities and offerings.
“Interestingly, John and Dominique de Menil’s initial plans for the museum included a nearby hotel for visitors. The Menil Foundation is delighted to support this project by Marchbanks Company and Bunkhouse.”
Boasting 71 rooms on two floors, an event space, a restaurant, and bar, the hotel promises eclectic design and lush landscaping, a press release notes. The Marchbanks Company — which has collaborated with Bunkhouse on Texas properties including Hotel Saint Cecilia and Hotel Magdalena in Austin, and Hotel Havana in San Antonio — will handle overall development.
Design, a Bunkhouse pillar, will be directed by renowned architecture firm Lake|Flato; the firm has worked previously with Bunkhouse on the Hotel San José and Hotel Magdalena in Austin, plus the Hotel San Cristobal in Todos Santos, Mexico. In a first for Bunkhouse, design studio Post Company will spearhead the interior design of the project, per a release.
Working the tree-lined existing space into the hotel’s exterior vista, Austin-based landscape architects Ten Eyck will craft the grounds and gardens throughout the property, creating winding pathways and outdoor spaces integrated around the tree canopy.
Texans familiar with the Bunkhouse brand will recognize the seven (of its nine) hotels in the Lone Star State, including five in Austin, one in San Antonio, and one in Marfa.
In 2008, dearly departed and cult favorite Houston website Swamplot revealed Bunkhouse’s concept designs for a five-story, 75-room hotel complex planned for 1634 Westheimer Rd. (between Dunlavy and Mandell).
Now, fans of stylish hotels can expect to stay in one of the Inner Loop’s most anticipated hot spots.
