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.
