The Hotel Granduca — with its posh Uptown Park address, walled-grounds, and recently-refreshed interiors — has quietly pulled a fast one on Houstonians. While heads have been tilted toward the skyline’s mammoth new developments, the six-story Hotel Granduca has climbed the ranks of the trendiest boutique hotels around town for locals to just, well, be.

The dark-and-heavy “Texas Tuscan” architecture and decor of the hotel’s earlier days have been replaced with bright interiors, a greenhouse, library, and a European garden terrace more in rhythm with actual Italian villa aesthetics. In addition to the in-house restaurant Remi, additions such as programming like Mahjong Mondays, themed brunches, local boutique pop-ups, live music performances, daily afternoon social hours, and a newly-minted preferred partnership with Biologique Recherché and Evolve Salon have made it impossible to deny the hotel’s reignited appeal. On any given day, someone in the group chat is headed to “The Granduca.”

"Hotel Granduca presented a unique opportunity to reimagine what boutique luxury hospitality can look like in Houston," said Thomas Duncan, managing director of Transwestern Hospitality Group. “Hospitality should tell the story of the city it calls home, and our continued commitment to enhancing the property reflects a desire to create an experience that authentically captures Houston's warmth, diversity, and quiet sophistication. We are proud to offer a more intimate and personalized expression of luxury that is distinctly different from anything else available in Houston today."

Originally opened in 2006, Houston’s only all-suite hotel was ready for a bit of a spa day of its own. Houston-based luxury designer Kara Childress — known for her elegant designs and one-of-a-kind antique finds — was picked by Transwestern for this grand reimagining. The newly-completed phase I of the renovation includes the lobby, library, Remi and Bar Remi, the garden courtyard, and over 5,000-square-feet of event spaces. The 141 suites will be rejuvenated as part of phase II.

“Uptown Park is such a great, easy-to-get-to neighborhood with so many shops, and the hotel was in such need of a facelift,” explains Childress. “My hope was to make it more residential, and not so commercial like some big hotels. I think it feels good. I’m trying to transport you and make you feel like you’re in a beautiful old villa. These [Italian] families take so much pride in their homes. They never tear anything down and start over, they just keep adding to it.”

Textural layering is something Childress effortlessly does to perfection. From the bones of the building to finishing with the placement of an 18th-century bibliothèque behind the check-in desk, the new design provides a naturally-formulated progression of the eye that suggests to the viewer that the hotel has been this way all along — which is exactly the point.

Childress intends for the design to transport guests to an old Italian palazzo or monastery. Ceilings were raised and a pair of east-west doors was updated to a contemporary steel and glass combination, allowing the once dark interior space to become vibrant. Save for the doors, the space moves backwards in time. Designer-favorite Segreto Finishes replaced faux plaster paint techniques with genuine lime plaster throughout — including the elevators. Faux-limestone-printed porcelain floor tiles were replaced with genuine limestone, and 100-year-old pine floors reclaimed from a stable and installed in the restaurant all grant the hotel the genuine authenticity it had needed all along.

“We brought in a lot of authentic materials. We just gave the bones back to the building; that added a lot of character,” says Childress. “When you go to Italy, all of those hotels have been renovated from beautiful old buildings that all have that gorgeous architecture and they’re so outstanding. It’s all new, but it actually feels like it’s been there forever, because it’s all old materials. And that’s what I was hoping for. I didn’t want it to be shiny and brand new; it feels like it’s been there for a long time and it’s not too precious. The more you use and enjoy it actually adds to the age, and it just feels better.”

Bespoke furnishings blend seamlessly with the antiques throughout. A contemporary mohair sofa is fast friends with an 18th-century French walnut buffet with unlacquered brass hardware. A lobby-centered tête-à-tête dressed in a plush, tiger’s stripe silk velvet by Scalamandré, a mid-17th-century walnut-paneled cassapanca chest, and 19th-century large Louis Philippe mirror mix materials, patinas, and eras to fall perfectly into place as a beacon of Contemporary Classicism.

While the overall color story in the lobby is a wash of natural limestone and plaster tones, Childress introduces hints of terra-cotta and Mediterranean-inspired teal and blues, followed by a full commitment to color in both the more communal restaurant and library spaces.

“I want the eye to look outside and not get arrested in the entry. I used teal and terra-cotta because they lean into Tuscan colors, but I really leaned heavily into the ones in the bar,” explains Childress. “Those colors are so warm and rich. We’re wanting it to be a hotel that — obviously — people come and stay when they’re from out of town, but also just locals. It’s a great place for a burger, and the breakfast is incredible.”

Directly across from Remi and Bar Remi is the equally-moody library. A marble fireplace, Persian rugs, a c.1860 black and burl walnut Italian mirror, oil paintings, accessories, and hundreds of leather-bound books populate the space, while seating for groups and individuals makes it the perfect place to enjoy a coffee and check emails or share cocktails and stories with friends and family.

Just outside, the garden courtyard serves as an al fresco dining and lounge space. The once-exposed pool fencing has been cleverly concealed with tall hedgerows that play as a backdrop to a large 18th-century horse trough repurposed into a lovely fountain. “Outdoor terrace dining is such a treat to be able to have in Houston, and that’s a really fun place to be when they have live music,” adds Childress.

The new art collection at Hotel Granduca is a mix of large-scale antique painted canvases — like the depiction of cranes in the lobby and the 18th-century Dutch painted panels behind the front desk — mixed with fun, over-the-top works by Scottish-born philanthropist and photographer David Yarrow speckled around the property. The black and white photos were chosen by Childress — from Yarrow’s La Dolce Vita series — for their playful narratives and mix of sensibilities. With names like “Bull Rider,” “The Last Supper in Texas,” and “Cowgirl,” it’s easy to see the appeal for a hotel in Houston.

“They’re all black and white, and they have a vintage feel to them, and it’s a little bit Italian and a little bit Texan,” explains Childress. “I’m kind of combining two cultures: Texas, which we are so proud of; and Italy, which we all love. They’re both friendly and convivial, and ‘nobody meets a stranger,’ which I love. So we tried to weave those two together.”

The pièce de résistance lies within the belly of Hotel Granduca. A short journey through a hallway opens up to the elevator lobby and breathtaking plaster mural by Segreto Finishes. Floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall, this incredible piece reads sculptural more than anything — imagine a frieze extended down an entire wall. Childress worked with the team at Segreto to design a piece that is distinctly Texan. A large live oak tree (complete with a squirrel and snake) branches out over native flora and fauna, an armadillo, deer, birds, and even a windmill. This piece is absolutely worth seeking out when visiting the hotel.

Overall, the reimagined Hotel Granduca is a testament to how excellent design, hospitality, and thoughtful partnerships and programming can be positively transformative. So much so that a handful of live-in residents partake of the available long-term rental options. As mentioned previously, the hotel doesn’t have an on-site spa, but the new partnership with Biologique Recherché makes for an easy spa day, with full concierge-driven appointments and hotel car service.

Whether visiting from out of town or just down the street, settle in for the day, night, or even month. There is always something to do at Hotel Granduca. With the FIFA World Cup beginning soon, the hotel will offer an exclusive viewing lounge for all Houston-hosted matches, themed cocktails inspired by competing nations, and complimentary country-inspired bites for the first hour of each match.

Houston-hosted World Cup Match Dates:

• June 14 | Germany vs. Curaçao | 12 pm
• June 17 | Portugal vs. Congo DR | 12 pm
• June 20 | Netherlands vs. Sweden | 12 pm
• June 23 | Portugal vs. Uzbekistan | 12 pm
• June 26 | Cabo Verde vs. Saudi Arabia | 7 pm
• June 29 | Round of 32 | 12 pm
• July 4 | Round of 16 | 12 pm

Photo by Julie Soefer

Bespoke furnishings blend seamlessly with the antiques throughout.