Montrose is already one of Houston’s centers for great food and funky retail shops. That’s one of the things the team behind Goodnight Hospitality likes so much about the neighborhood, which is home to their Biscuit and Goodnight Charlie’s concepts.
Now, the group is staking more of a claim to the neighborhood. Goodnight Development, its real estate arm, will open The Montrose Hotel, a nine-room luxury boutique hotel at 2509 Dunlavy St. in late 2020. The team is currently working with the City of Houston to earn the planning commission’s support by pursuing a variance to open the hotel.
Small is big
The Montrose Hotel will be small by design, as it is the group’s response to a growing trend toward small design: hotels with 10 rooms or fewer that highlight new neighborhoods as tourist destinations and micro-boutique hotels. These spots have been cropping up at the top of the World’s Best Hotel lists in recent years.
“Hotels are the pinnacle of hospitality,” says David Keck, the master sommelier who partnered with Peter McCarthy, and chef Felipe Riccio on Goodnight Charlie’s. “As a company that’s focused on hospitality and the guest experience, opening a hotel has always been an interest of ours. Now that we’ve found the location, we’re ready for the challenge.”
The group is working with HR Design Dept, a small Houston-based architecture studio directed by Heather Rowell and Eric Hughes, who were both part of the Goodnight Charlie’s architecture team. Bailey McCarthy is designing the space. Goodnight Development, run by Peter McCarthy and Johnny Forney, purchased the land for the ground-up build, as they’ve done for all Goodnight Hospitality projects.
Midcentury with a twist
Bailey describes the hotel’s aesthetic as “luxe midcentury with a twist.” Hotel amenities include an outdoor patio with a fountain, a rooftop garden, and a small lounge/bar/restaurant exclusive to hotel guests. There will be a private event space for up to 50 people in the lounge. The Goodnight Hospitality team, including chef Riccio and Keck his fellow master sommelier June Rodil, will be responsible for all the hotel’s food and beverage.
Expect many style similarities between The Montrose Hotel and the rest of Goodnight Hospitality’s concepts —thoughtful, comfortable, and luxurious design elements like Biscuit linens and memorable mini bars in the guest rooms and a bike program for guests to explore the neighborhood.
Location, location, location
Constructing the hotel at Westheimer and Dunlavy puts it close to other Goodnight Hospitality concepts. In addition to Goodnight Charlie’s, the group anticipates opening three more concepts this year. Those include Montrose Cheese & Wine, a small retail shop with a well-curated list of wine, beer and cheese; Rosie Cannonball, a casual European-style restaurant centered around a wood-burning oven; and March, a 26-seat tasting menu-only restaurant exploring the multiple regions, cultures, languages, and ideas of the Mediterranean.
The group believes their projects will inspire a new wave of tourist to seek out fun in Houston. In addition to all the action in Montrose, Goodnight Hospitality cites the exciting work that has been completed along Dunlavy from the Heights to Buffalo Bayou Park, the Menil Collection, and throughout the Museum District.
“Montrose embodies some of the best of what Houston has to offer,” says Peter McCarthy. “Within a mile of our proposed site, you have not only the Menil Collection, Buffalo Bayou Park and the Museum of Fine Arts, but also some of the city’s best restaurants, bars, and shopping. Given just how special the area is, we felt that the neighborhood deserved a luxury, boutique hotel that would both open it to a broader audience and support the already established community."
Room rates will range between $350 and $500 per night.
