turn up the AC

New European-style hotel checks into historic downtown Houston locale

Houston's new AC Hotel is only the second in Texas.

Rendering courtesy of AC Hotel/Marriot

Downtown’s hotel scene is getting a new player. AC Hotel by Marriott Houston Downtown will be the city’s first AC — and only the second in Texas. The space at 723 Main St. is slated for an end of June opening.

The AC will be housed in the space that was formerly the Houston Bar Center Building, which dates to 1914 and was originally commissioned by famed Houston entrepreneur Jessie Jones. It was designed by Alfred Finn as the headquarters of Gulf Oil. It’s currently undergoing an historic midcentury-modern exterior and interior renovation.

Inside, the 195-room hotel will feature a restored 1914 silent movie theater called the Zoe Ballroom, which will host unique events at the property.

The idea, according to press materials sent by the property, was for AC Hotel Houston Downtown to “blend European soul with Texas friendliness, where every element is tailored for modern travelers’ needs.” AC should also mirror Houston’s distinctive energy and laid-back vibe.

Interior design and furnishings will reflect minimalistic European style, including guest rooms with “floating” furniture. Meanwhile, public spaces feature wood and stone finishes accented by chrome. Locally commissioned artwork throughout the property will complete the sophisticated signature look.

Additionally, the hotel has its own signature scent, a blend of cut grass and root, fig leaf and stem, gum resins, amber elements, and fir balsam, which will be present throughout the property.

Rooms feature eco-friendly Korres bath products, 50-inch TVs with premium channels, flexible workspaces, and mini fridges. There’s free WiFi throughout the property, as well as 24-hour fitness and business centers.

Snacks will be available in the AC Kitchen, and hand-crafted cocktails along with a nightly selection of tapas-inspired small bites will be the focus of the AC Lounge. The Lounge will be integrated with the Zoe Ballroom. The hotel also will feature a media salon and a coffee house.

The AC Lounge will feature handcrafted cocktails, Texas craft beer, and tapas, a nod to AC’s heritage as a Spanish hotel brand. Décor will reflect AC’s minimalistic European style while adding Texas touches throughout to give guests a sense of place, while luxury in-room amenities include eco-friendly Korres bath products.

A signature scent will be present throughout the hotel, featuring a blend of cut grass and root, fig leaf and stem, gum resins, amber elements, and fir balsam.

hotels

Royal Flip

Chip and Joanna Gaines finally sell $2.7M Fixer Upper castle in Waco

Photo courtesy of Magnolia

The Gaineses listed the 6,176-square-foot Waco castle at nearly $2.7 million.

Texas' king and queen of home renovations, Chip and Joanna Gaines, are done lording over their 136-year-old castle in Waco. The stars of TV’s Fixer Upper have found a buyer for Cottonland Castle, Mansion Global reported. The sale is pending.

The Gaineses listed the 6,176-square-foot castle, in Waco's historic and affluent Castle Heights neighborhood, at nearly $2.7 million. They bought the property in 2019, when it carried a $425,000 price tag.

The castle, with a sandstone and limestone facade, is modeled after a German castle along the Rhine River.

Chip and Joanna Gaines, Fixer Upper Chip and Joanna Gaines are preparing to hand over the keys to their castle. Facebook Magnolia Network

The duo spent several years restoring the castle to revive its original character. That work became the foundation for their six-part 2022 series Fixer Upper: Welcome Home – The Castle. They opened it to the public for guided tours and introduced Magnolia brand tie-ins, like a “Colors of the Castle” paint collection.

“People love things that are nostalgic. They love things that are antique-looking, and I want this place to feel like it did in 1915,” Joanna said during an episode of Fixer Upper. “Whether you walked into the space in 1915 or today, it has that same feeling of history and love and beauty and castle-ship.”

A year after the series aired, the castle failed to sell at auction, according to Mansion Global. It went on the market in June. Amanda Nesbitt of Magnolia Realty, the real estate brokerage founded by the Gaineses, has the listing.

The three-story castle offers “a seamless blend of historic grandeur and modern functionality,” according to the listing.

That grandeur includes millwork, antique tile floors, diamond-paned windows and seven ornate fireplaces. The four-bedroom property features three-and-a-half bathrooms, a formal dining room, a great room, a card room, a library and a conservatory.

All furnishings, accessories and decor “have been thoughtfully curated to complement the home’s design,” the listing says, and are included in the sale.

The castle has a rocky modern history.

Jack Schwan bought the property in 1969 for $50,000, according to the Waco Welcome Center.

Over the years, the Schwan family made many repairs and renovations. The family tried to sell the castle in 1982; they thought it was worth close to $1.25 million following the overhaul. In 1991, the property sold only after a drastic price cut.

“Over the next two decades, the home passed through various owners’ hands and fell into disrepair. Many owners found the castle too large and in need of too much maintenance to be a financially feasible home,” according to the Waco Welcome Center.

The castle sold again in 2014, and a group led by Oxford scholar Dirk Obbink tackled renovation work. The Gaineses bought it five years later, after it had been neglected and abandoned.

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