sun, surf, SI

New Sports Illustrated Resort set to splash into Houston's crystal lagoon lair

The planned Sports Illustrated Resort will float a beachy vibe.

Rendering courtesy of Sports Hospitality Ventures, LLC

The Houston area’s explosion of branded resorts is showing no signs of slowing. Sports Illustrated will debut its line of branded hospitality hotels in Texas City at a popular destination.

Appropriately dubbed the Sports Illustrated Resort at Lago Mar, the nine-story, 200-room resort is set to break ground at Lago Mar, the beachy, master-planned community that’s become a favorite for visitors and locals.

A brainchild of Sports Hospitality Ventures, LLC, (Sports Illustrated) and Lagoon Development (Lago Mar), the themed resort will offer a selection of suites tailored “to meet every guest’s needs,” per press materials. The Stadium Sports Grill promises to be a game-day spot for watching and dining.

But clearly, the resort is meant for outdoor lounging and fun, and that includes the Sports Illustrated Beach Club, with its beachside cabanas, resort services, and a swim-up island bar.

Lago Mar’s famed, 12-acre crystal lagoon (as the largest of its type, it boasts 24 million gallons of water) is a main fixture and attraction: besides the beach club, select rooms and suites will feature sweeping lagoon views.

“This location in Texas City is an exciting venture for us,” said Christopher Schroeder, CEO of Sports Hospitality Ventures, LLC, in a statement. “Texas sports, especially Houston sports, are integral to this state, and we are pleased to bring this resort to such a dedicated fan base.”

Construction is set to begin shortly after groundbreaking, per a press announcement. Once complete, the resort backers will aim to capitalize on Houston’s booming tourist, sports, and outdoor demographics.

“We are thrilled to announce and welcome the arrival of the Sports Illustrated Resorts to Lago Mar,” Uri Man, founder and CEO of Lagoon Development, noted in a statement. “This partnership blends the dynamic energy of sports with the exceptional hospitality of Texas, creating a haven in the heart of the Lone Star State.”

Sports Illustrated’s resort entry into the region marks a veritable boom for area hospitality. The Jimmy Buffett juggernaut Margaritaville Resort has just been announced in Galveston, while a highly anticipated Great Wolf Lodge Gulf Coast Texas is under construction in Webster.

No Cap

Houston ranked No. 3 destination for Gen Zers on the move for 2023

Photo by Alexander Londoño on Unsplash

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As Gen Z enters adulthood, many are flocking to the nation's biggest cultural hubs like New York City, Los Angeles, and now Houston, which had the third-highest inflow of Gen Zers in 2023.

H-Town's new reputation as a Gen Z hotspot was unveiled in a recent report by American home improvement brand This Old House, which analyzed migration trends across multiple generations using 2023 U.S. Census Bureau data.

Houston saw an influx of 22,868 Gen Z residents last year to become the generations third most popular city. That's up from ranking as the No. 11 most popular city in 2022. Houston gained fewer than 7,600 new Gen Z residents during that time in comparison to 2023's migration trend.

Houston started gaining traction as an up-and-coming destination for Gen Zers last year, when the "experience-hungry generation" was on the hunt for an affordable place to live with vast opportunities for entertainment, education, or employment.

Real estate marketplace Zillow seems to agree on a statewide scale, declaring Texas as the No. 1 destination for Gen Zers on the move in 2024.

While Houston saw big gains in its Gen Z population last year, many other big cities saw a mass exodus.

"El Paso, Texas, has lost the most residents from this generation, with a drop of 5,607, a sharp turn from 2022 when the city saw an increase," the report said. "Other cities, including Plano, Texas; Memphis, Tennessee; McKinney, Texas; and Wichita, Kansas, are seeing similar declines."

The report also surprisingly revealed that Houston is also one of the top destinations for millennials and Gen X, whereas both New York City and Los Angeles lost more residents among those two generations in comparison.

Houston ranked as the No. 1 city for Gen Xers and No. 4 for millennials based on their respective migration trends in 2023. Houston gained 6,312 new Gen X residents last year – the most nationwide – and the fourth-highest amount of millennials (5,301 new residents).

"Gen X, baby boomers, and the Silent Generation are also moving away from major cities, particularly New York City and Washington, D.C.," the report said. "They’re heading to some of the same cities as Gen Z, including Houston and Jacksonville, Florida."

The top 10 cities that gained the most Gen Z residents in 2023 are:

No. 1 – New York City, New York
No. 2 – Los Angeles, California
No. 3 – Houston, Texas
No. 4 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
No. 5 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 6 – San Diego, California
No. 7 – Seattle, Washington
No. 8 – Charlotte, North Carolina
No. 9 – Dallas, Texas
No. 10 – Minneapolis, Minnesota