jay gatsby would stay here

Landmark Galveston hotel reveals Gatsby-themed renovations and updates

Galveston’s historic hotel Grand Galvez is in the midst of a massive renovation and remodel and now, future guests can get a sneak peek of the updates to the Gulf Coast’s only 110-year-old, 4-Star landmark.

Grand Galvez owner Mark Wyant has just revealed his new plans and renderings for the iconic hotel and spa. Sneak peek imagery includes the music hall, terrace ballroom, lobby entrance with the 44-foot “Queen of the Gulf” mosaic, Coffee Café, and the Galvez Bar & Grill.

“These new, exciting designs will combine with the property’s current amenities and magnify the new vitality of the Grand Galvez,” said Wyant in a statement. He and his wife, interior designer Lorenda Wyant, have fueled the creative push behind Grand Galvez interior designs. The duo has previously collaborated on the Saint Hotels and other hotel properties and homes, according to their bio.

The “Queen of the Gulf” mosaic
A piece designed by Mark and Lorenda Wyant, the 44-foot by 17-foot mosaic is being produced by Dallas-based mosaicist Julie Richey and fabricated in Italy. A pink and red oleander garland surrounds the “Queen of the Gulf,” which will be created in gold. Thousands of Murano glass tiles are being created by a family of artisans in Venice, Italy. Installation will occur in spring 2022, per a press release.

The 1915 Model T
Wyant has found and restored a 1915 Ford Model T Roadster, which will be displayed in the East Loggia. He plans to personally drive it from his home in Dallas to the hotel in Galveston in spring.

The Founders Bar
This is a new lobby bar in the West Loggia that will overlook Peacock Alley and the Gulf of Mexico. The bar will exhibit photographs and mementos from the hotel’s opening and its founding five members.
The original hotel bar will be moved to a permanent place in the Music Hall event space, according to Wyant.

The marble fountain
Another item being produced in Italy, this piece will sit in the Great Front Lawn. The fountain is being carved in Italy from Calacetta marble and will be 16 feet tall and 35 feet wide. Installation will occur mid-year 2022.

Coffee Café
Designed for the west lobby, this space will open early and throughout the day, serving freshly brewed coffee, teas, and snacks.

Meanwhile, renovations will include all hotel rooms, hospitality, and public areas. The hotel and spa will remain open and fully operational with guest bookings, weddings, dining, special events scheduled. (Guest rooms are being redesigned one floor at a time, the hotel notes.)

The all-white-and-indigo blue rooms feature a sofa at the end of the beds upholstered in a tropical green and white palm pattern and the white lacquered, while mirrored furniture is offset with light sky blue ceilings. Pillow-top beds feature a custom mirrored back wall extending to the ceiling.

Evoking the Gatsby era, public areas will include harlequin black and white marble flooring with black framing, crystal chandeliers throughout, royal burgundy carpets, and accent draperies, a release notes. The front desk harks to the original, 1911 front desk with its iron detailing and glass features.

A renewed, original Peacock Alley, the grand walkway leading from the lobby to the spa and ballroom, is a design element not seen at the hotel in over 70 years. Original moldings and ceilings found in the hotel walls are being restored for the first time since 1962.

For momentos, the Lolo Boutique will offer gifts, clothing, and souvenirs.

“We have great respect for the iconic architecture of this property,” Wyant said in a statement. “I can assure everyone that our vision for the ‘new’ Grand Galvez will honor the historic design, offering a refreshed elegance throughout the hotel. These designs reflect the new energy we will bring to the resort and all its amenities.”

The Grand Galvez is in the midst of a massive renovation.

Image courtesy of Grand Galvez

The Grand Galvez is in the midst of a massive renovation.

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Airport News

Both Houston airports would be affected by air traffic slowdown

Photo by David Syphers on Unsplash

Flights at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston will run travelers about $392 on average.

The Federal Aviation Administration plans to reduce air traffic by 10 percent across 40 “high-volume” markets to maintain travel safety as air traffic controllers exhibit signs of strain during the ongoing government shutdown.

The affected airports covering more than two dozen states include the busiest ones across the U.S. — including Atlanta, Denver, Dallas, Orlando, Miami, and San Francisco. In some of the biggest cities — such as New York, Houston, and Chicago — multiple airports will be affected.

CBS News has a list of all the airports affected and that list includes both DFW Airport and Dallas Love Field. Other airports in Texas that would be affected include both airports in Houston — Houston Hobby and George Bush Houston Intercontinental.

The FAA is imposing the flight reductions to relieve pressure on air traffic controllers who are working without pay during the government shutdown and have been increasingly calling off work.

Controllers already have missed one full paycheck and are scheduled to again receive nothing next week as as the shutdown drags on.

The FAA has been delaying flights at times when airports or its other facilities are short on controllers.

Passengers should start to be notified about cancellations Thursday. Airlines said they would try to minimize the impact on customers, some of whom will see weekend travel plans disrupted with little notice.

United Airlines said it would focus the cuts on smaller regional routes that use smaller planes like 737s. United, Delta Air Lines, and American Airlines said they would offer refunds to passengers who opt not to fly -- even if they purchased tickets that aren’t normally refundable. Frontier Airlines recommended that travelers buy backup tickets with another airline to avoid being stranded.

Experts predict hundreds if not thousands of flights could be canceled. The cuts could represent as many as 1,800 flights and upwards of 268,000 seats combined, according to an estimate by aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Air traffic controllers have been working unpaid since the shutdown began October 1. Most work mandatory overtime six days a week, leaving little time for side jobs to help cover bills and other expenses unless they call out.

Major airlines, aviation unions, and the broader travel industry have been urging Congress to end the shutdown, which on Wednesday became the longest on record.

Staffing can run short both in regional control centers that manage multiple airports and in individual airport towers, but they don’t always lead to flight disruptions. Throughout October, flight delays caused by staffing problems had been largely isolated and temporary.

But the past weekend brought some of the worst staffing issues since the start of the shutdown.

From Friday to Sunday evening, at least 39 air traffic control facilities reported potential staffing limits, according to an Associated Press analysis of operations plans shared through the Air Traffic Control System Command Center system. The figure, which is likely an undercount, is well above the average for weekends before the shutdown.

During weekends from January 1 to September 30, the average number of airport towers, regional control centers and facilities monitoring traffic at higher altitudes that announced potential staffing issues was 8.3, according to the AP analysis. But during the five weekend periods since the shutdown began, the average more than tripled to 26.2 facilities.

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