Luxury In the Air

The Sex and the City plane comes with demands: Double decker plane will requireIAH renovations

Beginning August 1, 2012, Lufthansa will offer direct flights from Houston's George Bush International Airport to Frankfurt, Germany on the airline's luxurious, innovative A380 Airbus.

The A380, which first entered commercial service in Oct. 2007 (and is known for its semi-cameo in Sex and the City 2), is the largest passenger aircraft on the market, offering 63 percent more cabin space than the next-largest Boeing 747. If the A380 were configured for all-economy seating, it could hold an impressive 840 passengers (compared to 416 on the Boeing).

But instead, the Airbus focuses on luxury: The aircraft has two decks, connected by staircases in the forward and the aft. The lower fits 420 economy passengers, while the upper deck is home to 98 business class seats and eight first class seats (complete with flat-screen TVs, chairs that recline into a full bed and adjustable privacy screens), for a total of 526 passengers.

All this lavishness — while simultaneously reducing fuel consumption and lowering emissions levels? By improving wing design, improving the engine and constructing the aircraft from lightweight materials, the aircraft becomes more fuel-efficient than a Toyota Prius, according to one blogger.

Houston will be the fourth market in the United States served by Lufthansa's A380, and Terminal D must undergo renovations by next summer's first lift off. According to Roxanne Butler, public relations and communications director for the City of Houston, those enhancements will largely be adding jet bridges and additional gates to accommodate a double decker plane. Adjustments will also need to be made to the taxiway to expand concrete surfaces for the larger wingspan of the A380.

Butler assures that the improvements will not interfere with those traveling internationally. "It will be done quickly," she said.

unspecified

T+L in HOU

Travel + Leisure includes Houston stay on 100 best new hotels list

Photo by Julie Soefer

undefined

Hot on the heels of being named one of Esquire magazine’s best new hotels in the world of 2025, Houston's Hotel Saint Augustine has picked up another accolade. The Montrose property landed on Travel + Leisure’s 100 Best New Hotels of the Year this week. It's the only Texas hotel to make the list.

The magazine noted the property “feels true to the destination and is a perfect addition to Houston's growing hospitality scene,” noting details that pay tribute to Houston’s history, like the Night Heron cocktail named after the city’s official bird and that the hotel itself takes its own name from Augustus Chapman, one of Houston’s founders.

When Austin-based Bunkhouse Hotels opened Saint Augustine back in December of 2024, it was a much-anticipated addition to the Bayou City’s hospitality scene. Adjacent to the world-renowned Menil Collection, the Hotel Saint Augustine blends seamlessly into its surroundings with a quiet elegance and luxury amenities.

“For us, Hotel Saint Augustine offers a chance to become part of a neighborhood that deeply aligns with the Bunkhouse ethos,” Bunkhouse senior VP of design and development Tenaya Hills said when it first opened. “Montrose, and by extension, the Museum District and Houston at large, foster an incredible sense of community, of creativity, of old world and new. We wanted to create a place where everyone could come and feel as welcome and inspired. As the next iteration of our Saint hotels, we aim to provide the same unique feeling of seclusion, of permission to be indulgent, and, most of all, completely at ease.”

With 71 rooms across five, two-story buildings, many with courtyard views, the Saint Augustine has quickly become known for being both upscale and approachable. Reviews thus far on sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp call the property “simply stunning,” with a “fun atmosphere,” and “a treasure…in the heart of Houston.”

On the Travel + Leisure list, the hotel is ranked among properties such as the Hotel Hana in Paris, The Lotus Palace in India, and the Palm House in Palm Beach, Florida. Room rates start at $429 per night.