best new stays

Chic Houston property named one of Esquire's best new hotels for 2025

Houston's boutique Hotel Saint Augustine was the only Texas property to make the cut on Esquire's 2025 list of Best New Hotels in the World.

Photo by Julie Soefer

Houston's recently opened Hotel Saint Augustine was the only Texas hotel to earn acclaim on Esquire's just-released list of the Best New Hotels in the World 2025.

The travel industry has entered a new era when it comes to finding the best places to stay, boosted by TikTok influencers flaunting a hotel's plush amenities and other social media-backed endorsements. But Esquire's travel experts pick their 42 best new hotels "the old-fashioned way" by staying at each property and exploring everything it has to offer.

Previously, The Thompson Hotel was the sole Houston representative on the magazine's 2024 list of best stays in North America and Europe.

Hotel Saint Augustine opened in Houston's artistic Montrose neighborhood in December 2024, presenting a sophisticated-yet-approachable atmosphere to locals and visitors alike. It boasts 71 boutique guest rooms and suites across five, two-story buildings, and more than half of rooms have their own balconies or terraces. Most of the rooms also have a stunning view of the courtyard.

Hotel Saint Augustine courtyard A view of the courtyard lounge seating and Perseid's patio. Photo by Julie Soefer

"Each room [is] decorated in an archly mid-century fashion inspired by the private quarters of the August family," Esquire contributor Joshua David Stein wrote. "Colors are sage, mustard, and siena; the print on the couch is inspired by Charles James, the couturier who designed the de Menils’ home."

Other must-try amenities that were highlighted in the hotel's review include the temperature-controlled pool – an absolute necessity during Houston's brutal summers – and the listening room at the Augustine Lounge.

"A listening room holds a reel-to-reel tape player and plush geometric couches on which recline hot, louche Houstonians with stunning décolletage while mere feet away the awe of Cy Twombly’s monumental works beckon in majestic repose," Stein wrote.

Hotel Saint Augustine listening room A listening room with a reel-to-reel tape deck sets the mood. Photo by Julie Soefer

The Augustine Lounge is open to the public, so visitors don't need to book a room at the hotel to pop in and visit. The lounge is designed as a "third space" for travelers, featuring multiple seated gathering areas, a walk-up bar, and a laid-back feel that's perfect for hanging out with friends.

The publication also praised the French and Gulf Coast-inspired cuisine at Perseid, the hotel's signature restaurant led by iconic Houston chef Aaron Bludorn. Notable dishes included the crawfish sausage and the classic St. Augustine Burger topped with a duck-liver mousse.

Nightly rates at Hotel Saint Augustine begin at $429.

esquire hotel saint augustine hotels houston lists travel vacations

Out to Pasture

Restorative new hotel and restaurant now open at historic Texas 'pastures'

Photo by Casey Dunn

Henry's gives a chic, updated look to an old property.

Mattie's at Green Pastures, a Southern restaurant on a historic property with famous peacocks, already felt like a retreat from the more urban parts of Austin. Now the property at 811 W. Live Oak St. has reached its hospitality potential with the addition of the Inn at Green Pastures, with 63 new guest rooms, a private pool, a lounge, a bar, and even a whole new restaurant called Henry's. Room reservations will open Friday, December 12.

The Green Pastures property in the Bouldin Creek neighborhood used to cover 50 rural acres, but now it's down to seven — still a healthy size considering its always-changing surroundings. The pièce de résistance is a 120-year-old Victorian farmhouse that was built by local minister and physician Dr. Eugene W. Herndon and later purchased by lawyer Henry Faulk, who moved his family in and ran the surrounding land as a farm.

By 1946, the owner's daughter Mary Faulk Koock and her husband, Chester Koock, turned the home into a restaurant — the first racially integrated restaurant in Austin, according to Green Pastures — and more family members stewarded the property until it was sold by a local investment group of more than 100 members in 2015. The restaurant became Mattie's in 2017.

The biggest news for Austinites is the new restaurant, which will be open day-to-night for morning coffee service, snacks, full meals, and cocktails. For now, it's just open from 4-11 pm, and will open in its full capacity starting December 12.

Foodies can still get the famous mini-biscuits from Mattie's, plus hot smoked salmon on a bagel, a hotdog with relish, a burger using beef from Grassfield Farm in Hondo (about 50 miles west of San Antonio), and grilled redfish with German potato salad. These dishes will be served in the restaurant as well as to guests in their rooms. Small plates like charcuterie boards and oysters will be available at the pool.

Henry's at Green Pastures hotdog Not everything at Green Pastures is fancy.Photo by Jessica Stephens

Cocktails aren't relegated to the nighttime hours. Guests can order a breakfast martini with gin, red berry liqueur, lemon and strawberry jam; then they can come back at lunch or dinner for a Hugo Spritz or a signature cocktail. Draft cocktails like an Artemis Cup, Back Porch Tea, and Espresso Martini keep things simple and can be served without alcohol.

For travelers and staycationers, the guest rooms and nine suites in the newly constructed, three-story hotel offer a "quiet, restorative retreat," according to a press release. Both room styles show off high ceilings and windows that maximize that height, plus hardwood floors, marble sinks, anddeep bathtubs. The suites are all named after wildlife that might be found on the property, and the building is shaped like an "L" to work around existing live oaks. Even parking is out of the way, hidden underground.

Inn at Green Pastures guest rooms The guest rooms keep things simple and serene.Photo by Casey Dunn

The new structure was designed by the highly regarded local architecture firm Clayton Korte. Its many recognizable projects include other historically sensitive builds, like major renovations just announced in November at Austin's Paramount and State Theatres. On the interior, local design studio Noah Marion is responsible for leather goods around the property including catchall tray, decor, games, apparel, and more that will all be for sale to guests.

Completing the resort feel, a luxury spa is planned for a 2028 opening.

Finally, the property will also be available for events, including weddings, with access to its gardens, event hall at Mattie's, and Green Pastures ballroom. A cottage also provides a space to get ready for the events to come.

Inn at Green Pastures The new addition looks nothing like the Victorian farmhouse it accompanies.Photo by Casey Dunn

“The Inn at Green Pastures is our way of offering guests a deeper connection to this special place,” said Jeff Trigger, chairman of the investor board and president of La Corsha Hospitality Group, in a press release. “Whether you're here for a wedding, a quiet getaway or drinks at Henry’s, we want every stay to feel personal, elevated and rooted in the beauty of Austin.”

Rooms at the Inn at Green Pastures start at $395.

openings hotels cocktails pools weddings