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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.

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Now hear this

New Texas museum shines spotlight on Tejano music history

Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum, San Antonio, tejano music

Photo by Edmond Ortiz

Roger Hernandez serves as board president of the Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum.

For a city that proudly calls itself the capital of Tejano music, San Antonio has long been missing a permanent place to honor the genre’s pioneers and preserve its history. That gap officially closed In December with the opening of the Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum at 1414 Fredericksburg Rd.

The music couldn’t have found a better steward than its founder and board president. Roger Hernandez has had his finger on the pulse of Tejano music for decades. His company, En Caliente Productions, has provided a platform for countless performing artists and songwriters in Tejano, conjunto, and regional Mexican music since 1982.

Hernandez says his wife, who ran a shop at Market Square years ago, would often get questions from visitors about the location of a physical Tejano music museum, a thing that simply did not exist. In 2022, he banded together with friends, family, and other local Tejano music supporters to make the nonprofit Hall of Fame a reality.

“I decided I've been in the music scene for over 40 years, it's time to do a museum,” Hernandez recalls.

Hernandez says a brick-and-mortar Tejano music museum has long been needed to remember musical acts and other individuals who grew the genre across Texas and northern Mexico, especially those who are aging. Recently, the community lost famed Tejano music producer Manny Guerra and Abraham Quintanilla, the renowned Tejano singer/songwriter and father of the late superstar Selena Quintanilla-Perez. Both deaths occurred roughly one week after the Totally Tejano museum opened to the public.

“They're all dying. They're all getting older, and we need to acknowledge all these people,” Hernandez says.

The Totally Tejano Museum — named after Hernandez’s Totally Tejano Television Roku streaming — has 5,000 square feet of space packed with plaques, photos, promotional posters, musical instruments, and other memorabilia honoring the pioneers and stars of the beloved genre. Mannequins wear stage outfits from icons like Laura Canales and Flaco Jimenez, and a wall of photos remembers late greats. Totally Tejano Television plays legendary performances on a loop, bringing the exhibits to life.

The newly opened Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum includes a growing collection of memorabilia. Photo by Edmond Ortiz

Hernandez says the museum will soon welcome permanent and rotating exhibits, including traveling shows, a Hall of Fame section, and an area paying homage to Chicano music crossovers, such as the late Johnny Rodriguez, the South Texas singer-songwriter who blended country with Tex-Mex music. Plans call for the organization to hold its inaugural Hall of Fame induction in February 2026.

Eventually, a 2,000 square feet back room will be converted into additional display space and host industry gatherings, community symposiums, and record and video release parties. The museum also plans to add a gift and record shop and a music learning room where visitors can listen to early Tejano music and browse archival photos. Hernandez is already talking with local school districts about educational field trips.

Much like Tejano itself, the museum is a grassroots production. Hernandez and fellow board members have used their own money to rent, renovate, develop, and maintain the museum space. The board also leads the selection of the Hall of Fame honorees and curates the exhibits.

Hernandez has been heartened by the museum’s reception, both from media outlets and music fans around Texas and beyond.

“We had a radio station come in this morning from Houston to interview us,” he says. “People have come in from Lubbock, Texas. We have had people from Midland, Texas. We have another person who emailed us who’s coming in from New York. People are learning all about us.”

That includes many of the musicians who helped shape the genre. Johnny Hernandez, Sunny Ozuna, Elida Reyna, and Danny Martinez from Danny and The Tejanos are among the luminaries who have already graced the halls.

The Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum is now open 10 am-6 pm, Tuesday-Sunday, and closed Monday. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged. Fans can call 210-314-1310 for more information.

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