5 things to know

5 things to know about Galveston's cool new retro, food-focused boutique hotel

Galveston’s hotel options got an upgrade this month with the opening of Hotel Lucine. Located at the intersection of 10th Street and Seawall Boulevard, Hotel Lucine brings a boutique experience to the island that’s distinct from its most prominent properties.

The hotel’s owners — Galveston native Keath Jacoby, her husband Dave, a finance and hospitality developer, and their business partner Robert Marcus — have transformed the former Treasure Isle Motel into a modern experience designed to appeal to Gen X’ers and Millennials. That’s obvious from the small details — like the soundtrack of ’90s rock at the rooftop bar — as well as an overall aesthetic that preserved the property’s vintage details like the pastel blue tiles on the pool deck.

For those who haven’t made the drive in awhile, consider this a reminder that Galveston is an easy trip from the Inner Loop and all points south. It only takes about an hour to drive from downtown to the island, although that time rises considerably during rush hour. Even a weeknight getaway is possible, as a person could enjoy an evening of food and drinks at the Lucine and still make it to work in the morning.

The hotel invited me to experience a full evening at the property, including drinks on the roof and dinner at The Fancy. Here are a few first impressions based on that overnight stay.

The environment is distinct from Galveston’s most well known hotels

For Houstonians whose trips to the island usually include a stay at grand resorts like The Galvez or San Luis, Hotel Lucine offers a distinct experience. All 61 rooms at the, two-story property are oriented around the hotel’s pool. Two reasonably athletic people could probably play catch at opposite ends of the interior courtyard.

Co-owner Keath Jacoby elaborated on that intimate environment in a recent episode of CultureMap’s What’s Eric Eating podcast.

“We want people to understand this is a place where you’re going to rub elbows and hug necks. It’s not a large, grand property where you’re going to have a ton of privacy, but that was always the goal,” she says.

“We want it to feel like an elevated house party that your weird aunt is throwing. That’s my hope, that people will interact.”

Those interactions will take place around the pool, which is fully stocked with lounge chairs and umbrellas, on its adjacent patio, or in the hotel’s three distinct dining venues — which brings us to point two.

The property has three distinct venues for eating and drinking

They are:

A rooftop bar
The Den, a lobby bar and restaurant
The Fancy, a “fine-ish dining” restaurant that’s currently only open for dinner

Spend an afternoon on the roof watching the waves crash against the shore while sipping a craft cocktail, glass of wine, or craft beer. It has a number of seating options, including an indoor bar, outdoor couches, and more traditional banquette-style seating with tables that can accommodate food from downstairs.

The Den is similarly flexible, with a range of seating options that range from couches and armchairs to booths for groups. Midcentury modern furniture gives the room a clean, sleek look.

Open throughout the day and into the night, it offers both a limited breakfast menu of six items — think breakfast tacos, a sandwich, and a couple of pastries — as well as a lunch and dinner menu that includes shareable items such as shrimp cocktail and crudite alongside a few entrees that include a burger, a chicken sandwich, and a Caesar salad with fish croquettes.

Given The Fancy’s grander ambitions, let’s consider it separately.

The Fancy could be Galveston’s next great restaurant

Simply put, the hotel’s restaurant has all the components necessary to earn recognition as one of Galveston’s best eateries. That starts with chef Leila Ortiz, who brings a resume that includes time working for celebrity chef David Chang as well as prominent roles at both Bludorn and UB Preserv. Hired as the executive chef by James Beard Award winner Justin Yu, Ortiz’s menu includes cold seafood dishes, shareable plates, and more traditional entrees that blend her French training with some more personal influences. It’s a contemporary menu that will appeal to diners used to visiting Houston restaurants like Nancy’s Hustle, Nobie’s, Riel, and Squable.

When walking in, the low-ceiling dining room offers an intimate environment that’s enhanced by the room’s dim lighting. Highlights from dinner included potato pave topped with caviar, house made potato chips with prosciutto and cured tuna, and a classic roast chicken with ground chicken-filled dumplings. Bucatini pasta topped with a meaty pork ragu delivered homey comfort.

Beverage options start with a few house cocktails that are distinct from those served at The Den or on the roof. Diners will also find a tidy wine list that includes a few natural wines alongside more traditional vintages.

The rooms maintain their original layout

Renovations to the property did not include changing each room’s footprint. In standard rooms, that means the only piece of furniture to sit or lay on is a bed. Those looking for a desk to do a little work, for example, will need to find a table either on the patio or in the Den. Want to read? Find a chair by the pool, on the roof, or in the Den.

Bathrooms are similarly sparse with just a sink and a standing shower. Those who associate hotel rooms with a bathtub will have to look elsewhere.

It’s still working out the kinks

Photo by Samantha Wiley Photography

The hotel's rooftop bar has a view of the Gulf of Mexico.

Visiting a hotel during its first week of operations inevitably means that some things need to be smoothed out. For example, I had difficulty staying connected to the hotel’s Wi-Fi, although that could be because my room was among the (relatively) farthest from the lobby and its amenities.

A table of diners at The Fancy walked out when the kitchen’s hood malfunctioned and made the dining room too smoky for their liking. A friend and I noticed the smell but didn’t find it too distracting to complete our meal.

Finally, the Lucine isn’t dog friendly. Find a pet sitter prior to heading to the island.

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Houstonians welcome

First look at new boutique hotel now welcoming guests in Montrose

Photo by Julie Soefer

The Hotel Saint Augustine has opened its doors.

Montrose has gained a new saint. Long associated with luxuriously quaint boutique properties, the anxiously awaited expansion of Austin-based Bunkhouse Hotels to Houston has finally arrived. The undeniably chic Hotel Saint Augustine may be sparkly and new, but with the succinct efforts that went into the seamless introduction of its presence in the neighborhood, it’s purposefully difficult to notice.

Thankfully, Hotel Saint Augustine lacks what all Bunkhouse properties lack — the gaudiness and unapproachability typically associated with high profile luxury hotels. It’s comfy. Located near what is arguably one of the most serene and lauded museum parks in the country, The Menil Collection, Hotel Saint Augustine’s buildout is so successfully unassuming that the line of which property is an amenity to the other begins to blur — and that’s the goal.

"In the design of Hotel Saint Augustine, we were inspired by both the adjacent Menil Collection and the surrounding neighborhood. The architecture of the hotel references the gray palette of the Menil Collection and the low-rise, residential scale of Montrose,” Lake|Flato partner Chris Krajcer tells CultureMap. “Drawing inspiration from the early modernist houses of Louis Khan and Rudolph Schindler, the architecture is very quiet in spirit, balancing a composition of solids and voids. We crafted the site as a succession of buildings ordered around a series of courtyards, so that the guest experience is one of being immersed in an inviting garden."

Spread out over two acres, five buildings, and expertly curated green spaces, the utilization of muted brick, raw wood, and black steel, catwalk-style elevated walkways allows Hotel Saint Augustine to feel like an extension of its neighbors: The Menil Collection and The University of Saint Thomas.

Upon passing through the main entrance into the courtyard, visitors will notice fragrant Douglas Fir clads the underside of all overhead structures, permeating the air during any time spent on the property.

Notably, the courtyard and Augustine Lounge are open and accessible to the public — you don’t have to be a guest to show up and hang out. The aforementioned Augustine Lounge is comprised of a multitude of seated gathering areas, including an elongated common table with seating to match. This space, along with all others within the lounge, has been designed with an intention for actual utility—it is not for show.

Once engrossed in the space, one can feel the intention. Comfortably-upholstered vintage lounge furniture populates areas around work spaces, one-on-one seated table nooks, a walk-up lounge bar, and 70s-era seating beneath an ambiance-setting, reel-to-reel tape deck confirm that the Augustine Lounge is a legitimate “third place” for the neighborhood. The vibe is decidedly a good, old-fashioned throwback to the original Montrose mantra: show-up, get comfortable, stay awhile.

“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 says. “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.”

Bunkhouse enlisted architectural firm Lake|Flato for this project, accompanied by New York and Wyoming-based Post Company for interior design, with Ten Eyck taking charge of the landscaping. Award-winning Houston chef Aaron Bludorn is at the helm of the highly anticipated Perseid restaurant, which will be open all day, seven days a week beginning in January and also accommodate Augustine Lounge and in-room dining. While the hotel is mainly named in honor of the patron saint of printing and sits across the street from the Menil Drawing Institute, Perseid is aptly named after the annual meteor shower that peaks during — you guessed it — the month of August.

The architecture of Hotel Saint Augustine reflects principles of famed Houston architect Philip Johnson, who was the architect for The University of Saint Thomas, as well as the personal architect to John and Dominique De Menil, while the hotel’s interior is a very intentional nod to the De Menil’s personal interior designer Charles James. James and Johnson were famously as fond of one another as Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. Yet, here they are, paired once again.

Guests of the 71 room hotel may be delighted to learn that over 50 percent of the mostly courtyard-facing rooms and suites have either balcony or terrace spaces, complete with ceiling fans for Houston’s oftentimes stagnant summer days. Speaking of summer days, the quaint circular pool can be heated as well as cooled. Those who opt for a a dip in the pool will find it refreshingly cool.

Rooms and suites (starting at $429 per night) offer opulently-upholstered velvet beds with crisply-pressed and embroidered white linens. Whimsically-upholstered furnishings solidify the cozy atmosphere throughout the rest of the property. Bathrooms turn moody with the introduction of shiny, deep-green tiles, bullnosed marble, and glistening chrome hardware fixtures. Marquee-style vanity lighting intentionally mimics that of the primary bathroom of Dominique de Menil, while thoughtfully wall-hung shelving is provided for storing personal items. Elegantly subtle in scent, in-room spa products are by Los Angeles-based, woman-owned Klur. Aside from the furnishings and the seamlessly integrated minibar and fridge, guest rooms are noticeably stark in hopes of engaging a guest’s subconscious — go explore.

Perched above the future Perseid sits the treehouse-like ballroom. In addition to its 1,850 square feet, there is a 1,200-square-foot pre-event space as well as a 260-square-foot balcony. In total, the ballroom can accommodate 130 seated or 250 standing guests. The mostly glassed-in space offers courtyard views.

Landscape architects at Ten Eyck worked alongside Hempstead’s The John Fairey Garden for years cultivating mostly native plants that will provide lush views year round. No one should worry about the large pecan tree that vastly predates the hotel; it remains in what is now the courtyard and is poised to collect an entirely new generation of fans.

The well-curated retail and check-in space of Hotel Saint Augustine’s lobby is designed in juxtaposition to the other public-facing spaces. Bright red, high-gloss, cubist shelving encapsulates the expertly-mitered Calacatta Viola marble desk that is central to the room. Alongside the somewhat expected offerings of coffee table books and branded accoutrements lie gilded boxes of jewelry, interesting accessories and objets, as well as branded, bright blue tennis balls for any very-welcome four-legged hotel guests to enjoy.

Hotel Saint Augustine chose Louisville-based Miscellaneous Goods Company to provide “Grayhaven,” which will be the signature scent for the hotel. The incense is a combination of moss, pine, and saltwater scents that lend themselves to a decidedly “rich guy library” vibe. The best part about this very singular scent is that when greeting friends for a meal at Perseid, one won’t need to share that they’ve just strolled over from pre-drinks at Augustine Lounge — they’ll already know.