New boutique hotels emerge as Houston tourism rebounds From the cover
Houston experienced a rise in several metrics related to hospitality, tourism and economic growth in 2024.
Local hotel & tourism growth
What’s happening
Hotel revenues in the metro increased nearly 16% , well above any other major metro in Texas.
Visitors to Houston spent a record of nearly $11 billion.
As boutique hotels continue to grow in popularity, more neighborhoods are helping accommodate the city’s growing tourism industry. For example, Lily Bar eld, owner of The Marlene, said historically, the Montrose neighborhood hasn’t seen many hotels, but the numbers show that Houston is a place people keep traveling to visit. She believes smaller boutique hotels will help continue to fuel that growth. Lisa Bonifacio, managing director of The Lifestyle Group, which represents Bunkhouse Hotels, also said she sees travelers migrating toward boutique hotels. “It is easier for boutique hotels to o er the local neighborhood feel, providing guests with a real sense of place, even on a quick trip,” she said. Bunkhouse Hotels operates venues such as Hotel Daphne and Hotel St. Augustine in the Heights. Hotel St. Augustine opened at the end of 2024, and Hotel Daphne is currently wrapping up construction. Paul Vaughn, the director of data operations at Source Strategies, a company that tracks and measures Texas hotel data and analytics, also noted the rise in popularity of boutique hotels. “This is a trend that we have seen coming up in the last decade, basically, where travelers are wanting a more localized, experiential stay when they go somewhere,” he said. Bonifacio said large events such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup are a strong motivator for the hotels to be up and running by the new year. The FIFA World Cup, which will host seven games in Houston in June, is expected to bring tens of thousands of visitors to the city. In 2024, the city already saw a record-breaking 54 million visitors who brought in $16 billion of economic impact, according to data from Houston’s venue management company, the Houston First Corp. However, while the initial numbers for tourism and hotel revenue in 2025 are lower than the previous year, Michael Heckman, Houston First Corp. president and CEO, said the city has still experienced a strong year of tourism and growth. “Even in the face of sort of geopolitical uncertainty, tari s on again o again,and a 40- day government shutdown, we’re going to end up with another really strong year here in 2025,” Heckman said. While predictions for 2025 show that the number of visitors will likely be lower than in 2024, experts remain positive about the city making a comeback in 2026. More hotels are also anticipated to open in the next two years, with Hotel Daphne debuting in January and The Birdsall, a luxury hotel in River Oaks, expected to open in 2027.
Visitors to the city helped generate $2.2 billion in state and local taxes and directly supported nearly 121,800 jobs.
The total number of visitors to the city of Houston reached 53.9 million .
SOURCES: HOUSTON FIRST CORP., SOURCE STRATEGIES COMMUNITY IMPACT
Hotel St. Augustine
Opened December 2024 71 rooms and suites Amenities include an all-day lounge, a listening room, courtyard pool On-site all-day restaurant and bar
SOURCE: BUNKHOUSE HOTELS
Hotel St. Augustine includes a listening lounge, lobby and bar.
The Marlene
Opened summer 2025 Nine-bedroom inn
spanning three stories Amenities include TV, sound machine, Nespresso, steamer and toiletries On-site intimate cocktail bar
SOURCE: THE MARLENE
Guests can dine in The Garden Room at The Marlene.
Hotel Daphne
Opening January 2026 49 rooms Amenities include a pool, a library, retail shop On-site full-service
restaurant and lounge
SOURCE: BUNKHOUSE HOTELS
Hotel Daphne is presented as a European-inspired escape.
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