Check in and check out two new Texas hospitality hot spots.
Courtesy Colton House Hotel
Colton House Hotel: Patrice Rios of Patrice Rios Interiors brought a bit of quintessential Texas charm to one of her recent design projects, Colton House Hotel. The 80-suite hotel property located on Austin’s hip South Congress Avenue combines residential luxuries with upscale boutique hotel amenities. Drawing inspiration from its distinctive surroundings, it also flaunts a design showcasing the spirit of Austin while paying homage to the Lone Star State’s rich history. Rios locally sourced many of the decor elements, including artwork, lighting fixtures, antique trunks, the lobby barn doors and mirrors from nearby towns including Round Top, La Grange and Lockhart. “A common theme throughout is imagery of a vintage trunk, representing exploration, while also nodding to Texas’ rustic roots,” notes Rios. And when antiques could not be found, she oversaw the creation of custom furniture pieces for an equally unique look and feel.
Photo by Par Bengtsson
La Colombe d’Or Hotel: In Houston, the newly expanded and renovated La Colombe d’Or hotel offers visitors an artful respite with three stay experiences: the historic Mansion and a residential tower with interiors by Rottet Studio, as well as the Garden Bungalows with interior design by Gin Braverman of Gin Design Group. “We were tasked with creating an environment supporting the Mansion and Tower but different aesthetically,” Braverman says. “We looked to the aesthetic of boho-chic apartments in midcentury Paris, where artists frequenting the original La Colombe d’Or hotel in the South of France might have visited.” To that end, you’ll find wallcoverings by artist Domenica Brockman, unexpected color combinations—think mossy greens and sensuous red velvets, warm leathers and ivory bouclé—existing antique finishes, geometric rugs and custom sculptural, midcentury-style furnishings made by Gin Design Group’s sister firm, GEWL. Designer lighting highlights the original art displayed throughout, hand-selected from the private collection of the property owners, La Colombe d’Or hotel principal Dan Zimmerman and his family.
