Hotel Saint Augustine Is a New Urban Sanctuary in the Heart of Houston

Lake Flato and Post Company have imbued the urban Hotel Saint Augustine in Houston with a modern yet whimsical atmosphere.

May 23, 2025 - 05:00

Hotel Saint Augustine Is a New Urban Sanctuary in the Heart of Houston

It’s only fitting that Austin-based hospitality group Bunkhouse Hotels should dub its new Houston locale, Hotel Saint Augustine, after Saint Augustine. The fourth-century theologian was canonized as the patron saint of printing because of his extensive writings on and early dissemination of the catholic faith.

The new locale situates near the Menil Drawing Institute. Augustus Chapman Allen was one of the founders of the Texas metropolis in which there’s an abundance of Saint Augustine grass. Though references to surrounding history and ecology abound, the hotel forms as an inward-facing urban retreat, tastefully outfitted with near monastery-like qualities juxtaposed by pops of contemporary color and texture.

Award-winning local architecture firm Lake Flato programmed Hotel Saint Augustine as a cluster of five two-story structures that reflect the proportioning of the neighborhood but that also delineate a series of cloistral courtyards. The open air porches that connect these decidedly modernist buildings imbue the destination with a residential feel.

Lushly planted gardens emerge from these voids as they give way to meandering pathways. Fellow Texas firm Ten Eyck teamed up with the John Fairey Garden to cultivate a series of complementary plants for the site: eyelash sage, dwarf rock palm, and blue rabbit’s foot fern.

New York and Wyoming-based interiors practice Post Company – in collaboration with Bunkhouse’s internal design team – outfitted the interiors with the same duality in mind. Drawing inspiration from the notable art museums – mostly named for the influential de Menil family – the scheme champions a clever yet not bombastic intermixing of old and new elements; a touch of surrealism. Tying together a carefully sourced selection of distinctive furnishings is a tightly curated program of minimalist artworks.

With different lounge and retail display vignettes demarcated by soaring sheer curtains, the main lobby takes on the appearance of what one might imagine as a collector’s home. A burled walnut and Calacatta Viola marble reception desk plays off of bright red lacquered shelves with glowing back-lit panels. Deep blue walls and ceilings, as well as dark black glazed ceramic tile floors in the adjoining bar, helps hotel guests and hospitality visitors escape the bustling city right outside. Antique mirror panels help extend the verdant greenery of the internal gardens indoors.

When it comes to dining and drinking options, Augustine Lounge and Listening Room are joined by the Michelin Guide-recommended Bar Bludorn. Premiere all-day restaurant, Perseid – named in honor of Houston’s long history as an epicenter of space exploration – is a quintessential neighborhood bistro. Throughout this offering, ombre dipped wall treatments and hand painted, texturally abstracted murals help to scale down the space. Art Deco inspired pendants hang above.

The 71 suites comprise a diverse range of accommodations: from the compact 200-square-foot Petite Queen guest rooms to the Ateliers with private outdoor spaces. Monochromatic blues, deep reds, sages, and mustards delimit the bed while the same approach to furnishings found in the public areas carries through. The difference: much richer velvet drapes juxtapose dark ebonized wood oak flooring. Oversized sculptural luminaires skew the more intimate scale of these suites.

“Honoring Houston’s artistic and cultural heritage, Saint Augustine alludes to the legacy of John and Dominique de Menil, who were tastemakers, art collectors, and human rights activists that shaped the city into the cultural nexus it is today,” says Tenaya Hills, Bunkhouse Hotels’ senior vice president of design and development.

“In line with our ethos of creating community-driven experiences, Hotel Saint Augustine will also celebrate Houston’s history of unexpected pairings and cutting-edge culture through programming and partnerships, and plans to partner with neighboring non-profits to build lasting relationships with organizations working to further responsible growth in Houston,” says Hills.

What: Hotel Saint Augustine
Where: Houston, Texas
How much: Rooms start at $300
Design draws: An urban retreat made up of separate buildings with cloister-like courtyards and lush greenery. Eclectic yet cohesive interiors that at once honor the cultural clout of the surroundings and allow guests to retreat for a while.
Book it: Hotel Saint Augustine

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Photography by Nicole Franzen and Julie Soefer.