Press

While it might not immediately come to mind as an obvious foodie hotspot, Houston, Texas has quietly taken the title of culinary powerhouse. The largest city in the state, and the fourth-largest in the U.S., Houston’s food scene is massive, sprawling and fiercely independent. And, similarly to our home base of Los Angeles, you’ll find that navigating all of the varied delights can be a challenge.

In the 17 years since I moved from Houston to New York City, the sprawling Texas city has experienced an artistic and cultural renaissance.

Houston is a city where art, architecture, and design have always taken center stage. Hotel Saint Augustine, which opened in January across the street from the Menil Collection campus, follows in this rich tradition.

Hotel Saint Augustine, Bunkhouse Hotels’ first Houston property, sits across from the Menil Collection in the heart of Montrose. Designed to blend seamlessly into its residential surroundings, the hotel feels more like a well-kept local secret than a scene

In our full breakdown of each new Key or upgrade in the United States, we see hotel additions in five categories: the new Two-Key hotels, the countryside escapes, the beach and seaside resorts, the big city stays on the coasts, and the design gems in the South and Midwest.

Hotel Saint Augustine has been named to the It List 2025: The best new hotels around the world, all vetted and reviewed by Travel + Leisure’s expert editors and reporters.

“There are other nods to Houston history and trivia: the restaurant Perseid, named for the meteor shower, nods to the city’s importance in space exploration; a cocktail, the Noble Night Heron, with white rum, rhum agricole, lemongrass, pineapple, and lime, is named after the city’s official bird.”

“It must have been nice to be a de Menil, the French-born, Houston-based art-collecting power couple of the mid-20th century. Chances are, you aren’t. But you can get pretty close at the new Hotel Saint Augustine, which opened in Montrose, Houston, in January.”

Local chef Aaron Bludorn helped bring this restaurant to life inside the long-awaited Hotel Saint Augustine. Perseid, named for a meteor shower that peaks in August, is a nod to Houston’s extensive history with space exploration. The menu that highlights the diverse influences within the city’s food and culture, along with various cocktails named for Houston’s history.