Book It recommends a hotel, cabin, or glamping site that’s worth its own trip.
Bunkhouse Hotels, the Liz Lambert–founded hospitality group acquired by Hyatt in 2024, has long been in the business of the effortlessly cool hotel. Now the Austin-based company is betting big not just on Houston but on the city’s trendiest neighborhoods, which were until recently devoid of the boutique options you’d expect in such areas. First came Hotel Saint Augustine, which opened in Montrose in December 2024. Exactly a year later, Hotel Daphne debuted in the Heights. So what is it like to stay the night? This Houstonian decided to treat herself to a staycation and immersed herself in the historic neighborhood.
The Look:
Forty-nine guest rooms and suites hark back to the Arts and Crafts movement with William Morris–inspired floral carpets and upholstered headboards. My spacious room had a navy-blue-and-terra-cotta-pink color scheme, with slender dark green tiles in the bathroom, where I enjoyed Dr. Vranjes products and great water pressure.
The Fare:
With lauded chef Terrence Gallivan (of the now-closed Pass and Provisions) at the helm, Italian-focused Hypsi feels more like a neighborhood bistro than a hotel restaurant. Order the supercreamy lumache alla vodka. A simple standout of my meal was one of the add-ons to the house-made focaccia: I was curious how a vanilla bean vinaigrette would accent a plate of boquerones and cherry tomatoes, and somehow it worked beautifully.
Service on the floor was at times frazzled; sit at the bar if you can snag one of the five seats. Ask the bartenders for the excellent pepperoncini martini, made with bay leaf–infused vodka, Cocchi Americano, and white balsamic vinegar. On my visit, the cocktail was finished with a spear of provolone, a pepperoncini, and a large slice of salume fashioned into a bow, which grazed my cheek with each sip until I decided it needed to be eaten. I returned the next morning to devour the breakfast menu’s panettone waffle, which has small pieces of fruit inside.
Elevated minibars offer Texas pecans from Evie’s Snacks, artisan chocolate, and haute condoms. The stylish, blue-and-red-striped bathrobe and sage-green bathing-lady soap dish found in each guest room tempt you in the gift shop as well ($180 and $36, respectively).
The Pro Tip:
Take a five-minute walk down to Nineteenth Street for dinner at Agnes and Sherman (Texas Monthly’s 2026 Restaurant of the Year). Afterward, catch some live music at the Heights Theater or stop by Manready Mercantile for gifts, and pop into the Houston Toy Museum if you have kiddos in tow (or even if you don’t).
The Rate:
Rooms start at $359 a night.
An abbreviated version of this article originally appeared in the May 2026 issue of Texas Monthly with the headline “Book It: Hotel Daphne, Houston.” Subscribe today.
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