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    Texas travel

    Landmark Galveston hotel reveals Gatsby-esque renovations and updates

    Steven Devadanam
    Jan 14, 2022 | 2:58 pm

    Galveston’s historic hotel Grand Galvez is in the midst of a massive renovation and remodel and now, future guests can get a sneak peek of the updates to the Gulf Coast’s only 110-year-old, 4-Star landmark.

    Dallas-based Grand Galvez owner Mark Wyant has just revealed his new plans and renderings for the iconic hotel and spa. Sneak peek imagery includes the music hall, terrace ballroom, lobby entrance with the 44-foot “Queen of the Gulf” mosaic, Coffee Café, and the Galvez Bar & Grill.

    “These new, exciting designs will combine with the property’s current amenities and magnify the new vitality of the Grand Galvez,” said Wyant in a statement. He and his wife, interior designer Lorenda Wyant, have fueled the creative push behind Grand Galvez interior designs. The duo has previously collaborated on the Saint Hotels and other hotel properties and homes, according to their bio.

    The “Queen of the Gulf” mosaic
    A piece designed by Mark and Lorenda Wyant, the 44-foot by 17-foot mosaic is being produced by Dallas-based mosaicist Julie Richey and fabricated in Italy. A pink and red oleander garland surrounds the “Queen of the Gulf,” which will be created in gold. Thousands of Murano glass tiles are being created by a family of artisans in Venice, Italy. Installation will occur in spring 2022, per a press release.

    The 1915 Model T
    Wyant has found and restored a 1915 Ford Model T Roadster, which will be displayed in the East Loggia. He plans to personally drive it from his home in Dallas to the hotel in Galveston in spring.

    The Founders Bar
    This is a new lobby bar in the West Loggia that will overlook Peacock Alley and the Gulf of Mexico. The bar will exhibit photographs and mementos from the hotel’s opening and its founding five members. The original hotel bar will be moved to a permanent place in the Music Hall event space, according to Wyant.

    The marble fountain
    Another item being produced in Italy, this piece will sit in the Great Front Lawn. The fountain is being carved in Italy from Calacetta marble and will be 16 feet tall and 35 feet wide. Installation will occur mid-year 2022.

    Coffee Café
    Designed for the west lobby, this space will open early and throughout the day, serving freshly brewed coffee, teas, and snacks.

    Meanwhile, renovations will include all hotel rooms, hospitality, and public areas. The hotel and spa will remain open and fully operational with guest bookings, weddings, dining, special events scheduled. (Guest rooms are being redesigned one floor at a time, the hotel notes.)

    The all-white-and-indigo blue rooms feature a sofa at the end of the beds upholstered in a tropical green and white palm pattern and the white lacquered, while mirrored furniture is offset with light sky blue ceilings. Pillow-top beds feature a custom mirrored back wall extending to the ceiling.

    Evoking the Gatsby era, public areas will include harlequin black and white marble flooring with black framing, crystal chandeliers throughout, royal burgundy carpets, and accent draperies, a release notes. The front desk harks to the original, 1911 front desk with its iron detailing and glass features.

    A renewed, original Peacock Alley, the grand walkway leading from the lobby to the spa and ballroom, is a design element not seen at the hotel in over 70 years. Original moldings and ceilings found in the hotel walls are being restored for the first time since 1962.

    For momentos, the Lolo Boutique will offer gifts, clothing, and souvenirs.

    “We have great respect for the iconic architecture of this property,” Wyant said in a statement. “I can assure everyone that our vision for the ‘new’ Grand Galvez will honor the historic design, offering a refreshed elegance throughout the hotel. These designs reflect the new energy we will bring to the resort and all its amenities.”

    The new-look lobby.

    Grand Galvez lobby
    Image courtesy of Grand Galvez
    The new-look lobby.
    inspirationvacation
    news/travel

    Culinary Star

    Canyon Ranch appoints Michelin chef for swanky new Hill Country resort

    Brianna Caleri
    Feb 10, 2026 | 9:01 am
    Chef Val Cantú
    Val Cantú/Facebook
    Well, shucks. Chef Val Cantú is all about masa.

    A Central Texas-born chef with Michelin cred will return to his birthplace to head up the forthcoming Canyon Ranch Austin resort: Val Cantú, the chef behind two Michelin-starred San Francisco restaurant Californios, will lead the kitchen at the resort's restaurant, Estella.

    Canyon Ranch is a premier wellness destination resort and spa headquartered in Fort Worth, where there's a spa location at the Crescent Hotel. Canyon Ranch Austin is set to open in September 2026 in Spicewood, a Hill Country town just outside Austin.

    The original Canyon Ranch, which opened in Tucson, Arizona in 1979, is highly regarded as one of the top health resorts in the world, earning three keys from Michelin — the highest ranking a hotel can get — and the chain lauds the wellness benefits of both modern science and "ancient wisdom."

    The Austin restaurant will follow that same ethos, a release says.

    “Estella will be light, bright, fresh, and clean,” says Cantú in the release. “It’s a distilled version of what I do that will be focused on seasonality, sourcing, and the kind of delicious food that makes you feel good after you eat it.”

    Canyon Ranch Canyon Ranch operates some of the country's most acclaimed spas. Facebook Canyon Ranch

    Cantú is developing the menu with experience from fine dining and his personal Texas heritage; he was raised in Brownwood, about 150 miles northwest of Austin, where his father owned a Mexican restaurant. Tortillas are an important part of what's to come at Estella.

    “When I’m making tortillas, I feel connected at a root level,” says Cantú. “It reminds me of making tortillas with my grandmother and my dad.”

    Canyon Ranch CEO Mark Rivers emphasized Cantú's well-balanced approach: “Chef Val brings a rare combination of technical mastery, cultural authenticity, and emotional intelligence to his cooking," he says. "His approach aligns perfectly with how we think about wellness as intentional, thoughtful, and rooted in real life.”

    Californios dishes If Estella is anything like Californios, presentation will be a huge factor.Photo courtesy of Californios

    Although the release does not share how much Estella will have in common with Californios, it's easy to imagine that the artistic plating and education about the indigenous cultures of Mesoamerica will carry over.

    “This is a homecoming for me," Cantú says. "Cooking in the Hill Country allows me to return to the flavors, ingredients, and traditions that first shaped who I am."

    spasresortswellnessopeningsmexican cuisinechefs
    news/travel
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