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Luxe boutique hotel built from shipping containers to debut in Waco

The Hotel Herringbone will open in March 2024.

Rendering courtesy of Federica Cortabarria at CoveArch

There's a cool new hotel checking into downtown Waco, and this time, it's not from Fixer Upper's Chip and Joanna Gaines.

The modern, art-deco-inspired Hotel Herringbone, at 319 South 4th St., is set to open in March 2024. Converted from a former shipping container development, the hotel will offer 21 boutique rooms for guests, along with four restaurants, including a rooftop bar.

The rooms, ranging from 230-square-foot single rooms to a 1,300-square-foot multi-bedroom suite, are inspired by art-deco and mid-century modern design. Taylor Leage, the hotel's lead interior designer, says in a press release that he wanted to highlight the pre-existing exterior architecture of the space while completely transforming the interior to elicit design aesthetics from all areas of history.

“We aimed to showcase layered elements stemming from the wide-ranging regions and history through the lens of a 20th-century world traveler and her husband – evoking the feeling of your grandmother's attic filled to the brim and brought to life as if it were brand new," Leage says in the release. "Art Nouveau detailing is balanced out with modern futuristic forms, and a bright, bold, modern color palette to bring in a light sense of humor and new life."

In addition to the classic boutique hotel amenities, the hotel will offer luxurious extras, including hotel-branded refillable bottles, MovieBeam entertainment and fitness programming, morning craft coffee services, and a daily happy hour in the evening.

Hotel Herringbone, Waco hotel The hotel is opening in a former shipping container development.Rendering courtesy of Federica Cortabarria at CoveArch

The Hotel Herringbone site was previously home to The Containery, a brightly-colored shipping container development that foreclosed in 2021, and has since sat vacant. Lucky Find Hospitality acquired the development – which spans across an entire city block – and partnered with San Diego-based design firm Rad Lab, FreeForm Development, and acclaimed Waco chef and restaurateur Corey McEntyre to bring the hotel to life.

Lucky Find Hospitality and McEntyre developed four restaurant concepts at the Hotel Herringbone:

Red Herring, a 6,000-square foot warehouse-turned-Mediterranean-inspired fine dining establishment
Lucky Buck's, a fourth-story rooftop lounge and sports bar
Song Bird, an international wine and charcuterie bar and al fresco dining concept, with a goods market and live music space
Nightlight Donuts and Coffee, a ground-floor craft coffee and doughnut bar with indoor and outdoor seating

Hotel Herringbone, Waco hotel The Red Herring spans 6,000-square feet.Rendering courtesy of Federica Cortabarria at CoveArch

There are several more projects in the works to transform the hotel and existing development into spaces for gatherings, events, and experiences.

Event spaces inside and outside the Herringbone Hotel include:

A second-floor hotel ballroom that can fit 150 people
A 500-square-foot boardroom and bridal suite adjacent to the hotel ballroom, overlooking the plaza
A 1,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor vinyl record listening studio and lounge
30,000 square feet of space for restaurants, music and event venues
A 15,000-square-foot public plaza that displays 12 retail spaces
A shaded outdoor play space for children
A large stage for live music performances

The hotel is near popular touristy shops and stops, such as the Dr Pepper Museum, Fabled Bookshop and Cafe, the Waco Downtown Farmers Market, and (of course) the Silos at Magnolia.

"When we began spending significant time in the market, our team quickly fell in love with the community, the people, and the blossoming food, music and art scenes," says Lucky Find Hospitality CEO Rigel Bitterman in the release.

Hotel Herringbone reservations are now open for stays beginning March 15, 2024, with room rates beginning at $233 per night. More information about the hotel can be found at hotelherringbone.com.

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Downtown News

Dallas convention center re-do will shut down DART stop for 3 years

Courtesy photo

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Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is about to shut down its stop at the Convention Center Station for the next three years.

The agency is being forced to close the station to accommodate the city of Dallas' construction and redevelopment of the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center. As part of the project, the station will be closed for the duration of construction, which is currently estimated at three years.

The Convention Center Station is a stop on both the Red and Blue lines, and the shutdown will affect anyone traveling to or from southwest Dallas. North Dallas, Plano, Rowlett, and Carrollton will thankfully be spared.

Rail detours
Riders who previously used the Convention Center Station will be directed to nearby alternative stations at Cedars or EBJ Union. DART has prepared clear signage, rider alerts, and bus connections to support customers and make navigating the closure as easy as possible.

Bus detours
Routes 28 and 106 will maintain regular service outside of downtown. Within downtown, instead of taking Lamar to the Convention Center, the bus will turn left on Young Street, right on Akard Street, right on Marilla Street where the Akard and Marilla bus stop is located (stop number 20685).

Outbound, routes 28 and 106 will turn left on Young Street, right on Lamar Street and then proceed on their regular route.

Layover at Akard and Marilla: Passengers deboard at Cedars Station and take the special South Dallas GoLink to bus stops at Akard and Marilla or to EBJ Union Station.

Route 224 will operate a detour going inbound. Inbound trips will come downtown via Elm and continue to Houston, turn left on Commerce and continue to Harwood. It will then turn left to go to the East Transfer Center where it will layover. Outbound trips will originate from the East Transfer Center and operate a regular route out of downtown.

Layover at East Transfer Center

Passengers arriving by train can deboard at Convention Center Station to board route 224.
Another option for passengers is to deboard at Akard Station, then board 224 at Elm and Akard.

Route 383 East Transfer Center is your final stop. 383 will not continue past this station. This route will be discontinued on February 02, 2026.

DART will implement a new GoLink Zone for Convention Center Station customers that will only provide service for trips originating at EBJ Union Station, Cedars Station, or the substitute bus layover location on Akard and Marilla and terminating at one of those locations.

The service will operate 7 days a week, from 5 am to midnight. Customers using this GoLink Zone may only travel between these three designated points.

All changes will be reflected online and in the GoPass app for the duration of construction.

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