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.
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
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.
Texas pear and burrata salad.Photo courtesy of AA