Houston’s Heights neighborhood has long been one of the city’s more eclectic enclaves, home to boutique shops, buzzy restaurants and diverse nightlife. Yet it’s lacked one thing to make it a complete destination for visitors: a hotel. Until now.

Austin-based Bunkhouse Hotels has opened Hotel Daphne, a 49-room luxury boutique property on West 20th Street. The ground-up project includes an Italian-style restaurant from one of Houston’s most recognized chefs as well as a library, event space and a signature retail shop.

This is the second project for Bunkhouse in Houston following last year’s opening of the 71-room Saint Augustine near the Menil Collection in Montrose.

The five-story Hotel Daphne was designed in collaboration with Blanchard A+D to align with the architectural aesthetics of the surrounding neighborhood. Hypsi, a new restaurant from James Beard-nominated Chef Terrence Gallivan, will bring a modern take on Italian-style aperitivo with Gulf Coast ingredients to the space.

Ben Ackerley, one of the development partners on the project, said the Heights has been in need of a hotel befitting the unique character of the neighborhood. “We wanted to create an urban oasis where neighbors and out-of-towners alike have a place to hang out or spend the night in a chic, yet comfortable environment – with great spaces to gather, rotating artwork from our family’s private collection, and Hypsi at the heart of it all,” Ackerley said.

Designed in-house by Bunkhouse, the interiors draw from the Heights’ origins as one of the first “suburban” neighborhoods of Houston, as well as the Greek myth of Daphne. Designed as a modern third space within one of the city’s most walkable neighborhoods, the hotel’s public spaces are meant to feel both grounded and imaginative, “showcasing Bunkhouse’s commitment to craft through handmade tilework, layered textiles, and a palette of warm neutrals accented by rich, saturated tones.”

Located just a block away from the shops and restaurants of historic 19th Street, Hotel Daphne aims to be a neighborhood hotel, according to the project team.

Luxury-scale hotels continue to drive the Houston hotel market, showing a 3% gain in revenue in October compared with the same month in 2024 due in part to an almost 4% gain in ADR. RevPAR also showed growth, gaining 3 points.

Written by A.J. Mistretta 

Photos by Julie Soefer