Hotel Galvez, a TroysArt photo
Galveston is a short drive from Houston—in less than an hour a city weary soul can be transported to another realm. Sadly, because of its brown water and toothless underbelly, not many people I know share my enthusiasm for the convenient island retreat.
A few days back I made one of my regular trips. When I stepped out of my car at the Galvez’s valet stand a pungent stench affronted my nostrils—like being slapped in the face with a spoiled trout. One look at the beaches and the reason is obvious. Galveston is experiencing one of the worst red seaweed invasions that anyone can recall. Mountains of the horrific Sargassum line the beaches and the dunes.
After checking into my room I took a drive down the seawall (one acclimates to the smell). But looking around I started to get a sense of what I had been blind to for many years, it ain’t pretty—hoards of tacky tourists floundering around mounds of red rubbish, aggressive vagrants at every rundown shop, crack whore fights…
That is when I realized what makes Hotel Galvez extra special. It’s not only a cloistered little bubble in the midst of a far-out scene but also a refuge from the oppressive Houston heat! The Hotel Galvez is a distinguished landmark at 2024 Seawall Boulevard, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and is a member of Historic Hotels of America. Opened in 1911 and built in the Spanish Mission Revival style which was all the rage at the time, it was called “The Playground of the Southwest” and was host to celebrities, socialites, and even Presidents. The suites are named for the famous guests like Franklin Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, Lyndon Johnson, Douglas MacArthur, Frank Sinatra, and Howard Hughes. It is now a Wyndham Grand Hotel (Wyndham Rewards guests get late check-out).
Three words that can remedy summer heat: swim-up bar! Sitting at the pool and with its swim-up bar seems a world away from the scenario just across the wall.
And the lobby bar is fantastic spot for an old school cocktail while watching guests stream in and out. European students travel to the United States every summer to work, the Hotel Galvez employs several. Inna, a cocktail waitress at the pool is from Poland and Tom the bartender is from Romania, both second year participants and harder workers than their American counterparts.
Red Snapper at Hotel Galvez
Tom is quick to show photos to guests of his homeland which makes for great interaction while winding down for the evening with a nightcap. I hoped to find a relaxing nightcap that evening, something not too sweet, perhaps with a whisky base. Tom recommended a Red Snapper on the rocks. I’d never heard of it and it sounded downright beachy; Crown Royal, Di Saronno, and cranberry. Delicious.
The rooms are okay—if you are one of those travelers who likes to barricade into a room, this might not be for you. Probably because of the age of the structure the rooms and bathrooms are small and the furnishings are simple. This hotel is more all about the public areas.
The dining hall is gorgeous and serves the best buffet breakfast on the island, only $15.
www.hotelgalvez.com