Sam Houston Hotel

Significance

Built in 1924 as a Commercial and Chicago School style hotel, the Sam Houston Hotel is one of the few surviving early 20th century commercial hotels remaining in downtown Houston from the city's pre-Depression boom era. Its pressed brick facade and terracotta detailing reflect the material palette favored by downtown developers during the 1910s and 1920s, when Houston's population and commercial district expanded rapidly alongside the growth of the port and oil industries. The building fell into disuse for a period before undergoing a boutique hotel restoration in the early 2000s that preserved its historic exterior while modernizing guest room interiors. Today it serves as a functioning downtown hotel and stands as physical evidence of an era of Houston hospitality architecture largely lost to later demolition and redevelopment.

Climate risks tracked

The hotel's pressed brick and terracotta exterior is susceptible to wind driven rain infiltration during hurricanes, since aging mortar joints and ornamental trim can loosen under sustained gusts like those experienced during Hurricane Ike. Its downtown location on low lying streets makes it vulnerable to urban flooding, as seen when Harvey's rainfall overwhelmed storm drains throughout the district in 2017. The combination of Houston's high humidity and older masonry construction also creates persistent conditions for mold growth within wall cavities and guest rooms if moisture is not promptly managed after storm events.

Use the preservation assistant to talk through retrofit strategies for these specific threats.

Location

Nearby landmarks

• 1913 · Beaux-Arts

  Rice Hotel

• 1926 · Spanish Renaissance Revival

  Julia Ideson Building

• 1927 · Italian Renaissance Revival

  Niels Esperson Building

• 1893 · Gothic Revival

  Christ Church Cathedral