It's not uncommon for Houstonians to drive an hour or so to the only closest beach in town, which is Galveston, especially on a hot summer weekend. Fortunately, I live in the Southeast part of town so it's only approximately a 45-minute drive. I can't count the times that I've been to Galveston and although it's really close to me, I've always wanted to spend a night or two there. I mean, why not? Having lived in Miami for about a decade, I'm used to living close to the beach. I must admit though that because of my skin sensitivies to the sun, I'm not a huge beach person. But of course, I always enjoy the sight of it.
A few weeks ago, I got the opportunity to spend a night in Galveston, at the historic Tremont House which is located at The Strand. The Strand is Galveston's historic downtown where many shops and restaurants are located.
I first got to see The Tremont House when we had a photo shoot in this area a few months ago and I was so fascinated at its architecture. I've been curious to see what it looks like inside since then and have wanted to experience the accommodation at what seemed to me like a castle from the outside!
The Arc which is The Strand's landmark is right there, it's pretty amazing! If I'm not mistaken, The Tremont House is the only hotel on The Strand. They do offer valet parking but there's also metered street parking. The sight of the building outside is truly fascinating.
Although the building looks pretty big outside, the hotel only has 119 rooms and has 4 floors. You can't expect a huge lobby but you can expect a nice, cozy one, especially during Friday nights where they normally have a live jazz music. The Toujouse Bar is right next to the atrium lobby that's decorated with some palm trees. Although I didn't get to stay till Friday evening (I checked in on a Thursday), I can definitely see myself enjoying a beautiful and relaxing evening while sipping my favorite sweet white wine. Ahhhhh! The baby grand definitely added some elegant touch .
I thought that the atrium lobby is pretty neat. Aside from the fact that it's visible from the upstairs, I couldn't quite seem to pinpoint what's special about this lobby while I was there. However, looking at the photos while writing this post made me realize that it's the natural light, the palm trees and the "Romeo and Juliet" veranda/doors of the rooms that gave such a serene atmosphere.
There were a few things that really surprised me about The Tremont House. First of all, even though it's a historic hotel (It was built on 1879), Wyndham (which owns The Tremont House) did a great job renovating the building and keeping it smelling fresh and clean. I've been to a historic hotel that smells so old I couldn't stand it.
The second surprise was the key and the lock. When the receptionist handed me the key, I thought to myself, this hotel is so outdated that they still use actual keys in the rooms and not the typical swipe cards. Well…boy oh boy, I was so wrong. I guess I'm the one that's outdated because I didn't think that what looks like a real key can actually work as an electronic key. I was so fascinated, I wish I videotaped my reaction.
The key that I first thought as old and outdated turned out to be pretty fancy after all! I was so surprised when I put the key in the keyhole and didn't have to turn the keys but it worked just like a swipe card. How neat is that?!
So enough of my own internal blunder about the key. I got the biggest surprise of my life when I walked in the room. High ceiling! Are you kidding me? Which hotel has high ceilings in the room? Now, I am not sure if every room has a high ceiling but the King bedroom that I stayed in definitely has. Guess what else? Wood floors. Yes, a hotel room that has wood floors. I'm floored (pun intended)! I guess that's why the room gave me such a "homey" feeling. I've already mentioned that I prefer boutique hotels versus the regular hotels because they give you such a different vibe and The Tremont House really leveled up the game in this experience. Since I started doing staycations, I've never seen a hotel yet with high ceilings and wood floors until I've been to this hotel.
Quite honestly, I didn't notice the wood floors until a little bit later. Other than the high ceiling, I knew something else was different, then I realized it was the wood floors. Additionally, the stripes wall paper that coordinated with the printed curtains worked well with the overall decor.
Now, these are things that you probably won't be particular about but just a few things I'd like to mention since I'm into aesthetics. Bottom line is that because of how the room is aesthetically pleasing, it will provide you with a nice warm environment while you're away from home.
So here's the bathroom. Other than it's pretty sleek and modern, do you notice anything slightly different than usual? I guess I will let you all figure that out….and if you notice anything, I'd love to hear from you. Shoot me an email or leave me a comment, will ya? *Wink*
There are a couple of dining options at The Tremont House. One was the in-room service (thanks to this delicious snacks!) and the other is the Tremont Café where I had a delicious healthy chicken wrap dinner. The Tremont Café also serves Starbucks so you can already expect that I definitely had my favorite Cafe Mocha the following morning.
In addition to the The Toujouse Bar in the lobby, The Tremont Hotel also has the only open-air rooftop bar in Galveston called The Rooftop Bar. I got to check it out first hand and it's got an incredible view of downtown and the harbor. Not to mention the amazing sight of the sunset. I stayed for a little bit to enjoy the breeze and the sunset. The place is very inviting and relaxing. They serve cocktails in addition to wine and beer.
Although The Tremont House is still a few minutes away from the beach, there are a lot of shops, restaurants and bars within walking distance that you can check out.
The only thing that I noticed is that there isn't a pool in the property. However, as a guest, they give you an access to Hotel Galvez's (their sister hotel). It's still a few minutes away but they provide a shuttle service.
They don't offer much for kids so it might not be the best choice for families with kids. However, it's still within minutes from other fun kid activities in Galveston. Overal though, in my opinion, The Tremont House is a perfect getaway haven for couples, bachelors and bachelorrettes. The hotel in and of itself is pretty romantic that it sets up for a lovely romantic mood! I really enjoyed my stay and I can recommend the place for anyone looking to stay at the Strand area, not only because of the wonderful atmosphere the property provides but also the friendly and helpful staff.
For more information about The Tremont House or to make reservations, visit www.thetremonthouse.com.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Disclaimer: I was given a complimentary stay at The Tremont House to facilitate this experience write-up. The opinions expressed herein are mine and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of The Tremont House.
I am so glad I saw this. I have been wanting to try the Tremont for several years!