Established in to 1894, the storied Houston Club has a new home atop One Shell Plaza. As part of a $3.5 million renovation, the social club offers a sleek lounge, Allen's Landing restaurant and bar, and small meeting rooms with videoconferencing and other audiovisual equipment. A second phase of the renovation debuts in October and will add the 16-person Power Board Room, the full-service Magnolia restaurant, and a 2,652-square-foot ballroom that holds 320 for receptions or 190 at rounds.
Previously a Boy Scouts of America building, the three-story Mr. Peeples Seafood & Steaks opened in July following a major renovation. The 40,000-square-foot space is glamorously decorated with purple and red graffiti art, alligator accents, Swarovski crystal chandeliers, and a 16,000-bottle wine tower. The second floor is a private event space for as many as 250 people, and a 10,000-square-foot dance floor is planned for the basement.
The entrance to the Rosemont Social Club is through the back door, a speakeasy touch to this two-level lounge that opened in July in Montrose. While the first-floor space is a jewel box of a bar—just six seats, a couch, and slipper chairs—the upper level has its own bar and is attached to a large furnished patio that can accommodate 150 for events. The landscaped roof includes individual cabanas for 10 people; two can be combined for standing receptions for 30. The entire club can be rented for events of as many as 250 people. Rosemont's menu features seasonal craft cocktails as well as small plates to share.
Slated for an October reveal, a $25 million dollar renovation to the Royal Sonesta Hotel Houston includes updates to its 50,000 square feet of meeting space and a new pre-function lobby area. The 23 meeting rooms will serve events of as many as 1,080 guests. A new color scheme features earthy tones like chocolate, taupe, and cream, with sapphire accents. New lighting is intended to create a starry sky-like atmosphere.
The historic Hotel Galvez & Spa, a Wyndham Grand property 50 miles south of Houston, wrapped up a renovation to its lobby, restaurant, and bar in May. The $11 million revamp—timed with the hotel's centennial anniversary—features a new terra cotta color scheme, chandeliers with Thomas Edison vintage lightbulbs, and an expansion to the the Galvez Bar & Grill that nearly doubled its size. The restaurant offers a menu of seafood, steaks, and Prohibition-style cocktails and seats 106 in the dining room and 71 at the bar.
The Brazilian steakhouse Texas de Brazil opened in August at CityCentre with room for 225 guests. Its grilled meats are carved tableside by gauchos, or Brazilian cowboys, and a salad bar has more than 50 offerings. The 8,500-square-foot restaurant has patio dining, a chef's table, and two private dining rooms: The Brazil room seats 50 guests, and the Infinity Room—with mirror-covered walls—seats 13. Both rooms have audiovisual equipment suited for business meetings and presentations.
The Galleria location of the Palm reopened in July following an expansion and renovation in time for its 35th anniversary in the city. The now-8,800-square-foot restaurant boasts a 150-seat dining room, a 23-seat bar, and a lounge; it also features a 1,400- square-foot private function room that accommodates standing cocktails for 125 and has 60-inch flat-screen TVs and an audiovisual system for presentations. The restaurant has its signature cartoons on the walls as well as a mural designed by Zachary Bird that features iconic Houston landmarks and notable guests.
Eleven XI Restaurant and Bar—its name derived from the "wishing hour" of 11:11—opened in Montrose in May. The two-floor restaurant is located in a vintage house with a second floor dedicated to private events. On the first floor, the dining room seats 42, and a 12-person chef's table is available for five-, seven-, or nine-course meals. The second-level space can host 75 for receptions and has a built-in slate-topped bar, a glass-walled wine room, and a humidor. The menu focuses on Southern coastal cuisine and includes a raw bar. A covered patio will offer alfresco dining.
Ruth's Chris Steak House has moved locations, opening a 400-seat restaurant in Space City. The sprawling 9,100-square-foot steak house offers five private dining rooms, including the eight-person Gallery Room and the Bayou and Cypress rooms, which can be combined to seat 80. The private rooms can also be configured for business presentations.
Located in the hear of the oil and gas industry, the Fairfield Inn & Suites Houston the Woodlands South opened in July and offers 2,000 square feet of meeting space spread across four rooms. The rooms can be combined to create a 1,535-square-foot room for as many as 180 people. Options for smaller gatherings include a 16-person boardroom and an event space that accommodates 50 for seated events and 70 for receptions.
