10 New Venues in Houston/San Antonio for Spring 2025 Meetings and Events

Austin, Texas-based Bunkhouse Hotels opened its much-anticipated Houston property Hotel Saint Augustine this winter. This boutique hotel near The Menil Collection spans multiple low-rise buildings, manicured green spaces, and a circular courtyard pool, with balconies and outdoor spaces among the 71 hotel rooms and suites. Event spaces within the hotel include the second-floor Montrose Ballroom, which spans 1,850 square feet and includes a 260-square-foot private outdoor balcony and 1,200 square feet of interior prefunction space. The space can be accessed via a dedicated elevator or exterior staircase and boasts a capacity of 250. Hotel Saint Augustine's restaurant Perseid is from James Beard-nominated chef Aaron Bludorn and includes a 600-square-foot back room that can host up to 40 guests. The Rosalind Room can be curtained for an intimate rehearsal dinner, cocktail hour, or small receptions. Next to this private dining room, find Piazza at Saint Augustine, an outdoor space that's available for events.

Sonesta Hotel Houston IAH Airport opened in September 2024, offering shuttle service to Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport and amenities like a restaurant and an outdoor swimming pool. The 335-room property offers meeting and event space, with 16 meeting rooms spanning 27,000 square feet. Meeting room capacity ranges from 12 to 700. Regency Hall, the largest meeting room, spans 8,000 square feet and can accommodate up to 700 guests for receptions or 400 in banquet rounds. The divisible Grand Ballroom spans 6,900 square feet and can accommodate up to 700 guests for receptions or 450 in banquet rounds. The 1,848-square-foot Sam Houston room can accommodate up to 100 for receptions or 90 in banquet rounds.

San Antonio culinary destination Pullman Market at Pearl includes multiple restaurants that host private parties, including Mezquite, which serves Sonoran-inspired cuisine from tortas to salsa-covered pork chops or choco flan for dessert. Opened in spring 2024, Mezquite's 3,400-square-foot indoor space is available for full buyouts, with room for 144 seated guests or 221 standing guests. A 445-square-foot private dining room seats 24 or can accommodate 45 standing guests for receptions. The covered outdoor patio with heaters and fans spans 1,027 square feet and can accommodate 50 seated guests or 69 standing guests. Mezquite's Mezcaleria bar is an add-on option for private events.

Fertitta Hospitality unveiled a multimillion-dollar renovation of Hilton Galveston Island Resort in January, showing off upgraded guest rooms, meeting spaces, a new pool deck, a fitness center, and a restaurant with bar. The modernized event spaces include the 1,380-square-foot Oasis and 3,500 square-foot Oceanfront ballrooms, which each feature new carpets, chandeliers, and wallcoverings along with enhanced lighting, modern chairs, and high-speed internet. A 900-square-foot prefunction space adjacent to the Oceanfront Ballroom now includes an 85-inch monitor equipped with full AV capabilities, modular seating, and a mobile serving island. The total event space spans 5,128 square feet. The Ocean Front Ballroom can accommodate up to 310 guests for receptions or 220 for banquets, while the Oasis Ballroom can accommodate up to 150 guests for a reception or 100 for banquets. Meanwhile, Hilton Galveston Island Resort's expanded lobby bar now spans 1,600 square feet and offers poolside views through floor-to-ceiling windows, accommodating up to 60 guests. The pool's popular swim-up bar is now accented by an oasis-like pool deck with new cabanas, cozy fire pits, oversize umbrellas, and expanded seating.

Go for a hole-in-one at the San Antonio River Walk's newest entertainment destination, Holey Moley. The 12,000-square-foot mini-golf club opened in December 2024, built out with 27 holes of mini-golf over three courses. The fanciful golf course includes holes themed around the Wild West or red Solo beer pong cups. Besides golfing, Holey Moley offers two karaoke rooms and a full bar and restaurant as well as alfresco patio seating on the riverfront. Holey Moley is from Australian-based parent company Funlab, which also maintains Holey Moley locations in U.S. cities like Houston and Austin. Holey Moley offers customizable corporate and private event packages for between 20 and 300 guests, including use of a 500-square-foot private event lounge. Packages include an array of putt-putt, karaoke options, and catered food and beverage selections (such as chile queso-loaded fries or frozen slushies made with Big Red cream soda).

Texas-inspired restaurant chain Haywire added San Antonio to its list of locations in the state with the opening of a 16,000-square-foot outpost at The Shops at La Cantera in December 2024. Haywire partners with Texas-based ranchers and farmers for its farm-to-table fare, like garlic-stuffed filet, mini elk tacos, or pecan pie with Balcones Texas Whiskey caramel sauce. The San Antonio location boasts multiple spaces for private events, including the "cowboy-chic" Barrel Room outfitted with its own private bar, dedicated AV, elevator entrance, and private staircase. The Barrel Room seats up to 80 guests and can be combined with the adjacent Ranchero Room on the second floor, which seats up to 30 guests. The Ranchero Room is decorated with local Texas artwork, features its own AV system, and overlooks the restaurant's Airstream Patio. The Mission Room on the main floor near the main dining room seats up to 50 guests and can be kept completely private or opened up to the rest of the restaurant. Decorated with a saddle-blanket ceiling, the Vaquero Room features its own entrance and seats up to 25 guests. The semiprivate Allocation Room is geared toward whiskey and tequila aficionados and can seat up to 14, while the outdoor patio seats up to 50 guests.

Velocity Sim Racing Lounge turns anyone into Lewis Hamilton, thanks to 16 state-of-the-art motion racing simulators that make it feel like you're speeding around a racetrack. The new 5,000-square-foot bar opened in February in Houston's Sawyer Yards neighborhood. Velocity's indoor capacity is 214 guests, while the patio's capacity is 60 guests. The space also includes a motor sports-themed lounge with large TVs, a full bar, and a kitchen. The menu at Velocity focuses on shareable snacks like sliders, charcuterie boards, Japanese-style teriyaki chicken meatballs, and flatbreads, with race car-themed craft cocktails (like Senna's Caipirinha) available as well.

Chardon, a French bistro inspired by Parisian neighborhoods like Montmartre and La Marais, opened at Thompson Houston in Buffalo Bayou Park in February. The restaurant from TableOne Hospitality serves dishes like caramelized onion soup gratinée and gnocchi Parisienne, along with fanciful options like bite-size pastries or a tower piled with croque monsieur gougères, foie gras macarons, Texas cornbread madeleines, and more. A private dining room is covered with elegant wallpaper and decorated with an antique table, with seating for 14 guests. La Petite Dining Room seats up to 20 guests, while La Grande Dining room can seat up to 40 guests or host up to 60 standing guests for receptions. The cozy Bar Banquet space seats up to 16 guests, while the Terrace can seat up to 26 guests or accommodate up to 40 guests for receptions. For full buyouts, Chardon can seat up to 100 guests or accommodate up to 200 guests for receptions.

In March, Brennan's of Houston unveiled a renovation and expansion of the iconic New Orleans restaurant's Courtyard Bar. The horseshoe-shaped bar is topped with a galvanized zinc bar top, and that's not the only French inspiration scene throughout the space: French toile wallpaper, antique mirrors, and dusky Parisian blue tones offset the space's exposed brick and large black and white Carrera tiles. The Courtyard Bar also boasts a new menu, made up of dishes like beignets served with a four-cheese fondue, New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp, and seafood nachos, as well as classic cocktails like a frozen Brandy Milk Punch and a Ramos Gin Fizz. Brennan's of Houston can accommodate 80 guests.

Houston restaurateur Benjy Levit recently reenvisioned a few restaurants in his portfolio, including Milton's and Lee's in Rice Village. Milton’s opened in September 2024 after being closed over the summer to be renovated and pivoted from its previous iteration, French restaurant Eau Tour. The new 2,000-square-foot trattoria was designed by Brittany Vaughan of Garnish Design and incorporates Irish green and golden yellow tones, as well as mahogany accents and midcentury brass lighting fixtures. Milton's neighboring Local Foods Group restaurant, Lee’s, opened in January after being closed for renovations. Previously known as wine bar Lee’s Den, the new Lee's serves cocktails and snacks with interiors from Garnish Design that feature chrome-accented black wood wainscoting, black leather, gray velvet, and brown marble. Milton's private dining capacity includes 20 seated in the enclosed patio dubbed the Treehouse, while full buyouts can seat 60 or accommodate 75 standing guests. Lee's private dining capacity includes 25 seated in the patio or 45 seated inside, while full buyout can accommodate 75 standing guests.