The past couple of summers, we've taken the entire month of July off and drove around the western U.S., where we drove through 14 different states, visited about 20 National Parks and Historic Sites, and took a week-long cruise to Alaska in the middle.

This year, I drove by a place called the Dofflemyer Hotel in San Saba while delivering deer blinds to my buddy's ranch, and it got me to thinking that next year we might do a grand tour of Texas instead.

What do you think are the coolest, historic, one-off hotels in our great state?

The Gage in Marathon and El Capitan in Van Horn. And The Menger in my hometown of San Antonio, but I don't know if it's been kept up.

I stay at the Menger every summer for work conferences. It's in pretty good shape, although the AC was out in half of the rooms last time, so that was a bummer, especially in the middle of the summer!

Hotel Galvez at Galveston. At least 15 years ago it was pretty cool.

The Baker hotel in Mineral Wells is scheduled to be open by the spring of 26. Lot of history and fame. Being restored .

Veza, isn’t it reputed to be haunted?

^^^^ Looked at it online, pretty neat looking old hotel.



^^^^^^^
Have driven past it many times over the years wondering if and when it might ever re-open. A hell of a lot of history and stories behind this hotel.

https://thebakerhotelandspa.com/history/

I drive by it regularly and I've noticed it's going through renovations. I was super happy to see that because it's a beautiful place and has some cool history! That one will definitely be on the list.

Not in Texas but close. The Eklund hotel in Clayton NM is pretty cool.

Hotel Turkey. In Turkey, we'd stay there when hiking and biking at Caprock Canyon. We haven't been in 3-4 years, but the missus and I had several good times there. Saturday nights had local music and local rib eyes. There would be more people partying at the hotel, than lived in the town.

Opening in spring of 2026. I'm in.

The Baker Hotel

Hotel Settles in Big Spring is a cool one, I enjoy my stays there.

Quanh, TX, 4-bedroom VRBO. next week's deer hunt.

We'll see if its haunted

The Mobley Hotel in Cisco is the original Hilton hotel.

I was going to suggest the Luther Hotel in Palacios, but when I googled, it is closed. Sad. Rickety wood hotel with a lot of history.

We stayed there several years ago! Was an amazing piece of history.

Stay at the Blessing Hotel in Blessing TX

Their buffet is also fantastic

https://hotelblessing.com/

Blessing hotel in Blessing, Texas just up the road from Palacios. Restaurant has amazing food as well.

Indian Lodge at Davis Mountains State Park is a pretty old and historic place. It's been undergoing renovations for a couple of years now but they should be about done.

I ate lunch there one day while working in that area, quite a few years ago. It was good!

Hotel paisano in Marfa

It will never happen.

I have been here myself and enjoyed it

I have never stayed there, but if we did we would surely do the ghost tour.

Hotel Galvez is the place to stay for sure, it feels like you're being transported back to 1911 when you go in. Being across the street from Miller's for meals is nice too.

Another vote for Hotel Paisano in Marfa.

Haven't been to Galveston or the Hotel Galvez in over 46 years ... where my wife and I had our honeymoon in 1978. They were renovating when we were there and it really needed it.

It's not exactly a vacation destination, but for a place to stay while hunting in Duval and Jim Wells counties, I strongly endorse La Mansion Gonzalez, 108 East Gravis Avenue, San Diego. It's a historic old hotel set up as a bed and breakfast. PERFECT for a base camp if hunting in the vicinity without other accommodations. We discovered it last year while traveling to a Texas Youth Hunting Program hunt. Ms. Sally is the proprietor, and she took care of everything we needed.

That's still the case. I'm there often for a meal I don't have to cook while at the lease. We stay there once or twice a year when my wife comes along to hunt with me.