When Commodore Perry Estate opened in a 1928 Italianate mansion in Central Austin three years ago, it quickly set a new standard for hospitality in the city and earned a spot in top hotel roundups, including: became. Condé Nast Travelergold list and travel + leisurewon the world's best award. It was also a beachhead of sorts for Auberge Resorts Collection, the luxury boutique resort operator behind the hotel.
The Commodore Perry was not only the first Texas hotel operated by Auberge, which at the time was best known for intimate vacation hotels such as Auberge du Soleil in Napa Valley and Hotel Jerome in Aspen, but also the company's first urban hotel. There was also. Three years later, Auberge has announced projects to operate in several other cities around the world, including Miami, San Francisco, Florence, Italy, and several more cities in Texas, among others. Today, the company has a total of 27 resorts located around the world, from Mexico's Punta de Mita (approximately 40 miles northwest of Puerto Vallarta, on the Pacific Coast) to Greece's Santorini Island.
Auberge executives have unveiled the latest additions to its portfolio. texas monthlyis located just outside of Houston's Tony River Oaks neighborhood. That property, Birdsall, he plans to open in late 2026. That includes his 105-room hotel and his 44 private residences. Similar to Commodore Perry, local residents who purchase memberships in the resort's private club will have access to the amenities.
Three other new auberge hotels have already been announced in Texas. His Bowie House, which opens Dec. 1 in Fort Worth's Cultural District, is within walking distance of the Kimbell Art Museum and several other institutions that helped turn this often-overlooked city into a boomtown. In 2026, The Knox will open next to Dallas' Katy Trail, surrounded by the shops of the Knox-Henderson neighborhood and the homes of Highland Park. And yet another project, the Inn at Mirasol Springs, is planned along the Pedernales River in the Hill Country. (The Mirasol Springs property being developed by Dallas real estate mogul Steve Wynn has come under fire from some local residents who are concerned that it is not doing enough to be environmentally friendly.)
The driving force behind Texas' rapid expansion is Houston billionaire Dan Friedkin, who bought Auberge from founder Mark Harmon in 2013. Friedkin appears to be eyeing the “world's most interesting man” status, and he owns an automotive network. He is one of the largest independent Toyota dealers and distributors in the world, as well as various automotive product companies and an Italian professional soccer team. He has also produced films, including Martin Scorsese's upcoming film based on the blockbuster David Grann book. Murderers of the Flower Moonis chairman emeritus of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission and runs a luxury safari company in Tanzania.
Friedkin and Craig Reed, CEO of Dallas-based Auberge and a veteran Four Seasons executive, saw an opportunity in Texas that had been largely overlooked by other top hospitality companies. Wealthy Texans have long been the core of Auberge's clientele at its facilities in California, Colorado and Mexico. It makes sense to make auberge-level luxury more accessible not only to those people, but also to travelers from other countries drawn to Texas' booming economy and thriving arts, food, music and shopping scene. did.
In Houston, Birdsall will be based in a new 17-acre shopping and dining district known as RO (“Walkable Village” at 3120 Buffalo Speedway), attracting local high-end designers, retailers, and restaurateurs. Shine the spotlight. This is similar to what the company is planning for Dallas, where the Knox Hotel is being touted as “the centerpiece of a four-acre luxury lifestyle development that will include a selection of retail stores, restaurants, and design-forward luxury offices.” ing. . . And a new park too. What's more, Fort Worth's Bowie aims to become the new center of gravity for the cultural district.
With five Lone Star projects open or in the works, who knows what more will happen (San Antonio? Galveston? Round Top? Big Bend area?) Auberge is similarly set to shift the center of gravity of the luxury leisure world to Texas. It might be.