Renovations are in progress to the lobby, bar and restaurant of the Hotel Galvez & Spa, A Wyndham Grand Hotel. The hotel’s historic bar and restaurant will reopen Memorial Weekend as the Galvez Bar & Grill and will boast a new look and menu for guests.
Following the renovation, the Galvez Bar & Grill will offer double the bar capacity on two levels, with booths and seats as well as a community table for people watching and socializing. The expanded bar will offer premium wines by the glass, cocktail service, prohibition inspired cocktails and live music on the weekends. The current mahogany bar, which has its own unique history, will remain. The 1876 bar, once located in the second Tremont House hotel and in Old Galveston Club, known as Galveston’s last speakeasy, was purchased by hotel owner George Mitchell for the bar at Hotel Galvez in the early 1990s.
The Galvez Bar & Grill will offer casual dining with regional Texas fare for lunch and dinner, featuring local Gulf seafood, steaks, burgers, salads and a children’s menu with complimentary selections for children 12 and younger. Appetizers and bar food items include gourmet tenderloin sliders, shrimp sliders and buffalo chicken sliders as well as flatbread pizzas and Campechana (Mexican seafood cocktail). The grill section of the menu offers Angus steaks, fresh seafood, and grilled vegetables. The restaurant will feature a daily Galveston Fresh Fish Special bought locally from Pier 19 fish markets. In addition, diners will have the option of Gluten-free, vegetarian and organic selections. The hotel will continue to serve breakfast and its long-standing Sunday Brunch, which was named one of the “Best Brunches in Texas” by Southern Living Magazine and was recently included in the Top 100 Best Brunch Restaurants in the U.S. The Galvez Bar & Grill will offer free and convenient self-parking and complimentary valet to patrons.
In the lobby, the familiar wicker furniture will remain in the promenade, but guests will see a new custom-designed mosaic tile floor, new bar and restaurant furnishings, and a new color scheme. The interior renovation is under the direction of Lori Mitchell, granddaughter of hotel owner George Mitchell, and Mitchell Historic Properties. Guests can learn more about what’s coming on the hotel’s Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/HotelGalvez.
“We believe that these changes will make our restaurant and bar more appealing for locals as well as for our hotel guests,” says Complex General Manager Steve Cunningham. “George Mitchell and the Mitchell family’s ongoing investment in this landmark hotel make us a top choice for visitors who appreciate the ambiance of a historic property.”
During the renovation, hotel guests can dine in the Terrace Ballroom and enjoy cocktails in the East Bar. Seating and serving for Hotel Galvez’s Sunday Brunch will be in the Terrace Ballroom and Veranda. Brunch is $39.99 per person for adults, $33.99 per person for seniors, $25.99 per person for children ages 6 – 11 and free for children under age 6. Reservations are required; to make a reservation, call (409) 765-7721.
All renovations are expected to be complete in time for Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start to Galveston’s summer season. These updates build upon the $11 million guest room renovation that was completed as part of the hotel’s centennial anniversary in June 2011. During that time, the owners replaced the Gulf-facing windows throughout the hotel with divided light windows reminiscent of the hotel’s original design and updated all guest rooms and suites. Additionally, the hotel added a new 9,328-sq.-ft. outdoor green space called Centennial Green, which is available for special events and wedding ceremonies.
Hotel Galvez & Spa, A Wyndham GrandHotel and National Trust Historic Hotel of America, is the only historic beachfront hotel on the Texas Gulf Coast. This 224-room, century-old hotel offers 13,231 square feet of meeting space, a 9,763-square-foot spa, fitness center, full-service restaurant, lobby bar and pool with a swim-up bar. The hotel is rated four diamonds by AAA and is owned by Galveston preservationist George Mitchell as part of Mitchell Historic Properties. For reservations, call (409) 765-7721, (800) WYNDHAM, or visit www.WyndhamHotelGalvez.com.
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, LLC, a subsidiary of Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: WYN), offers upscale hotel and resort accommodations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East and China. All Wyndham hotels are either franchised by the company or managed by Wyndham Hotel Management, Inc., one of its affiliates or through a joint-venture partner. Additional information and reservations for all Wyndham hotels are available by visiting www.wyndham.com.
