The Westin Houston Bay Area Hotel and Residences

Project Facts:

250 rooms and suites
65 residences
15,000 sq. ft. meeting space
Outdoor Pool and Cabanas
Fitness Center
8,000 sq. ft. spa
Marina

Project Team:

Developer: Endeavour
Contractor: JE Dunn South Central
Architect: ESG Architects

Wischermann Partners:

Hospitality Development Consultant
Hotel Management

This upper-upscale mixed-use development was planned to be located in Seabrook, Texas, a small town within the Houston Bay Area. The 10-acre site enjoyed 1,500 linear feet of shoreline at Clear Lake, a recreational body of water opening into Galveston Bay. The project was accessible from NASA Road 1 with easy access to multiple highway connectors to the Houston Metro area and Galveston. The NASA campus and the newly-built cruise terminal are within reach of a five-minute drive.

The master plan aimed to create a focal point for water access, retail and entertainment for the city of Seabrook. The Westin Houston Bay Area was anchoring the development with its entrance near the terminus of the main retail street in close proximity to the shoreline. A second street within the development led to a built-to-suit office building targeting a total build-out of 200,000 sq. ft. of rentable space.

The 23-story mixed-use development included The Westin Houston Bay Area with 250 rooms and suites and The Residences at The Westin Houston Bay Area, 65 units ranging in size from 800 to 3,200 square feet. Selling prices were targeted to range from the low $400's up to $2,000,000 per residential unit.

The Westin Houston Bay Area included 15,000 square feet of meeting space with a ballroom capacity for up to 400 people, a destination restaurant and a two-story bar overlooking the lake. The hotel rooms featured Westin's award-winning Heavenly Bed, Flatscreen TV's, Minibars, and large work desks. The Heavenly Bath offers large soaking tubs and separate glass-enclosed showers with a proprietary dual-shower head.

The outdoor pool and cabanas were located on the second level adjacent to the 8,000 sq. ft. Spa and the Westin Workout Fitness Center. Residents had access to all services and amenities of The Westin Houston Bay Area, from 24-hour room service to weekly housekeeping calls and a private underground garage.

Wischermann Partners developed the overall concept for this mixed-use project, securing the Westin brand via contract negotiations with Starwood Hotels Worldwide.

The development process was halted in 2008, when the housing market collapsed and commercial financing dried up.