Austin-based Bunkhouse has officially opened Hotel Daphne in Houston.
The hotel marks the hospitality brand’s second project in the Texas city, following the January 2025 debut of Hotel Saint Augustine. With seven of Bunkhouse’s nine existing properties in the Lone Star State (five in Austin and now two in Houston), the expansion in Houston signals an exciting chapter for the brand.
Blending into Houston Heights
For Hotel Daphne, Bunkhouse collaborated with architects of record blanchardA+D on the five-story new-build in Houston Heights. In order to blend into the recycled industrial aesthetic of the historic neighborhood, the hotel exterior showcases painted brick, stepped parapets, and steel-framed windows.
Bunkhouse’s in-house team, meanwhile, spearheaded the interior design and creative direction of the property, which features 49 guestrooms and suites, an all-day restaurant, ground-floor bar, library and private events space, courtyard, and retail shop.
Inside Hotel Daphne
Hotel Daphne takes its name from Greek mythology, inspired by the nymph who transformed into a laurel tree to preserve her autonomy. That tension between desire and danger informs the hotel’s aesthetic—an interplay of custom furniture, vintage finds, and bold, trippy prints. The name is personal, too, nodding to the owners’ beloved dog and their deep ties to the city.
Daphne’s public spaces feel both grounded and imaginative, expressed through handmade tilework, layered textiles, and a palette of warm neutrals punctuated by rich, saturated tones.
In the lobby, guests encounter a front desk wrapped in handmade tile beneath a vintage Murano chandelier. A semi-circular modular sofa upholstered in sumptuous fabric anchors the room as a communal gathering point, while signature retail pieces and the Ackerley family’s extensive art collection—including works by Vernon Fisher and Kent Dorn—add a personal layer of Houston’s creative spirit. Nearby, a 350-square-foot library with custom tables and onyx chess sets offers a cozy retreat that can transform into a private dining or cocktail salon.
Lobby seating
Dining at Hypsi
Hypsi, the hotel’s restaurant, balances whimsy with familiarity: opulent fabrics, a lush courtyard, an indoor fireplace framed by an antique mantel, psychedelic pillows, and a bar outfitted with leather Cassina chairs that nod to the Heights’ historic supper-club legacy.
“Bunkhouse wrote the book on doing cool boutique hotels in Texas, and ever since I stayed at Hotel San Jose many years ago, I have dreamed of helping bring Bunkhouse to Houston,” says Ben Ackerley, developer of Hotel Daphne. “Our new hotel, Hotel Daphne, will be the first of its kind in the Heights and is only going to add to the momentum of the neighborhood.”
Hypsi dining room
Lobby library
King guestroom with terrace
Penthouse suite
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