From iconic seaside retreats to big city landmarks, Texas is home to many hotels that date back more than a century. But it’s not only in the largest cities that you’ll find historic getaways. Mom and pop inns and luxurious hotels in small towns around the state also hold tales of epic moments in Texas history.
The Tarpon Inn was originally built in 1886 from the remains of a Civil War Union barracks. After a fire in 1900 and a hurricane and tidal wave in 1919, the main building was reconstructed with pilings placed in concrete. The reinforced structure has housed Port Aransas residents through many storms, including Hurricane Harvey; and acted as headquarters for the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and military units. Today, it’s known for its rocking chair-lined double porches that provide a scenic view of the Aransas Pass coastline. The hotel’s aesthetic is so iconic, it influenced modern Texas architects. San Antonio-based Lake Flato Architects, for example, designed Hotel San José in Austin and Reel ’Em Inn in Rockport in a similar style.
Chipped paint and exposed wood beams lend a yesteryear charm to the Tarpon, which has hosted anglers and vacationers for nearly 150 years. The hotel’s restaurant, Roosevelt’s, is considered one of the finest restaurants on the island. And the 1886 Bar is where you’ll find evidence of the hotel’s original structure. In the lobby, more than 7,000 silvery tarpon scales—souvenirs from old fishing trips—create a wavy texture on the wall. One of them is signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, whose well-publicized fishing trip to Port Aransas in 1937 helped put the town on the national map. During the trip, he reportedly caught a 4-foot and a 5-foot tarpon and never left his presidential yacht.
“Our customers are people who love the nostalgic feel of a 138-year-old hotel,” owner Lee Roy Hoskins says. “It’s not for everyone. There are quirks—the lights flicker sometimes, the hot water takes a while to get to you.” There are also no TVs or telephones in most of the rooms. “Nowadays with Wi-Fi and television and satellites, we’ve really gone the opposite way,” Hoskins says.
Guests relax on those rocking chairs and take in the island breezes—as they’ve done since the beginning. Rooms start at $99/night. thetarponinn.com
1 ⁄ RAINBOW COURTS, ROCKDALE
Built in 1918, Rainbow Courts has been owned by three generations of the same family. It has hosted VIPs such as writer Tennessee Williams and singer Bob Wills, who left a record in lieu of payment. The motor court-style rooms and cottages are furnished with antiques and include fresh muffins and coffee. Rooms start at $66/night.
rainbowcourts.com
2 ⁄ HOTEL PAISANO, MARFA
Prolific architect Henry Trost designed Hotel Paisano, which opened in 1930, with Spanish tile and heavy wood-beam ceilings and a lobby filled with cozy sunlit spots to curl up and relax. In 1955, the hotel hosted James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, and Rock Hudson while they filmed Giant. Now, younger generations are rediscovering this historic Marfa gem. Rooms start at $199/night.
hotelpaisano.com
3 ⁄ HOTEL SETTLES, BIG SPRING
In its heyday, this grand 1930s-era hotel hosted celebrities and dignitaries visiting the oil boom town. But as fortunes fell following the 1970s oil crisis, the hotel sat in disrepair for decades. In 2006, entrepreneur G. Brint Ryan, who grew up in Big Spring, purchased the property and restored it. Rooms start at $179/night.
hotelsettles.com
