Work start for New Downtown Hotel

In Houston, Ground was broken this week for a new hotel in downtown Houston.

The 17-story hotel is being developed by Neway Hospitality of Sugar Land. The dual-branded hostelry will have a 144-room Holiday Inn Express and a 131-room Staybridge Suites.

With a total of 275 rooms, the hotels will be located on Texas Avenue at Austin Street, just two blocks west of Minute Maid Park. Arriba Capital has provided a $52.5 million construction loan.

Neway Hospitality is led by Ali Momin, who was involved in the redevelopment of a historic Stowers Furniture building on Fannin Street. The 100-year-old, 10-story tower was transformed into an Aloft Hotel, which is part of the Marriott International chain.

The new Holiday Inn and Staybridge Suites, where a work start was celebrated in Wednesday, will both be part of the IHG hotels organization, which includes the InterContinental brand.

At street level, the dual hotel development of Texas Avenue will have a 3,000-SF grocery market with a deli and coffee shop.

“There’s a lack of grocery store options in this part of downtown,” Momin told Katherine Feser of the Houston Chronicle earlier this year. “This valuable addition to the downtown area perfectly complements the surrounding community and the extended stay Staybridge Suite Hotel situated at our location.”

The hotels are within walking distance of the George R. Brown Convention Center.

The new hotel properties, 1319 Texas Ave, are slated to open late in 2025. E.E. Reed is general contractor. The hotel will have a garage with 137 spaces.