The new 179,030 square-foot Cambria hotel is 21 stories with an adjacent two-story element.

HOUSTON—The historic Great Southwest Building was built in 1926 as an office building, the Petroleum Building, and is located downtown at 1314 Texas Ave. The building is a Houston landmark and individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The 179,030 square-foot building is 21 stories with an adjacent two-story element. The luxury hotel features 226 boutique-style rooms, five suites, and ground-floor retail and restaurants. Amenities include a full-service restaurant and lounge, ballroom and meeting rooms, a fitness center, and original artwork throughout.

The building has completed its redevelopment into a Cambria Hotel. Merriman Anderson/Architects was the architect and interior designer for the renovations. Todd Interests was the developer for the project.

“The design of the hotel weaves together the rich history of the building’s past with the modern local culture that surrounds the property,” said Gale Nall, Merriman Anderson/Architects director of interior design. “The warm materials and inviting mood of the hotel mixed with the character of the existing building provides a welcoming place for guests to feel at home.”

Merriman Anderson/Architects provided architecture, interior design, furniture/fixtures/equipment, historic submissions and visualization services for the project. The design for the renovations was done in compliance with the National Park Service, Texas Historic Commission, and Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission requirements. The architectural firm modified the existing building structure of the former office building to provide the new hotel lobby on the second floor, and new meeting and ballroom space on the 20th and 21st floors.

The building features a number of art deco elements mixed with a touch of Mayan influence. Driven by the building’s history and refined culture, the design uses a neutral architectural envelope to allow historic details and newly added architectural elements to come to life. An eclectic mixture of traditional forms, modern detail and familiar accessories inspired by the classic American decor in the previously existing elite social club on the 21st floor of the building, the Tejas Club, are incorporated throughout the hotel.

“This building is also famously known for housing the exclusive Tejas Club on the 21st floor for over 40 years,” Nall tells GlobeSt.com. “The intimate and swanky social club immediately set the tone for the new design of the Cambria Hotel: rich, refined and curated.”

A strong Texas economy is projected to stabilize in 2019 and position the Houston hotel market for continued revenue per available room growth during the next few years, according to the latest forecast from CBRE Hotels Americas research. Houston hotels finished 2018 with a RevPAR loss of 7.4% predominantly due to a large increase in demand from Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Now with more traditional fundamentals, CBRE research predicts a 0.3% growth in RevPAR for 2019 and a 3% increase in 2020.