I have a passion for hand-made ceramics. I’ve collected some nice pieces over the years, some more like art pieces that I just display.
For several years now I’ve known about the Texas Clay Festival in Gruehne, TX and wanted to attend but it never worked out with the dates and my trips to High Point Market.
Well, this year it was happening the weekend after I returned, so I booked a quick weekend getaway. My husband and I enjoyed the very crowded festival during the day. There was a pumpkin festival going on too, so this little historic town was quite crowded!
We headed to our hotel for the night, a historic hotel in nearby New Braunfels, The Faust Hotel. I love to stay in historic, renovated hotels whenever possible. They are a special treat, for sure!
I was blown away by the design, it had recently been remodeled and updated, reopened in May 2026. It was such a nice stay for this interior designer!
I’m sharing pics today, so you can see this wonderful blend of old and new and how some lively color was injected into this historic property.
Historic hotel exterior in New Braunfels, TX - The Faust Hotel
The Story
I’m sharing a shortened version of their “About” page on their website, so please link over to read more and book you own stay!
Originally name the Traveler’s Hotel, it opened in October of 1929, right before the stock market crash. It is almost 100 years old! It was a community project, led by Walter Faust, Sr., a local businessman. New Braunfel’s wanted a world-class hotel and it became a meeting place and one of the best hotels in Texas for the period.
New Braunfels suffered through the Great Depression but the hotel made it through, largely because of Mr. Faust. During World War II, it became known as the honeymoon capital of the world because of the military bases close by and soldiers marrying their brides before going off to war.
The hotel was placed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
The Duettra family, local to New Braunfels, who have done renovations of historic properties in the past, purchased the hotel and embarked on a two year remodel.
Designer of the property was Sydney Duettra Shults and the whole family worked on the remodel of this historic hotel. They maintained many of the historic property’s features, exposing original brick, keeping original gold mouldings and iron light fixtures, etc. The original terracotta tile staircase still remains as does the hotel’s old cash register.
Info about the renovation was taken from this Texas Monthly article.
Hotel Lobby
A patterned tile has a vintage look in the lobby. A fun fall display welcomed us!
Here is a view of the beautifully appointed lobby with rich red rugs atop the patterned tile floors.
This modern wingback chair is one of the ways this historical property was tied to the present.
You can tell it is Texas by the ceiling fans….right? (Always a necessity here and these have a lovely vintage vibe.)
A curved back sofa makes for a lovely silhouette in the front windows.
The hotel’s original cash register sits at the reception desk.
Antique pieces and paneled doors add to the vintage vibe.
Colorful artwork and a vintage radio add to the ambience.
One side of the lobby had a large corner banquette with tables and chairs and this extra seating. Such a beautiful, flexible space.
Rich color and beautiful wallpaper add life to this small bar/lounge that serves the front patio.
This old phone booth off the lobby also had that fabulous wallpaper.
Original tiled stair kept in the renovation.
Upstairs Guest Rooms
Upstairs hallways with patterned carpet that echoes the style of the tile floors on the first floor. A painted wainscot with a small band and spaced nailheads adds a nice detail.
Wallpaper in the doorways niches adds a lot of vibrant pattern and color.
A bold red velvet headboard commands the room. Black and gold accents make for a striking look.
The patterned drapery really adds so much to this room. I know patterned fabrics like this can be so much more costly because of pattern matching and because patterned fabrics often just more expensive.
Love the burl wood nightstands and the substantial black lamps.
The striking red vanity with white marble floors, exposed brick walls and brass metal finishes all worked so well together.
The exposed brick, black trim and that beautiful fabric shade made this bathroom feel historical but also luxurious.
The Arabesque shaped tile works so well here to echo the tile floors on the first floor. That shape repeated in the backsplash design is a thoughtful detail.
White marble and a modern full length mirror elevate the look of this bathroom.
Many years ago when I worked in an architectural firm doing a lot of hospitality design, our go-to shower head was a Speakman. I love this shower head, it is so easy to adjust by simply turning that handle on the side. If it is still being used by luxury hotels, I’m guessing it is still the best!
You really need products that are intuitive and easy to operate in a hotel.
This bold red mini-fridge was such a delightful surprise when I opened the console door in the bedroom.
Bar and Restaurant
The bar and restaurant were additions to the original building, but I’m not sure if they were already there for this remodel.
Nevertheless, the design is carried all the way through and they are fabulous spaces for events and special meals.
More fun, patterned tile in the bar.
The bar opens up on the side of the hotel and has a comfy, inviting feel.
This patio is off the bar.
You get to the restaurant by walking through the bar or there is separate parking in the back with an entrance there. The wallpaper and sconces, banquette with cushy pillows and bright red chairs made for such a beautiful and dynamic space.
We had breakfast the next morning seated right under this plate wall, which I couldn’t help but stare at!
I am going to leave you with some pics of the tile floors, as I loved seeing how they all worked together.
Beautiful rug too!
I really enjoyed my stay in this hotel. I’m very glad that I didn’t have an encounter with any ghosts, as it is rumored that might be possible!
Craving more tours of well-designed hotels and inns?
I have more below!
This charming inn in the Texas hill country was a treat for a recent weekend stay. We were surprised when we arrived that this was exactly the same place we stayed some 20+ years ago when we came to this area with our kids. I liked the property then, a more basic, bare bones motel, but I really loved it this time. Come and take a look….