Hotel of the Week: A 1900s Neoclassical Mansion in Houston Is Reimagined as a Dreamy New Boutique Inn

The cultural scene in Houston, Texas, is steadily on the rise with institutions like the Menil Collection and Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, bringing a steady influx of art connoisseurs. With that, local designers are elevating the nearby hotels that cater to those who value aesthetics just as much as amenities. But more than mega-resorts, the most interesting interiors can often be found at boutique properties whose proprietors celebrate a distinctly Houstonian spirit.

The latest opening occupies a stately neoclassical mansion from the early 1900s, which has been reborn as The Marlene, a nine-room inn helmed by antiques dealer Lily Barfield. “From the outside it was impossible to ignore: a neoclassical mansion with grand columns, a two-story porch, and crepe myrtles in full bloom,” says Barfield of the house that she and her husband discovered on the real estate site Zillow. “When I walked through the front door, I just knew this place was special.  It felt ‘meant to be’ in a way that’s almost impossible to describe. The house has such a sense of grandeur, but also feels distinctly warm and welcoming.”

Here, public spaces draw visitors in with a distinct curation of vintage finds like bread shelves from a bakery in Provence, antique armchairs from Les Puces du Canal in Lyon, obelisks from Maison Jensen’s Paris showroom, and an original early 20th-century chandelier. “I love being able to walk guests through the rooms and tell them where each item came from or a funny tidbit about discovering some item that’s now on display,” says Barfield, who layered the one-of-a-kind pieces with an inspired array of designer favorites such as Brunschwig & Fils, Rubelli, and Pooky. “It’s something you don’t often experience in a hotel.” 

Uniquely decorated suites named for different important women in Barfield’s life offer distinctly different environs for aesthetes of all stripes. “These women are all forces of nature, each in their own way, and I wanted the rooms to reflect that,” she says. Awash in creams and silver blues, the posh Nanette Suite, a tribute to her mother-in-law, opens to a spacious second-floor terrace while the more whimsical Mia Suite offers room to unwind in a enclosed sun porch or clawfoot tub. The cozy Sophie Room is enveloped in a rich marigold hue and sophisticated Brunschwig & Fils textiles—a warm contrast to the deep blues and heavily patterned wallpaper seen in the sumptuous Morrow Room.

While the Marlene name itself is taken from one of Barfield’s grandmothers, the Mattingly Room is an homage to another who is a voracious reader. “There’s a gorgeous vintage tapestry over the bed in that room that seems straight out of a storybook, so we aptly named the room after her.”

The Marlene’s intimate cocktail lounge, Bar Madonna, nods to an oversize 19th-century Madonna painting Barfield brought back from a buying trip abroad. Here, mirrors once installed in an Eastern European church, a 10-foot long bench culled from a French chateau, and a salvaged marble fireplace stand as a picturesque backdrop for decadent drinks conceived by Tom Hardy, formerly of Houston’s buzzy Hotel Saint Augustine.

Artisan details abound, including standout embellishment such as the hand-painted ceiling mural inspired by the Church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris, commissioned from Mary Evans of Verdigris Finishes. But it’s the spirit of Southern hospitality that makes the property a must-visit. “I wanted to bring a little bit of that magic you find in South Louisiana over to Texas—lazy afternoons on the porch sipping cold cocktails amongst good company,” says Barfield. “The Marlene is just the place for that.”