Auberge Resorts Collection, owner, and operator of award-winning boutique luxury resorts, residences and clubs, has been selected to manage the Commodore Perry Estate, a small luxury hotel to be developed on the historic “Commodore” Perry Estate in Central Austin. The hotel will open in mid-2019.
The property is being developed by an ownership team led by Austin-based developers Clark Lyda, The Marchbanks Company and Austin Pfiester. Woodbine Development Corporation is providing project management services. The project’s creative team spearheading the redevelopment is comprised of internationally-renowned urbanist Stefanos Polyzoides of Moule & Polyzoides from Pasadena, California, and renowned interior designer Ken Fulk from San Francisco, collaborating with Austin-based Clayton & Little Architects and Ten Eyck Landscape Architects.
Plans call for the restoration of the historic landmark estate and the creation of an urban oasis on the property located in the heart of the city. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the estate is comprised of a 10,800-square-foot Italian Renaissance-style home and formal gardens enclosed within a 10-acre walled compound on the headwaters of Waller Creek. The new luxury hotel will encompass 53 guest rooms, flexible event space, and a destination restaurant featuring a culinary experience driven by locally sourced ingredients, including those sourced from the estate’s own organic gardens. In addition to a small hotel, the development will offer new Auberge-branded residences as part of the second phase of construction, complete with access to signature hotel amenities and services.
“Auberge has an outstanding reputation for creating hotels that have extraordinary character,” said Dan Friedkin, chairman, Auberge Resorts Collection. “The Commodore Perry Estate offers an exceptional setting for Auberge’s signature style of tailored luxury and unforgettable guest experiences. It will be an ideal complement to the other iconic properties in our collection.”
“Auberge has been selected to be a steward of the next chapter in the property’s history,” said Craig Reid, president and chief executive officer, Auberge Resorts Collection, and a former Austin resident. “As we have with the other historic hotels in our collection, we will honor the architectural heritage of the estate while infusing the unique character that defines Austin.”
“Auberge Resorts Collection has a proven track record of creating and managing remarkable properties,” said Clark Lyda, partner and developer. “We are pleased to have found an operator that shares both our vision for The Commodore Perry Estate and our commitment to ensuring its future as one of Austin’s most cherished gathering places.”
The Perry Mansion was designed in 1927 by prominent Dallas architect H.B. Thomson and features rich classical influences such as a grand central hall and loggia, carved limestone fireplaces, handcrafted plaster and ironwork, and expansive formal gardens, making it one of Austin’s premier locations for gatherings such as weddings and social events. Located just north of the University of Texas campus and the new Dell Medical School, the hotel will be an urban retreat for locals and visitors alike.
Veteran developer Clark Lyda is a native Austinite with a long history of development projects in the area. Lyda has pursued a number of real estate development projects beginning with the assembly, redevelopment, and sale of the 15-acre Terrace Motor Hotel and Austin Opera House site on South Congress Avenue in Austin. With an interest in preservation, Lyda has completed several adaptive reuse projects in Austin and Central Texas. Lyda has also acquired, improved, and sold multiple large tracts totaling over 6,000 acres in Travis and Williamson counties in Central Texas.
The Marchbanks Company has an impressive track record in real estate investments, including office buildings, hotels, retail and apartments. In 2006, the company joined forces with Liz Lambert, the creator of the Hotel San José in Austin, to form Bunkhouse Group LLC, a boutique hotel management and consulting group. To date, Bunkhouse Group projects have included the Hotel San José and Hotel Saint Cecilia in Austin and Hotel Havana in San Antonio.
Woodbine Development Corporation is a full-service real estate company with more than 40 years of development, investment, acquisition and asset management experience. With offices in Dallas, Phoenix and Los Angeles, Woodbine specializes in hotels, resorts and mixed-use developments throughout the United States.
About Auberge Resorts Collection
Auberge Resorts Collection owns and operates a portfolio of exceptional hotels, resorts, residences, and private clubs. While Auberge nurtures the individuality of each property, all share a crafted approach to luxury that is expressed through captivating design, exceptional cuisine and spas, and gracious yet unobtrusive service. Properties in the Auberge Resorts Collection include: Auberge du Soleil, Calistoga Ranch and Solage, Napa Valley; Esperanza and Chileno Bay, Los Cabos, Mexico; Hotel Jerome, Aspen; Malliouhana, Anguilla; Nanuku, Fiji; Element 52, Telluride, Colorado.; Hacienda AltaGracia, Costa Rica; and Auberge Beach Residences and Spa Fort Lauderdale (opening late 2017), Bishop’s Lodge (opening mid-2018), Lodge at Blue Sky, Utah (opening late 2018) and Commodore Perry Estate, Austin (opening 2019) with several others in development.
The Friedkin Group is comprised of a consortium of automotive, hospitality, entertainment, golf and adventure companies. These organizations include Gulf States Toyota, GSFSGroup, GS Marketing, US AutoLogistics, Ascent Automotive Group, Auberge Resorts Collection, Imperative Entertainment, Diamond Creek Golf Club, Congaree and Legendary Adventures. The Friedkin Group is led by Chairman and CEO Dan Friedkin.