Harris Bay announces the ARTISTA HOTEL, a lifestyle and art-centric boutique hotel along the world-famous San Antonio Riverwalk. The hotel site was purchased in late April 2019 and will be transformed into a new 112-room boutique hotel with a focus on celebrating the contributions of the creative community, both local and beyond.
“This project is an opportunity to create a destination for locals and visitors that share a common pursuit of unique experience, artistic inspiration, and a realization that every day and night calls us to live life to the fullest.”
At its core, the design concept is driven by an experiential encounter with the artistic, cultural and maker communities. The ARTISTA HOTEL will focus on authentic local culture, a genuine appreciation for design, and unique experiences that connect a community of travelers through a hotel that defies the conventional notions of luxury. The hotel will feature many unique artisan crafted pieces like furniture, ceramics, murals, audio and visual displays, and many others.
ARTISTA HOTEL is more than just a place to hang your hat while visiting San Antonio. It is a place where visitors hangout alongside locals, featuring a lobby that is open to all and a vibrant restaurant and bar scene that offers all day eating and drinking. Whether you are looking for a spot to co-work with a coffee, grab a locally distilled cocktail or chow down on a delicious chef-inspired meal, ARTISTA HOTEL has you covered.
Jake Harris, Managing Partner of the private equity group Harris Bay, has noted that the economic development program of Opportunity Zones played a major factor in the decision to pursue the project. “Nationally, we don’t see people paying attention to what is happening on the horizon for Downtown San Antonio with USAA, Frost Tower, San Pedro project and UTSA campus as just a few. But, with Opportunity Zone investment we could take a longer lens focus on the city and felt that a downtown lifestyle boutique was underrepresented in one of the top tourism cities in the world.”
CREO, a San Antonio based architectural firm, will be the lead designer on the project and will be exploring some unique design and program features including bunkrooms replacing some of the traditional suites. Kris Feldmann – Design Principal at CREO said, “This project is an opportunity to create a destination for locals and visitors that share a common pursuit of unique experience, artistic inspiration, and a realization that every day and night calls us to live life to the fullest.”