A Girlfriend Gathering – On The Road at the Hotel Galvez

Known as the “Queen of the Gulf”, the Hotel Galvez stands proudly on Seawall Boulevard in Galveston, Texas.   She has stood there for 100 years, a survivor of the devastating weather that often arrives from the companion and adversary that she faces every day – the mighty Gulf of Mexico.

Just an hour drive from downtown Houston, this hotel has become a favorite spot for myself and my girlfriends to runaway to on the occasional beautiful Sunday morning when a mimosa in hand  and an ocean vista is the right antidote after a long week.  Named after Bernardo de Galvez, the Spanish Colonial governor that chartered the Texas Gulf Coast and the city that bears his name, the architecture of the hotel has all the glamour and flavor of the Spanish hacienda.   In 1980, it was aptly named in the National Registrar of Historic Places, which is the official list of our nation’s historic places worthy of preservation.  

As a native Texan and a history “buff”, I enjoy visiting this hotel for an occasional Sunday Brunch.   The “old world” atmosphere and glamour with a picturesque view of the palm trees waving at the ocean is very relaxing.   Overall, the food offerings are similar to other upscale hotel brunches but the Hotel Galvez will offer something a little different – spicy, flavorful, extraordinary – something with that Texas flare.   It is always a tasty and delightful surprise.

So, if you feel like a pleasant long drive, grab your girlfriends, hop on I-45 and head south.   Eventually, you will reach the mighty Gulf and the Queen that reigns there.