Inside Hotel 1928 by Chip And Joanna Gaines

How The Famous Flippers Brought A Sophisticated Boutique Experience To Life In Downtown Waco

Hotel 1928 - The Library with its moody vibe and black.
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Fort Worth Digital Diary gives you a locally sourced lay of the land
terrazzo flooring Hotel 1928
1terrazzo flooring Hotel 1928
2Hotel 1928 - The Library with its moody vibe and black.
3French stripped walls and vintage inspired carpeting inside the guest rooms.
4guest bathrooms at Chip and Joanna Hotel 1928
5Dining inside the Brasserie feels historic and comfortable.
6Chip and Joanna Gaines bring their vision of Hotel 1928 to life in Waco
7Bertie's Rooftop
8Hotel 1928 exterior
Inside Hotel 1928 by Chip And Joanna Gaines
The original ceiling treatment and terrazzo flooring remains as you enter Hotel 1928.

The original ceiling treatment and terrazzo flooring remains as you enter Hotel 1928.

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Fort Worth Digital Diary gives you a locally sourced lay of the land
Hotel 1928 - The Library with its moody vibe and black.
Inside Hotel 1928 by Chip And Joanna Gaines
Hotel 1928 - The Library with its moody vibe and black.

Hotel 1928 - The Library with its moody vibe and black.

Source:
Fort Worth Digital Diary gives you a locally sourced lay of the land
French stripped walls and vintage inspired carpeting inside the guest rooms.
Inside Hotel 1928 by Chip And Joanna Gaines
French stripped walls and vintage inspired carpeting inside the guest rooms.

French stripped walls and vintage inspired carpeting inside the guest rooms.

Source:
Fort Worth Digital Diary gives you a locally sourced lay of the land
guest bathrooms at Chip and Joanna Hotel 1928
Inside Hotel 1928 by Chip And Joanna Gaines
Historic feel in the guest bathrooms at Chip and Joanna Hotel 1928.

Historic feel in the guest bathrooms at Chip and Joanna Hotel 1928.

Source:
Fort Worth Digital Diary gives you a locally sourced lay of the land
Dining inside the Brasserie feels historic and comfortable.
Inside Hotel 1928 by Chip And Joanna Gaines
Dining inside the Brasserie feels historic and comfortable.

Dining inside the Brasserie feels historic and comfortable.

Source:
Fort Worth Digital Diary gives you a locally sourced lay of the land
Chip and Joanna Gaines bring their vision of Hotel 1928 to life in Waco
Inside Hotel 1928 by Chip And Joanna Gaines
Chip and Joanna Gaines worked alongside AJ Capital Partners to bring their vision of Hotel 1928 to life in Waco.

Chip and Joanna Gaines worked alongside AJ Capital Partners to bring their vision of Hotel 1928 to life in Waco.

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Fort Worth Digital Diary gives you a locally sourced lay of the land
Bertie's Rooftop
Inside Hotel 1928 by Chip And Joanna Gaines
Bertie's Rooftop in blushing pinks and greens sets the stage for brunch and cocktail hour magic.

Bertie's Rooftop in blushing pinks and greens sets the stage for brunch and cocktail hour magic.

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Fort Worth Digital Diary gives you a locally sourced lay of the land
Hotel 1928 exterior
Inside Hotel 1928 by Chip And Joanna Gaines
Notice the historic charm, Moorish archways and intricate brick-work of the hotel's exterior.

Notice the historic charm, Moorish archways and intricate brick-work of the hotel's exterior.

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Chip and Joanna Gaines continue remaking their hometown of Waco, adding to its tourist attractions with Hotel 1928, which has now been welcoming guests for about a year and half. The former Grand Karem Shrine which originally opened in 1928 at 701 Washington Street, has been transformed into a lovely boutique hotel that officially opened there on November 3, 2023. Welcome to Hotel 1928 by Chip and Joanna Gaines.

The Gaineses detailed the restoration of another major local renovation ― the Waco Castle in Magnolia Network’s Fixer Upper ― The Castle. They shared the same behind-the-scenes details in advance of Hotel 1928’s big reveal in Fixer Upper ― The Hotel. It’s fascinating to watch their vision come to life.

Hotel 1928 by Chip And Joanna Gaines adds 33 guest rooms, two food and beverage outlets, plus a café, and over 6,600 square feet of event space ― including a rooftop terrace. And, no surprise, there’s even a retail shop featuring exclusive Magnolia-designed Hotel 1928 merchandise, making it an ideal day trip or overnight destination from Fort Worth.

As this was the first hotel that the designing couple had accomplished, they enlisted the expertise of noted hospitality company AJ Capital Partners ― who are so well-known for their vast Graduate line of hotels, dotting famous college towns throughout America and the United Kingdom. A new Graduate Hotel just landed in Dallas taking over the former Hotel Lumen, and Austin’s Graduate is coming soon as well.

AJ Capital Partners worked with the Gaines’ on Hotel 1928 since the project’s inception in 2020.

Hotel 1928 Is Filled With Historic Charm

guest bathrooms at Chip and Joanna Hotel 1928
Historic feel in the guest bathrooms at Chip and Joanna Hotel 1928.

The project, which falls under the National Register of Historic Places, like so many other recent hotel openings in Texas, was coordinated with input from the Texas Historic Commission and the National Parks Service, creating unique challenges to its renovation as well as opportunities for its preservation.

The design of Hotel 1928 retained many historic Spanish Revival architectural features, including its Moorish-style arched entry, clay tile roofs, and carved stonework. The lobby features restored terrazzo flooring, plaster walls, and transom windows.

Guest rooms have added French striped wallpaper, and are fitted with both bespoke furniture pieces ― designed especially for Hotel 1928, as well as antique furnishing and décor sourced by Joanna Gaines.

Guests will enjoy morning coffee (delivered to your room), a minibar, custom Sferra sheets on the beds, Le Labo bath products, and Dyson hair dryers in the bathrooms.

One of the hotel’s common areas is a must-visit for many reasons. The original coal chute has been converted into a two-story library amenity. Hotel 1928’s double-height library is a true haven within the city. With two wrap-around staircases, the space is anchored by Chesterfield sofas and wingback chairs. Best yet, it’s filled to the ceiling with historic books. Chip Gaines bought a collection of books from American writer Larry McMurtry’s beloved Archer City bookshop. Now that unique collection has found its new home. So, if you forget to pack reading material, you can kick back and enjoy a book from McMurtry’s personal collection.

Food & Drink At Hotel 1928 by Chip And Joanna Gaines

Dining inside the Brasserie feels historic and comfortable.
Dining inside the Brasserie feels historic and comfortable.

The new hotel’s two restaurant spaces and its café are all owned and operated by AJ Capital with epic design by the Gaines’s. The Brasserie at Hotel 1928 rests at street level. It serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. On the menu, you’ll find buttermilk biscuits and gravy, crunchy corn salad, and the 1928 burger with black peppered bacon, cheddar cheese, and green tomato jam.

Inside The Brasserie are large format booths with warm woods, deep green leather, and brass accents, along with an expansive bar and a cozy fireplace.

An all-day café is tucked behind the lobby, serving coffee, snacks, wine, and beer.

The best views can be found at Bertie’s on the Rooftop, which is open for dinner daily and for Saturday and Sunday brunches. Bertie’s serves lighter, Texas-inspired dishes developed alongside Joanna Gaines’ favorite recipes. The so-very-Southern menu ranges from pimento cheese and deviled eggs to beans and greens (pickled peach, pole beans, cucumber, Vidalia onion, and country ham crisp), and seared sea bass with bok choy.

It was designed with a feminine energy and a nostalgic nod, dressed in soft pinks, greens, and creams ― the space is accented with antique brass mirrors. In addition to its indoor seating, the restaurant features an outdoor terrace with sweeping views of the (Waco-famous) ALICO Building and its landmark signage, to the tip of the Magnolia Silos in the distance.

The hotel also has five event spaces ― including the Ballroom, which is located on the top floor. It has an open layout of 5,800 square feet, including a connected 704-square-foot outdoor terrace overlooking downtown Waco.

With the addition of Hotel 1928, Chip and Joanna Gaines continue to prove that the entire city of Waco, Texas, is a potential Fixer Upper project just waiting for its big reveal.