San Jose Shuffles
Hotel San Jose sold: Famous South Congress spot has new owners
Liz Lambert, Austin's most famous hotelier, has given up her stake in the Hotel San Jose,The Austin Chronicle reports. San Jose Partners, Lambert's group that until very recently owned a portion of the South Congress hideaway, has sold its interest to new investors.
In addition to the San Jose, Lambert is also responsible for Hotel Saint Cecilia, the yet-to-open Terrace Hotel in Travis Heights, El Cosmico in Marfa and Hotel Havana in San Antonio.
Lest you bemoan the changing of the guard at one of Austin's most cherished hotels (and patios), Chronicle writer Kate X Messer points out that hotel ownership changes like this one are common. Lambert has already sold her majority share of the Hotel Saint Cecilia and Hotel Havana, a move that has done little to change the aesthetics of either space.
Like her other hotels, Lambert's hospitality management company Bunkhouse Group will continue to run day-to-day operations for the Hotel San Jose. The hotel's new owners have inked a 25-year contract with Bunkhouse, so we'll likely still find baskets of green apples in the lobby and delicous smelling soaps in the bathroom for years to come.