Hotel 1928 takes guests back to the past, with furnishings that reflect the building’s Jazz Age origins and its long history as a social anchor of downtown Waco.
The 33-room luxury hotel at 701 Washington Ave. is the latest project of the ever-expanding Magnolia empire, with celebrity renovators Chip and Joanna Gaines at the helm.
In addition to the hotel rooms, the building offers two public-facing restaurants and a rooftop terrace bar that offers a panoramic view of downtown Waco, as well as a sunken library and a spacious ballroom that can be used for special events.
The third-floor ballroom where generations of Wacoans danced is part of the hotel’s 6,600 square feet of event space.
For Mayor Dillon Meek, the light rain during ribbon-cutting and tour on Friday brought memories of the opening of Magnolia Market at the Silos eight years ago, which inaugurated a new era of Waco tourism.
“I think it was raining at the grand opening of the Silos, and that project turned out pretty good,” Meek said.
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Meek thanked the Gaineses for their investment in another large-scale luxury project in Waco, as well as Adventurous Journeys Capital Partners who contributed on the project, along with investors and city staff. He thanked the city’s inspections and permitting team, who Chip Gaines joked worked a little too thoroughly to ensure the historic building was safe for occupancy.
The hotel’s name is a nod to the Grand Karem Shrine Building, which was finished in 1928 and served as a space for the Freemason-affiliated Karem Shriners to host events, as well as many Waco social events.
The Shriners relocated in 1995, selling the building to the county, which used it for a few offices but left it mostly vacant and unrenovated. When the county listed the property for sale in 2018, the Gaineses took an interest in the building, which has unique Moorish-style architecture.
Meek recognized the building’s history and the philanthropic efforts of the Shriners, who were known for their support of children’s hospitals.
He related said restoration is the word for Waco right now.
“We’re seeing restoration everywhere, but I think restoration starts with the heart,” he said.
Celebrating the opening of the Hotel 1928, right to left, are AJ Capital Partners Principal Ryan Meredith, AJ Capital Partners’ Sandra Hadley, Chip and Joanna Gaines, Mayor Dillon Meek and Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce CEO Matt Meadors.
Looking at old photos of Washington Avenue, Meek said he saw that the block was constantly lit up with glamorous parties, Christmas festivals and charity events in the building, Meek said.
Downtown’s status as a hub for activity saw a long decline until its revival in recent years. Meek said the renovated building will be part of that comeback, and he is thankful for the hearts and philanthropy of the Gaines family for bringing back to life a piece of Waco history.
“I’m thankful for the hearts of this community who came together and put the first things first, and that’s caring for other people in this community,” he said. “And I’m picturing this building, I’m picturing the gatherings. I’m picturing engagements. I’m picturing wedding receptions … and I’m thankful for it.”
Joanna Gaines said she was unsure what the building would become when her husband purchased it five years ago, but her goal for the project was to keep the era-authentic 1920s feel of the building. She said the history was fleshed out using exclusive collections of photos from the last century, including those by Fred Gildersleeve.
“So our hope is that locals come, that they enjoy the two restaurants, the rooftop bar,” Gaines said. “There’s a lounge, library … the ballroom, and then obviously for out-of-towners to come stay in these rooms that no matter who you are and where you come from that you truly feel at home when you step into this space.”
She thanked the city, the historic commission, Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, Intrepid Development Group, investors, her Magnolia team and Sandra Hadley of AJ Capital, who will handle the hotel’s operations.
Chip Gaines related the hotel to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby,” hoping to give guests a feeling that the best is yet to come when they stay there.
“Something about this project from start to finish just kind of resonated with that life that the great Jay Gatsby lived,” he said. “And though in some weird, kind of unique way … when you’re here we want you to feel as optimistic as those folks did back in the roaring ‘20s.”
Stepping into the lobby of the building the interior is classic and moody, with dark, almost-black doors and trim met with gold accents, a common sight throughout. The color palette employs dark greens, blues and reds with lots of black and white and pops of yellow gold, and the walls are covered with square molding, mirrors and black and white photos of old Waco.
Decorative elements and bits of Waco history are sprinkled throughout Hotel 1928.
The first floor holds two restaurants: The Brasserie at Hotel 1928, which will offer Southern classics with a twist, and The Café at Hotel 1928, which will offer coffee and baked goods. Past the café and bar there are winding staircases down to a library and seating area.
Bank teller windows were maintained from the Karem Shriners’ bank.
A desk tucked in a back corner of the library offers one piece of discovery, as Joanna Gaines mentioned, with a plaque recognizing Booked Up, the Archer City bookstore complex where the library’s collection of books was sourced. Chip Gaines last winter bought the bookstore that was created by renowned Texas novelist Larry McMurtry.
Two staircases lead down to the hotel’s library, furnished books from the Archer City bookstore that Chip Gaines bought from novelist Larry McMurtry’s estate.
Each of the hotel’s 33 rooms is slightly different, reflecting that they weren’t originally configured for their new purpose. Rooms are split into four categories – the classic Franklin, spacious Austin, high-end Columbus and group-accommodating Washington – and start at $375 per night.
Each of the 33 hotel rooms is slightly different.
Room 205 contains an old bank vault that has been converted into a closet.
The Shriners’ billiards room, cafeteria and other features were each turned into hotel rooms. Room 205 used to be the Shriners’ bank, complete with bank teller windows that can be seen from the outside and a vault inside that has been converted into a closet.
Each of the 33 hotel rooms is slightly different.
The third floor maintains a huge white ballroom with dark trim, adding to the hotel’s 6,600 square feet of event space. Many Wacoans remember the ballroom as a site of dances and social functions in the 20th century.
Bertie’s on the Rooftop, named after the building’s original architects Roy Ellsworth Lane and Herbert M. Greene, is a light and airy bar with intricate glassware, picturesque marble details and some floral upholstery.
Bertie’s on the Rooftop pays homage to the building’s original architects. The bar is open to the public.
A Tribune-Herald article from 2022 reported that the Hotel 1928 was a $43 million project with a building permit valued at $25 million, but Magnolia and AJ Capital officials Friday would not disclose the project’s cost. The project also gained $5.5 million from the downtown Tax Increment Financing Zone as well as federal historic restoration tax credits for improvement of the historic building.
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