Day Trips: Luther Hotel, Palacios
Historic Gulf Coast hotel dodges the wrecking ball
By Gerald E. McLeod, Fri., Feb. 2, 2024
The Luther Hotel in Palacios has been saved! Well, almost: “In a nutshell,” said Margaret Doughty, spokesperson for the Palacios Preservation Association. “It’s saved, but the sale is not final.” The next few weeks should tell the future of the 120-year-old structure overlooking Tres Palacios Bay. A local preservation organization hopes to buy the property and return the hotel to prominence.
It’s been a long road through the courts to get to the point where the three-story historic hotel won’t be demolished.
The original part of the structure was built in 1903 of local longleaf pine and cypress to house prospective farmers. The hotel became a vacation destination when the building was moved to the waterfront and expanded.
During both world wars the hotel hosted military personnel and their families, as well as the celebrities who came to entertain them. But more than that the hotel was the heart of the village, Doughty says. It hosted visitors for high school reunions, family reunions, funerals, and weddings.
The structure survived hurricanes and fires, but nearly succumbed when its owner Jack Findley died in 2020 without a signed will.
The Rachal Foundation of Corpus Christi offered to buy the property from Findley’s heirs if the building was removed. That ignited a long legal battle that ended last September when the foundation rescinded their agreement. Now the preservation association is waiting for the probate court in San Antonio to accept their offer.
By modern standards, the Luther never was a grand hotel, but its peaceful waterfront location made it attractive. Hurricane Harvey, Winter Storm Uri, neglect, and vandalism have scarred the structure, but engineers say the building is repairable. That will be the next big hurdle.
“Once our offer is accepted,” Doughty said, “we have a network of angels ready to help.”
To follow the status of the Luther Hotel in Palacios, go to savetheluther.com.
1,688th in a series. Everywhere is a day trip from somewhere: Follow “Day Trips & Beyond,” a travel blog, at austinchronicle.com/daily/travel.
