Good news on this project. Looks like construction will start soon according to an article in the Bizjournal. The picture below shows the Travis building at right, and the Artista on the left.
Long-awaited downtown hotel project moving forward under French operator
Construction is set to kick off next year, and work is already underway at the building next door.
By Mitchell Parton – Reporter, San Antonio Business Journal
Jul 27, 2021
A long-awaited downtown hotel project is set to move forward after developers selected a worldwide hospitality group to manage the property.
Harris Bay, a development group with offices in California and San Antonio, has chosen Accor to manage and operate its 112-room, eight-story Artista San Antonio hotel at 151 E. Travis St.
Construction is expected to begin in first quarter 2022, with the hotel set to open in July 2023.
"We spent a lot of time selecting the right operator to partner with us and bring this vision to the River Walk in San Antonio," said Jake Harris, managing partner of Harris Bay, in a news release. "SBE and Accor really have been some of the pioneers of the hip, modern, lifestyle-boutique hotel space and with such a strong food and beverage operation. We are excited to see San Antonio continue to grow in its international appeal."
The property will have more than 2,500 square feet of event and meeting space for private parties, events, gatherings and meetings. Harris Bay announced the project in 2019.
Kris Feldmann of CREO Architects is leading the design of the project along with an interior design team yet to be announced. Interiors will feature a modern design with nods to local Spanish Colonial architecture and work from artists with "a strong South and Central American flavor," according to Accor. Guests will have access to limited edition prints, custom artwork and bespoke textile and leather goods.
The hotel will operate under the Morgans Originals brand previously operated by SBE, which Accor acquired in a $300 million cash deal in late 2020, Travel Weekly reported. Accor said the brand will "provide much more than a conventional hotel experience, offering the very best in food, mixology, design and atmosphere."
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San Antonio is re-emerging as a premier destination and has been one of the United States' undiscovered gems of culture and diversity for too long," said Chadi Farhat, chief operating officer of SBE, in a news release. "Rich in history, San Antonio is a 300-year-old Spanish Colonial city and we are excited to celebrate that culture on the River Walk at Artista San Antonio."
Harris Bay also plans to redevelop the adjacent Travis Building into a 63-unit apartment property. The firm, along with DJE Texas Management Group, bought that building for an undisclosed price from Missouri-based Drury Southwest, the Business Journal reported last July.
Harris said in an email that residents at the Travis Building will have access to hotel amenities and services, giving it a "concierge and bespoke" rental experience downtown. He said demolition is complete at the building and that construction is now underway. That project is set to be complete in Spring 2022.
Accor, based in France, manages more than 5,100 properties across 110 countries as well as 10,000 food and beverage venues.
Harris Bay is also developing Essex Modern City, a mixed-use development near downtown. That project recently secured a $3.5 million loan for construction, according to a news release from New Jersey-based lender Kennedy Funding. Harris told the San Antonio Report that the loan will not be used for the construction of infrastructure for a railroad quiet zone, contrary to the lender's release.