If design hotels are your thing, Bowie House will not disappoint
Why stay here
Texan hospitality is world-renowned and still, Fort Worth newcomer Bowie House has outdone expectations. The five-star property, located in the city’s cultural district, reimagines country charm to deliver a striking brand of Western luxury. Rooms and suites are decadent, layered with texture and exuding a sense of place.
Pronounced ‘boo-ee’, Bowie House is a short walk to the city’s galleries and museums, which include the Kimbell Art Museum, the Amon Carter Museum of American Art and, particularly fittingly, the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame. But if it’s art on your agenda, Bowie House is this critic’s choice.
Bowie House | Courtyard
Design
Bowie House is part of the Auburge Resorts stable – pun intended – but is owned by legendary equestrian, champion horse breeder and renowned businesswoman, Jo Ellard. And you can add to Ellard’s resume an exquisite eye for art. Her personal collection, featuring no fewer than 400 pieces, now adorns Bowie’s walls and the result is gallery-standard. Public art tours are run twice weekly.
While the artworks span various themes, mediums and time periods, the surrounding decor is committed to the Western aesthetic.
No opportunity to honour the motif has been missed, yet it is never overdone.
Bowie House | Accommodations | Boulevard King Loft | Credit Auberge Resorts Collection
Dining
Brick and Horses is the hotel’s signature restaurant and the large-scale Constance Jaeggi (Rat Pack) is a handsome dinner companion. Expect upscale Texan fare, with dry-aged local beef the menu’s star. Away from the selection of ‘Steaks and Chops’, as the menu puts it, dishes such as Ritz and Dips, Crab Cake Louie (both appetisers), Fish Fry and Texas Broil are a reminder of where I am dining. Likewise, the pie cart, which is doing the rounds with a chocolate pecan mud pie, a Dutch apple pie and a sweet potato pie. I couldn’t possibly.
Drinks arrive via The Bar at Bowie House, a large restaurant-adjacent lounge that’s worth checking out in its own right. The bar itself is a 150-year-old beauty, refurbished after it was acquired by Ellard with help from an antiques dealer.
Breakfast offers a similar nod to the locale. The country biscuit spread proves to be a much easier, if only lighter, way for this Aussie to taste the destination than the suggested Steak and Eggs. I also appreciate the flat white – uncommon around these parts.
Bowie House | The Bar
Bowie House | The Bar | Auberge Resorts Collection
Spa & wellness
Ash Spa is the sanctuary you would expect from a hotel of this calibre. The menu is thoughtfully curated and includes a selection of both traditional and innovative treatments and techniques.
Likely to pique the interest of the international market, there is an option to add CBD massage oil and balm to your treatment. The sauna and steam room are available for all guests, not just those with a spa appointment.
The fitness centre is clean and well-equipped (the reformer pilates bed a generous inclusion), while the heated outdoor pool boasts private cabanas and an on-site bar.
Bowie House | Dine Bricks and Horses FoodBowie House | Wellness Spa Ash Relaxation Room | Auberge Resorts Collection
Special touches
As if the deep-soaking tub, framed beautifully by emerald green subway tiling, wasn’t inviting enough, the bath-time ritual – think cedar smudging stick, muscle and joint CBD balm, and magnesium flakes – strikes me as especially considered. The Mulberry Room (library) and Billet Room (games) are both beautifully appointed and worth a visit. Texas Hold ‘Em, anyone?
Bowie House | Billet Room | Auberge Resorts Collection
Bowie House | Billet Room
Bowie House | Entry | Auberge Resorts Collection
Bowie House | Mulberry Room
The upgrade
At 176 square metres, the Goodnight Suite is truly palatial, with a Western sensibility, of course. The dining room seats 10, the living room features a grand fireplace, and the king bedroom includes a walk-in closet.
Hotel notes
Bowie House Roan Suite Size: 79-87m2 Price per night: Starting from $1,595 Website: auburgeresorts.com