What’s New at Hotel Galvez & Spa

 

Galveston Island is well on its way to recovery following Hurricane Ike. Hotel Galvez reopened to the public on Oct. 15, 2008 just four weeks after Hurricane Ike struck Galveston on Sept. 13, 2008. The Spa at the Hotel Galvez reopened on June 10, 2009 in conjunction with the hotel’s 98^th anniversary.

 

 

Hotel Galvez now offers new spa inspired sleeping rooms on the sixth floor featuring a rain shower, Simmons® HealthSmart™ mattresses, Anichini bedding manufactured in Italy, 42” flat screen television and special amenities such as a personal refrigerator with Natura water, spa robe and slippers, books, and iPod iHome players. These spa rooms are Wyndham ClearAir Rooms featuring the PURE system offering allergen- and germ-free guest rooms through a seven-step air purification process where 98-100 percent of all viruses and bacteria are eliminated.

 

 

Hotel Galvez now offers fully renovated suites on the seventh and eighth floors of the hotel. Suites feature a 42” flat screen television, new furnishings, new carpeting, Anichini bedding manufactured in Italy, soothing colors and plantation shutters.

 

 

The private party/entertainment area on the seventh floor, available exclusively to suite guests only, was recently renovated to feature new travertine floors, a wetbar, pool table and lounge with 42” flat screen television, small library and sound system.

 

 

 

The Hotel Galvez & Spa now offers Wyndham ClearAir meeting space with the PURE system. The PURE system provides allergen- and germ-free guest and meeting rooms through a seven-step air purification process where 98-100 percent of all viruses and bacteria are eliminated. All room surfaces are treated to remove and hinder contaminants. As part of this process, a tea tree oil cartridge is installed that acts as a natural disinfectant. The hotel offers 13,000 square feet of meeting space in 9 rooms. The PURE system, which is recognized by the FDA as a class II medical device, is the most comprehensive allergy-friendly system in the hospitality industry. ClearAir sleeping rooms are an optional upgrade. In sleeping rooms, the air is filtered every 15 minutes.

 

 

This summer, Hotel Galvez Executive Chef Jerry Helminski introduced a new menu at Bernardo’s Restaurant to reflect the influences of its namesake – Bernardo de Gálvez. Gálvez, who was born in Málaga, Spain on July 23, 1746, was the Governor of Texas and Louisiana as well as Cuba during the late 1700’s. Helminski has created a new menu that celebrates the Spanish, Cuban and Louisiana influences of Galvez’s life, while continuing to feature local favorites such as fresh Gulf seafood. New dishes include Tomato Gazpacho, Monte Cubano Sandwich and Chili Rubbed Swordfish.

 

 

Guests at the Hotel Galvez & Spa can enjoy a newly renovated, environmentally friendly pool complete with swim-up bar, whirlpool spa, private cabanas and an enhanced pool menu featuring fresh seafood and regional fare. The pool now features antique stone and mosaic glass Italian tiles, and a tile fountain.

 

The pool area also features hand-woven furniture and cabanas from Spain. Each poolside cabana are furnished with two or four chaise lounges, sun-care products, daily newspaper and a deck of playing cards as well as a refrigerator stocked with water, assorted soft drinks and a fresh fruit plate. Two-guest or four-guest cabanas may be rented for $200 to $300 depending on day of the week and season. Prices are subject to change.

 

 

 

The Hotel Galvez was built as a symbol of Galveston’s resilience following the Great Storm of 1900. A group of businessmen pulled their resources and raised $1 million to open the hotel on June 10, 1911 at 6 p.m. The hotel has a colorful history from serving as a temporary White House for the staff of President Franklin Roosevelt to serving as a working facility for the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II and as a headquarters for the Pageants of Pulchritude, the beauty pageants that were predecessors to the Miss America Pageant.

 

Hotel Galvez invites former guests and visitors to share their family photos, stories and mementos of the historic hotel for a commemorative book and display. Gary Cartwright, author of “Galveston – A History of the Island,” is writing a commemorative book on the hotel which will be released in December 2010. Photos and stories can be posted on the Hotel Galvez Facebook Page or mailed to Hotel Galvez Marketing & Sales, 2024 Seawall Blvd., Galveston, TX 77550. Duplicate photos or digital photos, rather than original photos, are requested as they will not be returned.