Press Releases

What do Santa Claus, the Mayor of Galveston and Queen Victoria all have in common? They will all be attending the City of Galveston’s Holiday Lighting Celebration at Hotel Galvez & Spa, A Wyndham Grand® Hotel on Friday, Nov. 25 from 6 to 8 p.m., a free holiday event open to the public that marks the start of the holiday season in Galveston. As part of the evening, Hotel Galvez will be accepting monetary donations for the Salvation Army to help those in need.

Hotel Galvez & Spa, a Wyndham Grand® Hotel and National Trust Historic Hotel of America, invites guests to embark on enthralling ghost hunts during the month of October. The “haunted” Texas hotel is extending its ghost tour to the public as part of a special three-course dinner special on Thursday evenings. The hotel has also scheduled a ghost tour dinner on Halloween. Additionally, the hotel will offer special overnight ghost tour packages for guests on Thursdays and Sundays.

Hotel Galvez & Spa, A Wyndham Grand® Hotel, is collaborating with Rosenberg Library’s Galveston and Texas History Center to host a series of exhibits and presentations at the hotel during the months of July, August and September as part of the hotel’s year-long celebration commemorating its centennial.

A watercolor by Crosby artist Gabrielle McNeese entitled “Starry Skies over the Gulf” is the official poster for the Hotel Galvez Centennial. Earlier this year, McNeese’s painting was selected from 42 submissions in the Hotel Galvez Centennial Poster Contest. McNeese’s work depicts a fanciful image of Hotel Galvez and incorporates other popular Galveston images such as the trolley, the Galveston-Houston Interurban Train, the Balinese Room, antique cars, elegantly clad guests and a roaring 1920s gal named “Galvie Stone” sitting on the moon holding a martini glass.

1. Hotel Galvez opened on June 10, 1911 and was built at a cost of $1 million as a symbol of recovery following the nation’s deadliest natural disaster, the Great Storm of 1900. 2. Hotel Galvez and the City of Galveston are both named for Bernardo de Galvez. De Galvez, who never set foot on the island, was a Spanish hero of the American Revolution. Hotel Galvez & Spa will commemorate its 100-year reign as “Queen of the Gulf” with a free community celebration on Saturday, June 11 hosted by owners George Mitchell and the Mitchell family. The grounds of this historic Texas beachfront hotel will come alive with free family activities from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and live music from noon to 9 p.m. and culminate with a fireworks show over the Gulf of Mexico at 9:15 p.m. For a full schedule of activities on June 10-12, visit www.HotelGalvez100.com.

Hotel Galvez & Spa, A Wyndham Grand® Hotel and National Trust Historic Hotel of America, will commemorate its 100-year reign as “Queen of the Gulf” with a free community celebration on Saturday, June 11. The grounds of this historic Texas beachfront hotel will come alive with family activities and live music during the day and culminate with a fireworks show over the Gulf of Mexico.

The 2011 Galveston Island Beach Revue, presented by Islander By Choice, LLC (IBC), will salute the Hotel Galvez & Spa as part of its year-long centennial celebration on May 20-21. The 2011 Galveston Island Beach Revue will offer live music on Friday night at Saengerfest Park, 23rd and Strand. On Saturday, festivities continue with a lawn party hosted by the historic Hotel Galvez from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. leading up to the main event - the Bathing Beauties Contest at 2 p.m.

Hotel Galvez & Spa, A Wyndham Grand® Hotel, will commemorate its 100-year reign as “Queen of the Gulf” with a free community celebration on Saturday, June 11 and Sunday, June 12, 2011. On Saturday, the grounds of this historic Texas beachfront hotel will come alive with activities during the day and culminate with a fireworks show over the Gulf of Mexico.

Hotel Galvez & Spa, A Wyndham Grand® Hotel and National Trust Historic Hotel of America, completed an $11 million renovation in conjunction with the hotel’s 100th anniversary in 2011. Hotel owners George Mitchell and the Mitchell family updated all guest rooms with new décor and furnishings and added operable, divided-light Gulf-facing windows reminiscent of the hotel’s original design. This project was under the direction of George Mitchell’s granddaughter Lori Mitchell. Additionally, the hotel unveiled Centennial Green, a new outdoor event space, in April 2011.

Gary Cartwright, noted author of Hotel Galvez: Queen of the Gulf, returns to Galveston on Thursday, March 31 through Saturday, April 2.