BROWNSVILLE — The Valley’s largest city is not slowing down and neither is the interest from tourists flocking to see SpaceX launch rockets into space.
To keep up with the demand, more and more hotels are being built on top of approximately 20 existing hotels.
There are currently three multi-million-dollar hotel projects planned for construction in the city to be completed by the end of 2026 and the start of 2027, according to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
One $10 million construction project for a New Embassy Suites, will be located at 3301 Pablo Kisel Boulevard near the expressway and Sunrise Mall. The building will be seven floors with 168 guest rooms, a lazy river, a rooftop viewing area, and a conference space. The company Ruby Red Hospitality recently had its groundbreaking ceremony late last month and will be the largest Embassy Suites in the Rio Grande Valley.
Ruby Red Hospitality CEO Barry Patel noted in a city news release that the South Texas company has been paying attention to Brownsville’s development over the last decade, with the growth of SpaceX, NextDecade’s liquified natural gas export terminal project, UTRGV and the health industry in the Valley.
The New Embassy Suite’s meeting spaces will allow for Brownsville to host large conferences, which they have not been able to do in the past, City Manager Helen Ramirez said.
“I think it’s a great sign that there are hotel developers interested in increasing the amount of rooms that we have here in Brownsville,” said Mayor John Cowen, who does not foresee growth slowing down.
“I know we’ve had over 2,000 or 2,200 rooms,” he said. “Every time a new hotel comes in and puts in 100 to 200 rooms, you know, that’s big.”
The two other large hotel projects are in the planning and registration phase. They are owned by a California-based company called Boca Chica Builders LLC. The side-by-side properties are located near a busy intersection on the east side of Brownsville known as four corners.
These Courtyard Marriott and Hyatt Studios projects are on Boca Chica Boulevard, which heads toward the Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport, the city of Starbase, and Highway 48, which leads to South Padre Island.
The Courtyard Marriott is a four-story $14 million project that calls for 125 units at 3725 Boca Chica Blvd. The Hyatt Studios will be an extended stay hotel at 3695 Boca Chica Blvd. The Hyatt will also be four-stories-tall with 120 rooms.
Cowen noted that people visiting the city for business or pleasure are generating activity for small and all businesses. He noted that sales tax and hotel occupancy tax help drive up quality-of-life projects, such as parks and hike-and-bike trails.
“We’ve never seen this type of growth rate in the hospitality sector until very recently. The amount of rooms has always been pretty constant in Brownsville,” says Cowen.
Then there’s the SpaceX effect.
This year alone, the company has launched Starships from its facility at Boca Chica Beach in January, March and May. Those launches brought a flurry of economic activity to the city, according to Assistant Director for the city of Brownsville Convention and Visitors Bureau Moli Montesam.
During those launches, more than 4,000 people stayed in Brownsville hotels.
For instance, in January, the city reported that 1,791 visitors stayed in hotels for two to three nights during that launch. In March, that number was 1,661 people over two to three nights. May, however, saw a dip. That month, 789 visitors stayed within the days surrounding the launch, according to the city.
“Local hotels reach 85-90% occupancy during these launch windows,” Montesam said in a text. “We also saw steady interest in our shopping mall and Historic Downtown, with an estimated 3-4% of launch visitors visiting these areas.”
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