The Baker

[Grippe 313]

A cool little piece of Texas history is about to be renovated - the Baker Hotel in Mineral Wells.

https://www.texasmonthly.com/travel/baker-hotel-mineral-wells-restoration/

[hornian 5,223]

I used to have to drive through Mineral Wells every 3-4 months for about 2 years. Always wondered about that hotel. 

[bolverk 29,717]

This will be a boon to Mineral Wells. I was fortunate to see a presentation by one of the developers back in January and him describing how they finally figured out the "capital stack" necessary to get this done. Afterward, he and I talked about a couple of other large historic hotel projects in Texas that had transformed the trajectory of downtowns, including the Settles in my hometown. If they do this right (and it appears they will), the Baker is going to become a go-to spot for DFWers wanting a special weekend away from home.

These old hotels can be very special places. As a homer, I'm happy to share these images of the Settles (a once-crumbling tower that my high school friends and I used to break into during the 80s) that's now become imho the nicest hotel in West Texas. Since it's opened, several bars and restaurants with live music have opened in the downtown.

https://www.google.com/search?q=hotel+settles&rlz=1CARJNJ_enUS697US698&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiboKvKxfniAhUGPK0KHah3C-0Q_AUIECgB&biw=1366&bih=609#imgrc=_

 

[Grippe 313]

11 hours ago, bolverk said:

These old hotels can be very special places. As a homer, I'm happy to share these images of the Settles (a once-crumbling tower that my high school friends and I used to break into during the 80s) that's now become imho the nicest hotel in West Texas. Since it's opened, several bars and restaurants with live music have opened in the downtown.

https://www.google.com/search?q=hotel+settles&rlz=1CARJNJ_enUS697US698&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiboKvKxfniAhUGPK0KHah3C-0Q_AUIECgB&biw=1366&bih=609#imgrc=_

 

Interesting you mentioned the Settles - one of the developers in this video is standing next to the model for that project.

I'm quite stocked as my wife and I moved away from Round Rock a few months ago and landed here in MW, looks like our timing might be good.

 

[Hawndoh 2,388]

Mineral Wells state park is really good, and the rock climbing area is beautiful. 

[conVINCEd 21,469]

11 hours ago, bolverk said:

This will be a boon to Mineral Wells. I was fortunate to see a presentation by one of the developers back in January and him describing how they finally figured out the "capital stack" necessary to get this done. Afterward, he and I talked about a couple of other large historic hotel projects in Texas that had transformed the trajectory of downtowns, including the Settles in my hometown. If they do this right (and it appears they will), the Baker is going to become a go-to spot for DFWers wanting a special weekend away from home.

These old hotels can be very special places. As a homer, I'm happy to share these images of the Settles (a once-crumbling tower that my high school friends and I used to break into during the 80s) that's now become imho the nicest hotel in West Texas. Since it's opened, several bars and restaurants with live music have opened in the downtown.

https://www.google.com/search?q=hotel+settles&rlz=1CARJNJ_enUS697US698&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiboKvKxfniAhUGPK0KHah3C-0Q_AUIECgB&biw=1366&bih=609#imgrc=_

 

Thanks for that article.  I’ve driven by The Baker many times on the way to PK.  My initial reaction was that there is no way anyone will make money on this project.  Your article shows that it is possible.  Still skeptical, but I hope they pull it off. 

[bolverk 29,717]

33 minutes ago, Grippe said:

Interesting you mentioned the Settles - one of the developers in this video is standing next to the model for that project.

I'm quite stocked as my wife and I moved away from Round Rock a few months ago and landed here in MW, looks like our timing might be good.



 

The developer I spoke with had mentioned Brint Ryan was one of the backers on his team, so I'm not surprised he's speaking next to a model of the Settles. Brint was entirely responsible for rehabbing the Settles, paying for all the work out of his own pocket (reportedly $30-35 million). He's also from Big Spring and when he announced the Settles back in 2008(?), he said he was doing so as a legacy project and gift to the community. At the time, he flat-out stated that he thought he'd lose money on it. Fortunately, for him and the community, oil came back just when the Settles was reopened in 2012-2013. Now, it's booked up most nights and is charging about $200 a room.

Even though Mineral Wells isn't in the middle of the oil patch like Big Spring, I'm pretty sure it'll do just as well (if not better) because it's within easy driving distance of 7.5 million people in the Metroplex. A 100-mile radius of Big Spring only gives you access to Midland/Odessa, Lubbock, Abilene, and San Angelo (combined with smaller towns) which collectively have just a little over 1 million.

17 minutes ago, conVINCEd said:

Thanks for that article.  I’ve driven by The Baker many times on the way to PK.  My initial reaction was that there is no way anyone will make money on this project.  Your article shows that it is possible.  Still skeptical, but I hope they pull it off. 

Thank, Grippe. He's the one who brought the story to our attention.

[TwiceHorn 31,536]

1 hour ago, bolverk said:

The developer I spoke with had mentioned Brint Ryan was one of the backers on his team, so I'm not surprised he's speaking next to a model of the Settles. Brint was entirely responsible for rehabbing the Settles, paying for all the work out of his own pocket (reportedly $30-35 million). He's also from Big Spring and when he announced the Settles back in 2008(?), he said he was doing so as a legacy project and gift to the community. At the time, he flat-out stated that he thought he'd lose money on it. Fortunately, for him and the community, oil came back just when the Settles was reopened in 2012-2013. Now, it's booked up most nights and is charging about $200 a room.

Even though Mineral Wells isn't in the middle of the oil patch like Big Spring, I'm pretty sure it'll do just as well (if not better) because it's within easy driving distance of 7.5 million people in the Metroplex. A 100-mile radius of Big Spring only gives you access to Midland/Odessa, Lubbock, Abilene, and San Angelo (combined with smaller towns) which collectively have just a little over 1 million.

Thank, Grippe. He's the one who brought the story to our attention.

Aren't you from Big Spring, too?  Or general area?  Ryan has been amazingly successful.  It's startling to me that a tax accountant could be so successful.  I mean, I know it could be a nice career and founding your own shop could be a good deal, but he's got complete fuck you money now.  I analogize it to being a lawyer, except, as far as I know, there's no real equivalent to contingent fee cases in tax consulting, or "taking a percentage of the deal."  Maybe there is on the latter.

[atomheartbevo 89,792]

I bet @Hornius Emeritus has some cool photos of it.  

[GringoSalado 1,652]

Thought this was never going to happen

[Pam Cummings 9,660]

Holiday Hills is a fun little golf course. Went to the Baker but never went in...very spooky.

[bluto 4,942]

1 hour ago, TwiceHorn said:

Aren't you from Big Spring, too?  Or general area?  Ryan has been amazingly successful.  It's startling to me that a tax accountant could be so successful.  I mean, I know it could be a nice career and founding your own shop could be a good deal, but he's got complete fuck you money now.  I analogize it to being a lawyer, except, as far as I know, there's no real equivalent to contingent fee cases in tax consulting, or "taking a percentage of the deal."  Maybe there is on the latter.

As a property tax veteran, contingency fees are the base fee structure, and holy hell is it a lucrative business with not much threat of lean years so long as the tax system stays relatively in place in Tx. Ryan is the 800 lb gorilla in property tax consulting on commercial property across the state, they bought out thomson reuters a few years ago who was their main competition. And they do a lot more than just property tax. 

[RPM 26,353]

Read about this earlier on a friend's blog. He's from MW and is stoked, but there's a mystery $25m in financing they didn't have and won't comment on.

• Quote

  “Ahead of today’s announcement, Fairchild declined to discuss from where his group had secured the $25 million they still lacked as of earlier this year. But he was more than happy to remind me of the details of their ambitious plan.”

[Pato del Muerto 52,598]

Now pick a few rooms and come up with ghost stories about them. Get the hotel on the haunted buildings tour circuit.  If there’s real ghost stories then use those, but it doesn’t really matter. 

[clapclapclap 9,000]

I dunno, the "Meth Wells" tag still lingers.

[deadshank 24,653]

The clay roof tile that was kilned in Mineral Wells back in the old days and is also installed on The Baker and on many old homes in the north Texas area is worth a friggin fortune.

 

[bolverk 29,717]

6 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Aren't you from Big Spring, too?  Or general area?  Ryan has been amazingly successful.  It's startling to me that a tax accountant could be so successful.  I mean, I know it could be a nice career and founding your own shop could be a good deal, but he's got complete fuck you money now.  I analogize it to being a lawyer, except, as far as I know, there's no real equivalent to contingent fee cases in tax consulting, or "taking a percentage of the deal."  Maybe there is on the latter.

Yes, indeed, Big Spring is my hometown. Both my parents still live there along with several friends and acquaintances from high school. So I try to visit 2-3 times a year (30-year high school reunion this fall. Go Steers! 🤘 ). Also, since I've spent my career in community and economic development consulting, I've kept careful tabs on progress in Big Spring.

Moreover, because of my field, the piece of Ryan's business I'm most familiar with is the tax incentive negotiation side. It's rumored his company receives a 30% cut of any incentive a client of his receives (Ryan & Co. have been involved in some very big incentive deals with the state), which has been a stunningly lucrative business model for him. After the Settles, I've heard he's now kind of got the historic preservation bug, so we might expect him to be involved in other similar projects around the state in the future.

[pch 1,261]

I have always hoped that this grand hotel would not meet the fate of similar hotels-wrecking balls for progress.  As a child, one of my greatest joys was getting to stay in the Shamrock Hilton in Houston, now just a memory.  Glad that the Baker will live again and will definitely make a reservation when it opens.

 

[T’Boo Ted Marshall 2,740]

How many groups have had plans to renovate this now and how is this group any different?

[RPM 26,353]

There's several old guest ranches around MW from the "crazy water" days when people thought the water had healing powers. Went to one to pick up some antiques for my dad back in the 90's and it must have been impressive back in it's day. They had 30 rooms, a dining hall and bath houses. New owner was converting it to a private residence.

[Armybrat 40,908]

On ‎6‎/‎20‎/‎2019 at 9:52 PM, bolverk said:

This will be a boon to Mineral Wells. I was fortunate to see a presentation by one of the developers back in January and him describing how they finally figured out the "capital stack" necessary to get this done. Afterward, he and I talked about a couple of other large historic hotel projects in Texas that had transformed the trajectory of downtowns, including the Settles in my hometown. If they do this right (and it appears they will), the Baker is going to become a go-to spot for DFWers wanting a special weekend away from home.

These old hotels can be very special places. As a homer, I'm happy to share these images of the Settles (a once-crumbling tower that my high school friends and I used to break into during the 80s) that's now become imho the nicest hotel in West Texas. Since it's opened, several bars and restaurants with live music have opened in the downtown.

https://www.google.com/search?q=hotel+settles&rlz=1CARJNJ_enUS697US698&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiboKvKxfniAhUGPK0KHah3C-0Q_AUIECgB&biw=1366&bih=609#imgrc=_

 

I'm sure you have seen the old Blazimar Hotel in Taylor, just northeast of Austin. It is a classic example of the numerous railroad hotels that abound all over the country. It has been defunct for decades, awaiting someone to come along and restore or redevelop it:

http://www.texasescapes.com/FEATURES/rooms_with_a_past/BlazilmarHotelTaylor/BlazilmarHotelTaylor.htm

Edited June 23, 2019 by Armybrat

[Chad Fuck 17,774]

I've had family in MW my whole life.  There's constantly talk of someone redoing the hotel.  At one point, I remember Willie Nelson was supposed to be the backer. 

In any case, I'll be very happy to see this come to fruition.  There are so many cool buildings in and around MW.  My grandmother used to live at the Crazy Water, just a little down the road, for a while.  The owners there did a decent job of fixing up that place, but nothing like what's projected for the Baker.  

My Dad used to play shows up in the ballroom at the top when Ft. Wolters units had parties up there.  He said acoustically, it was one of the best rooms he's ever played in.  I'd like to book a gig of my own up there if given the opportunity.

[bolverk 29,717]

1 hour ago, Chad Fuck said:

I've had family in MW my whole life.  There's constantly talk of someone redoing the hotel.  At one point, I remember Willie Nelson was supposed to be the backer. 

In any case, I'll be very happy to see this come to fruition.  There are so many cool buildings in and around MW.  My grandmother used to live at the Crazy Water, just a little down the road, for a while.  The owners there did a decent job of fixing up that place, but nothing like what's projected for the Baker.  

My Dad used to play shows up in the ballroom at the top when Ft. Wolters units had parties up there.  He said acoustically, it was one of the best rooms he's ever played in.  I'd like to book a gig of my own up there if given the opportunity.

Obviously, there are no guarantees but given the team on this project, I'd say it's a good shot they get this accomplished. I think the Settles rehab required about 3-4 years, and they had a steep learning curve at the time. The Baker is roughly twice the square footage but the same height, so I'd guess in about 5-6 years you could very well see the Baker looking something like this:

@Armybrat Lots of cool shit is going on in downtown Taylor right now, so you never know. I'm not familiar with any specific plans for the Blazimar yet, but I did recently speak with the guy who's rehabbing the building at 2nd and Main - he's had a tough go at it because of structural issues but is committed. Also, I've got an Austin friend who recently fixed up another one in downtown Taylor and is looking for other opportunities.

Our good friends at Texas Monthly put together a fantastic piece about this stuff last August: How a New Generation Is Reviving Small-Town Texas . Reading it really did make me want to leave Austin and move back to get involved in the revitalization of my hometown's downtown.

Edited June 23, 2019 by bolverk

[RPM 26,353]

My question about The Baker is, who's going to stay there? MW isn't exactly a metropolis nor a tourism destination and it's no longer on the beaten path.

Hotels are expensive to just keep the doors open. I can't see it drawing enough guests to turn a profit.

[Patricio Swayze 17,058]

On 6/21/2019 at 12:50 PM, atomheartbevo said:

I bet @Hornius Emeritus has some cool photos of it.  

I don't know if he does, but I can oblige you.

[Armybrat 40,908]

5 hours ago, bolverk said:

 

@Armybrat Lots of cool shit is going on in downtown Taylor right now, so you never know. I'm not familiar with any specific plans for the Blazimar yet, but I did recently speak with the guy who's rehabbing the building at 2nd and Main - he's had a tough go at it because of structural issues but is committed. Also, I've got an Austin friend who recently fixed up another one in downtown Taylor and is looking for other opportunities.

Our good friends at Texas Monthly put together a fantastic piece about this stuff last August: How a New Generation Is Reviving Small-Town Texas . Reading it really did make me want to leave Austin and move back to get involved in the revitalization of my hometown's downtown.

Looks like the Baker is going to require a bit more than some new paint & trim work. Seriously, that will be a heavy duty renovation - rebuilding, really.

Not to hijack the thread, but this pic is Mrs. Brat's family homestead in Taylor at 311 Davis. Her grandfather (a prominent builder about 1905-1950s) built it in 1910 and raised his 5 children there, with my wife moving in with her mom - the 2n oldest of the 5 -  in 1949 after a California divorce. Her mom sold it in 1971 for $11,000 and it went through at least 3 other families before the current owner bought it and restored it several years ago.

Too bad they changed the floor plan on the 1st & 2nd floors and tore down the barn behind it. It was originally painted white with green trim around the windows.  Right before she sold it, I almost got around to removing the leaded glass side windows around the front door. Good thing I didn't.

Mrs. Brat visited the place during the restoration and told the owner what had been changed since she moved out for college in 1963. The owner insisted that those features were original, but my wife just laughed and pointed out that she was the last living member of the original family who actually lived there and was raised in that house.  Obviously Mrs. Brat knew what she was talking about. lol

[Patricio Swayze 17,058]

That 3rd from last photo I posted is not the Baker but the Sabine in Port Arthur. The rest are the Baker though.

That town is dead. I also went into the abandoned hospital in town and the abandoned army hospital on the edge of town. Before we went into the hotel we sat with a lady on the steps and talked a bit about the town and hotel. She said there was no work and most of the men would leave town for oil field jobs.

I get wanting to save the hotel, but I do not see how it can be done. It will cost a ton of money and it’s not a destination for hardly anyone. It was in better shape than the Grim and the Sabine, but still in really bad shape. It would need major structural fixes to make it safe.

[Grippe 313]

Brat, no worries at all about hijacking the thread. There are some amazing pieces of architectural history in our state that need to be saved.  The Baker is a big one 🤣

[Grippe 313]

2 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

That 3rd from last photo I posted is not the Baker but the Sabine in Port Arthur. The rest are the Baker though.

That town is dead. I also went into the abandoned hospital in town and the abandoned army hospital on the edge of town. Before we went into the hotel we sat with a lady on the steps and talked a bit about the town and hotel. She said there was no work and most of the men would leave town for oil field jobs.

I get wanting to save the hotel, but I do not see how it can be done. It will cost a ton of money and it’s not a destination for hardly anyone. It was in better shape than the Grim and the Sabine, but still in really bad shape. It would need major structural fixes to make it safe.

PS - property values here in the last 6 months have jumped rapidly. The chamber of commerce has gotten in gear to brand MW as a "gas tank" destination from DFW for antique and second hand shoppers.

Oh, and they cook a lot of meth here too, I am sure that will bring in more money.

[Patricio Swayze 17,058]

PS - property values here in the last 6 months have jumped rapidly. The chamber of commerce has gotten in gear to brand MW as a "gas tank" destination from DFW for antique and second hand shoppers.
Oh, and they cook a lot of meth here too, I am sure that will bring in more money.

That’s fine and all, but what about sustainability? I mean, besides the meth.

[Chad Fuck 17,774]

PS - property values here in the last 6 months have jumped rapidly. The chamber of commerce has gotten in gear to brand MW as a "gas tank" destination from DFW for antique and second hand shoppers.
Oh, and they cook a lot of meth here too, I am sure that will bring in more money.

It’s an hour and fifteen minutes from my front door in East Dallas to my parents house just down the road from the Baker. That’s easy staycation distance. Run some horse trails through the hills, fishing excursions on PK, maybe some frontier history excursions - not to mention the crazy water spa treatments, etc. I think they may be able to make a go of it.

[cactusflinthead 27,602]

Corporate retreat just outside of town so damnyankees and furriners can go play Cowboy? Yeah. Add in kitsch and things Mitch's wife would buy? Done. 

Dinosaur tracks? That way.

Deer and hogs and dove? Plenty.

Ghosts? Sure, get their dollars too.

I like the music venue aspect too. Go see a show and swerve my way upstairs? Count me in. 

[cactusflinthead 27,602]

On 6/21/2019 at 12:50 PM, atomheartbevo said:

I bet @Hornius Emeritus has some cool photos of it.  

If he doesn't reply he's gone walkabout. Took some time off from the page. I hope he's getting a full recharge. 

[Patricio Swayze 17,058]

18 minutes ago, Chad Fuck said:

 

It’s an hour and fifteen minutes from my front door in East Dallas to my parents house just down the road from the Baker. That’s easy staycation distance. Run some horse trails through the hills, fishing excursions on PK, maybe some frontier history excursions - not to mention the crazy water spa treatments, etc. I think they may be able to make a go of it.

 

I guess we will find out.  But as you know, it is a massive hotel.  I wonder what the day to day cost of running it would be...

[atomheartbevo 89,792]

2 hours ago, Patricio Swayze said:

That’s fine and all, but what about sustainability? I mean, besides the meth.

 

Maybe Sul Ross could open up a branch campus there.   

[Chad Fuck 17,774]

I guess we will find out.  But as you know, it is a massive hotel.  I wonder what the day to day cost of running it would be...

I’ll make a point to stay there and get back to you.

[Patricio Swayze 17,058]

This was taken from the top of the old Nazareth Hospital. Nothing much inside worth taking a photo of. Baker in the background, but another hotel, The Crazy Water, can be seen in the foreground. I believe the have been trying to restore that one for sometime, but not sure if it is still ongoing.

 

 

And a few more from inside the Baker.

 

 

 

 

Here are a few of the abandoned hospital at nearby Fort Wolters. The closing of this base was one of the reasons for the Baker's demise.

 

 

 

 

And to contrast those shots, here is the Arabic inspired architecture of one of the main rooms of the Grim in Texarkana.

 

 

I have thousands of shots of abandoned places around Texas, some parts of the US and Brazil. I typically post these in the photography thread, but I can start a dedicated thread if so desired. I am always looking for tips of new places to check out.

 

 

[Chad Fuck 17,774]

Very nice pics!

BTW, The Crazy Water is a retirement home now.  They've done a good job redoing the public spaces.  My grandmother moved out (and on) about 10 years ago, so not sure if they've redone the rooms since then.  At that time, they had decent accessible bathrooms, but were essentially studio apartments.  The room my grandmother was in didn't have any cooking facilities.   All of that was downstairs in the main dining area.  

http://crazywaterhotel.com

[Grippe 313]

13 minutes ago, Chad Fuck said:

Very nice pics!

BTW, The Crazy Water is a retirement home now.  They've done a good job redoing the public spaces.  My grandmother moved out (and on) about 10 years ago, so not sure if they've redone the rooms since then.  At that time, they had decent accessible bathrooms, but were essentially studio apartments.  The room my grandmother was in didn't have any cooking facilities.   All of that was downstairs in the main dining area.  

http://crazywaterhotel.com

There's a ton of work being done on the west wing currently - I haven't seen anything official as a description but it appears to be a gut remodel (they've erected waste elevators and chutes for dumping massive amounts of debris out the windows, with 3rd street filled with industrial waste bins.

The city is sponsoring a lot of murals in the city as well.

[Patricio Swayze 17,058]

Is the city doing something with the Fort Wolters hospital? The satellite image makes it look like they have cleaned up the property a lot.

[Grippe 313]

The wife and I haven't ventured over there yet - we've been holding out until I get my Miata project overhauled so we can check it out in an open aired go-kart.

[Chad Fuck 17,774]

I was out at Ft. Wolters about a year ago, just to look it over.  Not much had been done, but there's at least one part still in use.  They had a couple guys out front in BDUs so I just turned around and headed back out the gate.

[Patricio Swayze 17,058]

The wife and I haven't ventured over there yet - we've been holding out until I get my Miata project overhauled so we can check it out in an open aired go-kart.

A lot of it is trashed or empty, but seeing some of the older OR’s with the light fixtures was pretty cool.

[Red Six 131]

17 hours ago, Grippe said:

PS - property values here in the last 6 months have jumped rapidly. The chamber of commerce has gotten in gear to brand MW as a "gas tank" destination from DFW for antique and second hand shoppers.

Oh, and they cook a lot of meth here too, I am sure that will bring in more money.

People have been saying they will restore the Baker for as long as I can remember, which is about 30 years.

They also used to have some awful "outlet mall" on the eastern edge of town, near Fort Wolters. It was like an Oshkosh B'Gosh store and a couple others.

The state park has been there for nearly 40 years, and as far as I can tell, it hasn't proven to be an exceptional economic driver for the city.

There's a reason why we called MW "Miserable Smells" back in the day -- it's a putrid dump once you got west of Woody's. I'll believe in revitalization when I can see it.

[RPM 26,353]

7 hours ago, Chad Fuck said:

I was out at Ft. Wolters about a year ago, just to look it over.  Not much had been done, but there's at least one part still in use.  They had a couple guys out front in BDUs so I just turned around and headed back out the gate.

per wiki:

Quote

The base was deactivated in 1973. The site is now used as an industrial park with activities including Ventamatic, Ltd, GR's Workshop, a branch of Weatherford College, and a training center for the Texas Army National Guard and the Civil Air Patrol.

I knew it was turned into an industrial park and they put in a prison.

As a little kid I used to watch swarms of small helicopters flying over Lake Bridgeport and head back to MW. 

Edited June 24, 2019 by RPM

[Errestaurants 2,570]

i know $65 million is a lot of money but this has over budget and delays written all over it. From what I understand they got fuck you money behind the project so they will probably get it done. I understand getting the three day weekend crowd but who the hell is going to stay there Sunday-Thursday in say Feb or August? I think Chicken Express is based there, maybe corporate meetings. 

[Chad Fuck 17,774]

I knew it was turned into an industrial park and they put in a prison.
As a little kid I used to watch swarms of small helicopters flying over Lake Bridgeport and head back to MW. 

There’s a back part where they do the active training. Pretty sure the guys I’ve seen passing through aren’t all NG.

[bolverk 29,717]

2 hours ago, Errestaurants said:

i know $65 million is a lot of money but this has over budget and delays written all over it. From what I understand they got fuck you money behind the project so they will probably get it done. I understand getting the three day weekend crowd but who the hell is going to stay there Sunday-Thursday in say Feb or August? I think Chicken Express is based there, maybe corporate meetings. 

Corporate retreats, weddings, other special events, etc.

I think the Settles is only 66 rooms and it stays filled at ~$200/night with the closest "city" being Midland which is 45 minutes away and a market of 1 million within a 100-mile ring.

Let's guess the Baker will be 130-145 rooms while also keeping in mind it's on the western fringe of the Metroplex's 7.5 million market. Do you seriously think there's not enough demand for such a unique product of that size to be supported by all of North Texas, plus whoever is passing by on I-20 only 20-30 minutes away?

Whatever Mineral Wells may offer - aside from the hotel - is just the icing on the cake and kicks the shit out of whatever Big Spring can offer "tourists." And, yet, the Settles has been incredibly succesful. The Baker, in and of itself, will be the destination (initially).

[Patricio Swayze 17,058]

I am skeptical.  But that is my nature I suppose.  But one has to also think of management, as that is a huge part of whether a hotel is successful.  I have also been to the abandoned and now demolished Majestic in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  Large hotel that failed probably because of being mismanaged. 

[Chad Fuck 17,774]

11 hours ago, Patricio Swayze said:

I am skeptical.  But that is my nature I suppose.  But one has to also think of management, as that is a huge part of whether a hotel is successful.  I have also been to the abandoned and now demolished Majestic in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  Large hotel that failed probably because of being mismanaged. 

The more apt comparison may be The Arlington Hotel, in Hot Springs, considering the same fellow designed The Baker.

https://www.arlingtonhotel.com