Has there ever been a time when a television show or movie inspired you to travel to a location?
While listening to Takeoff, a travel podcast, I came across an episode titled “2024’s Top Travel Trends, Destinations, and Predictions”. One of the trends mentioned was “set-jetting”. In simple terms, set-jetting is the practice of traveling to a location where a movie or TV show was filmed.
In my travels, I never planned to visit places that were in a film or TV show, it just happened that I was interested in a location and it happened to be in a movie.
For example, when I visited Oahu, I stopped at the Hālona Blowhole for the opportunity to see the phenomenon of ocean water shooting up to 30 feet in the air. Alas, the surf was not rough that day, so no water show. I later found out that Hālona Beach Cove was the sight of the classic love scene in “From Here to Eternity”. It has also been the place where Captain Jack Sparrow and Angelica share a kiss in “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”. “50 First Dates” and “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” have also used the beauty of the cove as a backdrop.
Until my most recent trip to Waco, Texas, I had never traveled specifically for the purpose of visiting a TV show or movie location, but after I streamed “Fixer Upper: The Hotel” I wanted to stay at and see Hotel 1928 in person.
Inspiration
During my treatments for breast cancer, I had a lot of time to read and discovered Magnolia Journal, a quarterly magazine published by Meredith Operations Corporation. The magazine was filled with inspiring articles that encouraged my heart and lifted my spirits, and I purchased a new magazine each quarter.
Reading Magnolia Journal led me to watch older episodes of “Fixer Upper”, a TV show that showcases the home renovation talents of Chip and Joanna Gaines. In January, I started watching “Fixer Upper: The Hotel” and was fascinated by the transformation of a historical building formerly named the Grand Karem Shrine Building that opened in 1928 and is located in the heart of downtown Waco, Texas. It was used as a social gathering place and event space for the Freemason-affiliated Karem Shriners. The building was sold to the county in 1995 and sat mostly unused until it was purchased by Chip Gaines in 2018.
While I watched the amazing transformation of this building into a beautiful 33-room boutique hotel with 6,600 square feet of event space, I dreamed of booking a few nights at Hotel 1928. I knew that it would be an exciting experience to stay there and explore the spaces I saw on the show. Little did I know that my husband, who was watching the show with me, was listening to me dream out loud. I finished watching all six episodes of “Fixer Upper: The Hotel” in early January, and by mid-January, my husband had booked a 2-night stay.
There were no words for how excited I was to be making this dream come true.
The Hotel 1928 Experience
First Night at Hotel 1928
boutique hotel (Cambridge Dictionary) noun – a small, stylish and fashionable hotel that is not part of a chain
Because the hotel is within driving distance from home, I made a road trip out of this getaway and arrived at the hotel around 7:00 p.m. Valet parking is available, but we chose free parking along the street directly across from the hotel. The first thing I did was take a photo of the blade sign that I watched Chip and Joanna make a decision on in the show. It was a surreal moment to stand in front of the hotel and see it in person.
The check-in process was quick and easy. I was invited to ring the bell at the check-in desk and did so with great joy. The past few years going through my cancer journey brought victorious moments that involved bell ringing, and I felt that ringing this bell symbolized a return to living life and living it well. Ringing the bell was another surreal moment in my visit because it was a decorative element that I watched Joanna choose from the Magnolia furniture warehouse during Episode 5 of “Fixer Upper: The Hotel”.
During check-in, we were informed that morning coffee service was included in our stay. There are no coffee machines in the rooms, so between 7 AM and 9 AM, guests can have a fresh pot of coffee delivered to their room. This was something that added to the luxurious feel of our stay, and we hadn’t even reached the room!
Eager to see my room, I hopped on the elevator, and before the doors closed, I was asked if we wanted to see the ballroom. Of course I said “Yes”, and we went up to the room to put our things away before the tour.
Will was our guide in the ballroom, and since I watched the show, I was aware that almost everything in this space was part of the original building. Will opened the door at the end of the ballroom to show us a space that was not shown onscreen during “Fixer Upper: The Hotel”. The ballroom terrace overlooks downtown Waco, and the view was beautiful.
The area outside the ballroom is called the pre-function, a space where guests attending an event inside the ballroom can socialize while enjoying refreshments or hors d’oeuvres. Seating is available and the style reflects the design found in other parts of the hotel.
Room Accommodations – The Franklin
The room that my husband booked for our stay is named Franklin. It is a traditional room that offers either one king bed or two queen beds. When we returned to the room after touring the ballroom, the evening turndown service had been completed. There was a warm welcome waiting for us in the form of a carafe of water with a note that included the name of our turndown attendant.
A pair of slippers had been placed next to each nightstand in the room.
There was even a greeting on the television in the room that beckoned us to “stay awhile”.
Before I got too comfortable in the room, my stomach reminded me that I had been driving all day and the last meal I had on the road was lunch. I remembered the delicious smell of food coming from the restaurant on the first floor, and we headed back down the elevator to have dinner at The Brasserie.
The Brasserie
There are two restaurants located inside Hotel 1928. Bertie’s on the Rooftop is located on the third floor and its menu offerings are described as “seasonal dishes and a fresh perspective”. The Brasserie is located on the first floor of the hotel, and the menu is described on the hotel website as “southern classics with a Texas twist”.
Reservations are recommended for both restaurants.
On the day of my arrival it was cold and rainy, and the dinner rush had passed, so it was easy to secure a table for dinner without a reservation. The decor at the front of the restaurant is warm and cozy and offers plenty of comfortable seating for parties waiting for a table.
The menu offered everything I wanted so it was hard to choose one dish, but after chatting with our waitress about her favorites, I decided on Honey Soy Glazed Salmon. While waiting for the main meal to be served, a delightful appetizer was delivered to our table.
Even before I took the first bite, I could smell the deliciousness of the biscuits that were placed in front of me. They were served fresh out of the oven with homemade honey butter and a grape-raspberry jelly in small glass jars. Sea salt was lightly sprinkled on top of each golden biscuit, and when it was opened, a sweet aroma filled the air. What appeared to be poppyseeds were embedded inside, and my first bite returned a subtle sweetness to my palate, even without the spreads.
Shortly after finishing my biscuit, the dish I ordered was delivered to the table.
The Honey Soy Glazed Salmon was served with rice pilaf and Brussels sprouts. The salmon was tender and the honey soy glaze was a wonderful compliment to the fish. Our server recommended a Burbon sauce to go with the salmon, and she was not wrong about how well it paired with this dish.
After eating, I boarded the elevator and went back up to my room. I was still very excited about being at Hotel 1928 in-person and couldn’t call it a night until I explored every detail inside the room.
Every luxury hotel I have stayed in always has bathrobes, and I located two bathrobes inside the tall wardrobe cabinet in the room. Each robe was on a wooden hanger with “Hotel 1928” embossed on it.
The bathroom is luxurious, and the green subway tile that Joanna chose for the walls brings color and character to the space.
The brass hardware in the bathroom continued the theme of classic luxury.
After an evening spent exploring the ballroom, enjoying a wonderful meal, and taking photos, it was time to call it a night. The soft sheets on the king size bed were calling my name, and my Hotel 1928 adventure had just begun!
Coffee Service
As I mentioned earlier, when we checked into Hotel 1928, we were informed that the rooms do not have coffee machines. Instead, we had the option to have fresh coffee delivered directly to our room. Coffee is an essential part of my morning, and I was pleasantly surprised (as you can tell by the raised pitch of my voice in the video below) by this personalized service offered by the hotel.
A polite knock at our door at 8:00 a.m. let me know that our carafe of coffee with cream and sugar was being delivered. It was on a serving tray and was placed on the accent table located in the entryway of the room. A blend called Hotel 1928 by Merit Coffee Company is served to guests. The coffee is bold and delicious, and sipping on a hot cup of coffee while wearing our robes in our room was a great way to start the day.
The Library Inside Hotel 1928
One of the areas that I was most excited about visiting inside the hotel was the library, a space meant for relaxation and exploration. One of the features insisted upon by Joanna Gaines is a set of grand staircases on each side of the space. The staircases make for a dramatic entrance and exit, and the dark paneled walls add to the dramatic effect. The rich tones in the furniture and light oak flooring offset the dark colors in the library.
On Episode 3 of “Fixer Upper: The Hotel”, Joanna needed 8,000 books to fill the shelves of the library. Chip purchased a book store in Archer City, Texas that was once owned by the late novelist and screenwriter, Larry McMurtry, a native of Archer City. The bookstore was filled with well over 300,000 books, which was more than enough to decorate the library. Brass colored art lights placed at the top of each shelf gave just the right amount of mood lighting to the space.
Towards the back of the library is an area that pays tribute to McMurtry. Lonesome Dove, a novel written in 1985 and a Pulitzer Prize winner, is perhaps one of the author’s best known works. Chip was able to secure McMurtry’s typewriter, which added an authentic feel to this area.
The Magnolia Experience
Magnolia Table
On my first full day at Hotel 1928, I decided that I wanted to spend the next few hours embracing what I called “The Magnolia Experience”. I had dinner at The Brasserie the night before and wanted to eat breakfast away from the hotel. Magnolia Table was about a 10-minute drive away and was easily identified by the black and white marquee outside the restaurant.
The restaurant was busy, and it had a warm, welcoming feel. I was immediately greeted by the hostess and given a wait time of about 30 minutes. I added my name to the list and only waited for about 15 minutes for a table. After looking over the menu, I decided to start with the Cranberry Orange Spritz mocktail. It was refreshing and not too sweet.
The menu had food offerings for breakfast, brunch, and lunch, and the Farm Breakfast appealed to me the most. The serving was enough for two people, and it was perfectly prepared and delicious. It was the fuel I needed to continue with my day.
Magnolia
Magnolia is an experience that includes the Shops at the Silos, Silos Baking Co., and Magnolia Home. It was less than a 5-minute drive from Magnolia Table. When the Silos came into view, I could hardly contain my excitement. Like my first sighting of Hotel 1928, it was thrilling to see something I had only seen on TV for the first time.
Silos Baking Co. was at the top of my list of places to go at Magnolia. Photos and videos of long lines outside the bakery on social media set my expectations for a long wait, and I was prepared to stand in line to try one of their famous cupcakes. The great thing about traveling off-season is that you can avoid crowds, and this was true of Silos Baking Co. on the cold, rainy January morning that I visited. There was no line, so I walked in and went straight to the counter. Lunchtime was approaching, and just in case there was a rush, I ordered two cupcakes and took photos while I waited for them.
My husband chose Strawberries ’N Cream, which he consumed immediately, and I chose Lemon Lavender, which I ate the next morning with the coffee that was delivered to our room at the hotel. The lemon frosting was light, airy, and not too sweet. The lavender flavored cupcake was soft inside, and while the flavor wasn’t to my personal taste, I still treasured the experience of visiting the bakery.
After leaving Silos Baking Co., I spent the next couple of hours browsing the stores at Magnolia. There wasn’t anything at the top of my shopping list, but it was nice to take my time and embrace the individuality and essence of each store.
In the middle of the Shops at the Silos is a ballpark that pays homage to Katy Park, a minor league baseball field that was the home of the Waco Cubs until the 1930s. In fact, the home base of this ballpark sits in the same place as it was in the 30s. A wiffle ball field named Katy Ballpark was added to the grounds of Magnolia in 2020. Free equipment is available near the field for any guest that wants to start a quick pickup game.
Katy Park hosted baseball legends Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, and in November 2020, Scott Rogers Sculpture was commissioned to design a Babe and Lou statue for Katy Ballpark. Installation of the sculpture was completed on May 25, 2022, and it is a wonderful place to stop and take a photo of (or with) the two legends.
Lou Gehrig is seated on the left, and Babe Ruth is seated on the right.
The next stop on the Magnolia grounds is The Old Church.
Built in 1894 and formerly called Second Presbyterian Church, this structure was one of Waco’s oldest buildings. It sat vacant for over 30 years and was purchased in 2017 by Chip and Joanna. In 2020, it was moved to the Silos and given a new frame and foundation. The church was rebuilt by moving it piece by piece to keep most of its architectural elements intact.
One of the most significant and impactful things that I saw during my visit was painted on the side of the Magnolia Home building. The short sentence printed in big, bold, black letters was very familiar to me because the words are written on the last page of every Magnolia Journal magazine in the Magnolia Manifesto:
“Everyone has a story worth telling” resonated with me because of the story I share about my breast cancer journey and the stories that have been shared with me in return. I strongly believe that no matter your situation or circumstance, there is someone who can benefit from your life’s story.
Taking In the Details
Here’s the funny thing about travel: conditions don’t have to be perfect to have a good time.
The weather during my stay at Hotel 1928 was cold, cloudy, and rainy, but I was having such a great time exploring the hotel and taking in the wonder of seeing it in person that it felt like sunshine the entire time I was there.
After visiting Magnolia, we drove back to the hotel, which was about 5 minutes away from the silos. We parked on the street opposite of the hotel again, and I walked a few feet to take a few photos of the outside of the hotel. We arrived the night before, and I didn’t get to take a good look at the building in the daylight.
If you take a close look at the bottom right of the first photo, you’ll notice something just outside the hotel’s entrance that could easily be missed. Do you see the handprints near the front entrance?
Here’s a closeup. 🔍
Returning into the warmth of the lobby, I paid attention to the lighting in the foyer because I noticed that it was an element repeated in the sitting area above the library. When I decorate the spaces in my home, I am aware of how much the right lighting matters. Hotel 1928 made use of beautiful lighting throughout the common areas.
The gift shop was my next stop, not because I wanted to buy anything, but because I wanted to get a closer look at the antique cash register Jo chose for the space. The day she chose the cash register on the show, she mentioned that she would sometimes work with her mother at a mall gift shop in Kansas, and the register there was just like the one she selected for the gift shop. It was a perfect decorative accessory for the space.
Hotel 1928 is truly designed with opportunities to “step back in time and stay a while”. There is no lack of seating areas throughout the hotel, and at almost every turn, there are opportunities to relax on stylish, comfortable sofas and chairs.
The opportunity to sit down and relax is visible in the charming area that greets guests who walk past the gift shop. Up a few short steps and right in my line of sight is an area meant for conversation. A beautiful white fireplace grounds the space, and it is surrounded by built-in shelving with books and curated decorative objects.
We had reservations later that evening at Bertie’s on the Rooftop, and this area provided a cozy choice for relaxation before dinner.
Bertie’s on the Rooftop
About an hour before our scheduled reservation at Bertie’s, I received a text message letting me know that there were open tables available. The message offered me the choice of arriving at the restaurant for an earlier meal. I opted to keep our original time because I wanted to spend more time exploring the hotel.
The elevator for Bertie’s on the Rooftop is located at the end of a cozy hallway. On the same evening I arrived at Hotel 1928, Will gave me a quick tour and showed me how to access the elevator. I figured he must’ve known that we were going to dine there at some point during our stay. 😉
We entered Bertie’s and were quickly seated. We had almost the entire restaurant to ourselves, which made it easy for me to take pictures. The restaurant is beautifully decorated in hues of green, gold, and salmon.
The restaurant name honors the architects of the original Hotel 1928 building, Roy Ellsworth Lane and Herbert M. Greene. Brunch is served here from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday.
After looking over the menu, my husband and I decided to order the seared sea bass served with white rice, bok choy, and ginger scallion, which was very pleasing to both our palates.
The ladies restroom at Bertie’s, which was decorated in the same hues as the restaurant, was worthy of its own photographs.
We were leaving the hotel the next day, and before retiring to our room, I wanted to make sure I had explored every area that was accessible to me.
You would think that the lobby would have been one of the first places that I photographed when I arrived the day before, but with so much excitement about seeing the hotel and the room, I realized that I did not have a single photo of the space.
One of the things that was restored and kept as a part of the hotel was the roof. In one of the episodes of “Fixer Upper: The Hotel” that featured the final walkthrough, Joanna expressed her joy in seeing how the original roof complimented the design of the lobby. I thought it looked amazing!
Departure and Takeaways
The next morning, a knock on the door at 8:00 a.m. signaled the final coffee delivery of my stay. It was bittersweet knowing that I would be back on the road home in a few hours, and I was able to enjoy one last cup of coffee before check out.
Whether it’s one week long or a few short days, every trip I have been on has takeaways, and this trip was no different.
Hotel 1928 opened on November 3, 2023, and my stay was in January 2024. It’s still a brand new hotel. That being said, any guest staying at the hotel in its infancy will find things that they love and things that could be better.
Pros:
- As expected after watching “Fixer Upper: The Hotel”, the attention to detail and design throughout the hotel is incredible. Watching the show before my visit made it easier to find points of interest during my stay.
- The interior is luxurious, yet it feels warm and welcoming.
- The menu offered in both restaurants is well thought out and worth spending the money to dine at the hotel.
- The staff members I encountered during my stay were friendly and helpful.
- Booking a room during the hotel’s shoulder season made it easier to explore the interior of the hotel without crowds.
- The weather conditions in January made it much easier to navigate Magnolia because there weren’t as many guests on the property.
Cons:
- For the room accommodations, the mattress on my bed was stiff and uncomfortable. On the first night, I tossed and turned trying to find a comfortable position to sleep. If you’re used to sleeping on a softer mattress, this could be an issue.
- The carafe was one of the small touches of luxury that made our stay special, but there was inconsistency in the delivery of the water carafe at turndown. On the second night of our stay, there was no carafe in the room. Both my husband and myself take medication with water before bedtime. I called the front desk and asked if I could drink the bottled water in the room without charge.
- Weather can be unpredictable during any season of travel, and the weather conditions in January hampered our ability to dine outdoors. This only means that I need to return to the hotel during a warmer time of the year to experience dining on the rooftop at Bertie’s.
The pros of Hotel 1928 outweigh the cons, and I had the privilege to witness the beauty of what I saw on the show in-person. My set-jetting visit to Hotel 1928 felt as if I was stepping right into luxury, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend that you book your own stay to indulge yourself in a one-of-a-kind experience.
Let’s Talk
-What are your preferences for amenities in a hotel?
-Which element of a hotel stay do you enjoy the most (restaurants, room service, etc.)?
-What do you like about the experience of staying at smaller boutique hotels?
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