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The Albert Hotel, a boutique hotel from the New Waterloo hospitality company, will open eventually at 213 East Austin Street in Fredericksburg. The hotel will feature 110 guest rooms, a sunken pool, a full-service spa, event spaces, three restaurants, and two bars. Originally, the hotel was pegged to open this summer, but it has since been delayed to January 2024
The restaurants will include the Pharmacy, a market-style deli with counter service and pastries housed on Main Street inside the Keidel Pharmacy, built in 1906; Junebug’s BBQ, a barbecue joint in the Brockmann-Kiehne House, a building built in 1870, on Austin Street; and the Restaurant at Albert Hotel. Open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the Restaurant at Albert Hotel will focus on seasonal dishes inspired by the Texas Hill Country such as spring salad, lamb rack with horseradish, and spaetzle. Its wine list will feature a wide range of local and international bottles. A historic bar built in the late 1800s called the White Elephant Saloon will also be on the property.
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The Albert’s restaurant team will be run by Justin Spencer, Amanda Rockman, and Michael Fojtasek. Spencer is New Waterloo’s head of food and beverage. He previously served as beverage director at erstwhile New York City restaurant, Colicchio & Sons, and is a barbecue competition pitmaster. Rockman is New Waterloo’s director of culinary projects and helped open the South Congress Hotel as its executive Pastry Chef and was a contestant on Top Chef: Just Desserts. Fojtasek, who will oversee the Albert Hotel’s food and beverages, is the executive chef and founder of MaieB Hospitality, a three-time James Beard ‘Best Chef, Southwest’ finalist, and, along with Grae Nonas, was the 2015 winner of Eater’s Chefs of the Year award.
The Albert will mark the third collaboration between New Waterloo and MaieB. The companies opened the clubhouse cafe at Butler Pitch & Putt and Maie Day, a steak restaurant at South Congress Hotel.
Clayton Korte, an Austin-based architect whose past work includes Hotel Saint Cecilia and Eberly, is leading the Albert’s design team. The Albert’s entire property will span two acres, and feature old historic buildings as well as contemporary structures.
Update, June 26, 10:33 a.m. This article, originally published on April 12, has been updated to include the Albert’s new projected opening month and year.
