Fredericksburg is Getting a Showcase New Hotel That Embraces Historic Preservation and Its Pioneer Roots

Acknowledging Fredericksburg as the epicenter of Texas Wine Country and as gateway to the Texas Hill Country, we are looking forward to the newest hostelry in which to hang our hats in this charming village combo of German heritage and Texas gusto. While we will have to wait until late summer of 2022 for the unveiling of the Albert Hotel, there is already plenty to reveal about the 110-room property that will embrace historic preservation with a nod to contemporary sensibilities.

Austin-based New Waterloo — an independent hospitality development, design and management company — has unveiled plans for the hotel located on a two-acre site facing Frederickburg’s bustling Main Street. The project site is that of the area’s pioneering Keidel family’s homestead and pharmacy.

Historical note: Dr. Wilhelm Keidel arrived in Fredericksburg as the town doctor and judge in 1847, the year after the town was founded. His son, Victor Keidel, was a doctor and pharmacist, famous for riding his palomino steed at the head of the centennial parade. The third generation Keidel was architect Albert, who was noted for his efforts, beginning in the 1930s to restore and renovate old rock structures into comfortable homes.

The hotel is named in honor of Albert Keidel for his contributions to the vernacular architecture of Fredericksburg.

“New Waterloo worked with the Keidel family to execute a vision that transforms their original family homestead into a one-of-a-kind hospitality destination,” Patrick Jeffers, New Waterloo chief development officer and partner, says in a statement. “The historical significance, beauty and character of the existing buildings, along with their location in the golden blocks of town, capture the soul of the Hill Country.”

The hotel proper is tucked away behind the four buildings original to the site, allowing a quiet retreat from the pulsating village center. With two acres across which to spread, the project will include a 2,000 square foot spa, a 3,600 square foot event space, a 1,200 square-foot mezzanine deck and event lawn, plus a swimming pool, meandering gardens and pathways. On-site watering holes will include three restaurants and two bars.

As for those 110 rooms, guests can choose from bunk rooms, suites and a private house, each with tailored amenities and custom-designed furniture. The new construction employs wood, limestone brick, stone and steel to create “a natural palette for its more contemporary form, which is designed to be both differentiated and compatible with the original buildings.”

New Waterloo tapped Austin-based Clayton Korte as architect for the project that will subtly integrate new construction with the four original historic structures.

“The hotel environment is a push-pull of masculine and feminine, historic and new,” New Waterlook director of design Melanie Raines says. “The architecture of Albert Hotel nods to Fredericksburg’s future, while the interior design reflects the softer side of Albert’s global sensibilities. Material-driven, layered and eclectic, the design is warm and unfussy, with unexpected discoveries throughout.”

New Waterloo’s diverse portfolio includes Austin’s historic Hotel Ella, South Congress Hotel, El Rey Court hotel in Santa Fe, New Mexico and Austin restaurants La Condesa, Il Brutto, Central Standard, Mañana, Otoko, Café No Se, Sway and Butler Pitch & Putt.