Destination: Doing Good

Its look is brightly arty, but what really makes new Hotel Ylem so hip is its big heart.

Anthony Rathbun
JMF_2017_Installs-0028
JMF_2017_Installs-0028

Nestled among the no-frills retail strips and busy convenience stores near NRG Stadium on Main Street, the recently transformed Hotel Ylem stands out. Mostly because of its charitable mission, but also because you can’t miss the huge mural outside on the front wall. A blue-eyed, dark-haired woman in abstractly aquatic environs glances down from 20 feet. “The mural, a positive female force illuminated by water elements, represents the source from which all things come,” says Maneesha Dalwadi, who runs the hotel with her siblings Amitha, Shital and Sumit. “For us, that is mother and water.”


The overhauled former Holiday Inn Express is not only unique in its look — unexpected pops of color and mod accents at every turn, and text-driven art pieces above the beds with messages like “Dance All Day…” and “…Sleep All Night” — but also in its philanthropic focus. Not coincidentally, given its marquee mural, Hotel Ylem (pronounced EYE-lum) gives generously to Charity: Water, which provides clean water to villages around the world.

In addition to 9 percent of everything lobby bar Esperanto takes in — there’s an impressive cocktail menu here, curated by Hal Brock — 100 percent of sales from the minibars in all 79 guest rooms is donated. And the hotel offers guests the option of booking online using the “Charity: Water room rate,” with a flat $10 going to the organization. Furthermore, the lobby walls are exhibition spaces, selling the works of Houston artists, who in turn are asked to give a portion of their proceeds to Charity: Water. “Without clean water, nothing is possible,” says Maneesha of the family’s commitment to the cause.

The Dalwadi siblings, whose dad Jay is an Indian immigrant who built and ran hotels all over the Southwest, also partner with Clean the World, which sanitarily recycles soaps discarded from other hotels every day, helping to reduce environmental waste. They also use paper cups made by Lighthouse Louisiana, an organization that employs people with disabilities. “It’s the little things,” Maneesha says.

Despite its off-the-beaten-track location, Hotel Ylem is getting pretty busy. Complimentary shuttle service to NRG Park and the Med Center make it an affordable option for out-of-towners, and the feel-good factor is icing on the cake. “All of the things our dad achieved, we want to take those things to the next level,” Maneesha says. “And to surround yourself with people who are truly committed to a cause — it gives us a purpose and a reason to get up in the morning.”

AT TOP: The larger-than-life mural outside Hotel Ylem by Houston artist Jana Folmsbee

Food+Travel
Thrive & Inspire: Working with Seniors — ‘America’s Best’ — a Joy for Medicare Expert Justin White

Justin White, Founder of Senior Health Services

WHAT IS THE secret to running a successful business? First, you have to have a mission that you care about. I absolutely love helping people understand Medicare! Secondly, I have always succeeded because the agents I work with know that I care for them and truly want them to succeed. I love developing leaders and watching them soar! If I help them get where they want to be, I will never need to worry about me! We all rise together.

Keep Reading Show less

LeBrina Jackson

AS WE GET into the holiday season, we’re reminded of what we have, what we want and what might be lacking. As Sheryl Crow says in her song, Soak up the Sun, “It’s not having what you want, it’s wanting what you've got.” We caught up with LeBrina Jackson, owner of Escape Spa in Cypress, Texas, and learned how she tackles the holiday season with hope, love and most importantly, gratitude.

Keep Reading Show less

Paella Valenciana at Mi Luna

THOUGH IT'S BEEN in Houston less than a decade, Sof Hospitality has made major inroads with foodies and critics alike. Its concepts include Doris Metropolitan, Hamsa and Badolina Bakery, all of which deliver the rich flavors of Israeli cuisine in complex, photogenic and delicious dishes. Its newest, Októ, opened earlier this year, one of several energetic restaurants to bow in the Montrose Collective, just in time for the holidays.

Keep Reading Show less
Food