Inside C. Baldwin’s Grand Opening Blowout!

Gloria Gaynor Performs
Gloria Gaynor Performs

Gloria Gaynor Performs

Nearly 2,000 hip Houstonians — including Lynn Wyatt, Becca Cason Thrash, Houston Ballet and Houston Texans stars, and hometown hip-hopper Slim Thug — hit the C. Baldwin hotel for a first glimpse of the glam new common spaces, including Chris Cosentino's Rosalie restaurant and the lobby's Sloan/Hall boutique.


The hotel, a Curio Collection by Hilton property that was previously a DoubleTree, adopted a theme of powerful women throughout its renovation. The C. Baldwin is named for Charlotte Baldwin Allen, the unsung “mother of Houston," and the leadership team that brought it to life is made up almost entirely of females. Not to mention, Cosentino's Rosalie, inspired by his Italian grandmother, homages another great gal.

So it's no surprise that the grand-opening festivities were inspired by girl power. The famous quote, “Well behaved women rarely make history," lit up as a popular photo backdrop, and a 111-foot “living wall," made of plants," displayed the letter “X." This gesture was inspired by a time when Baldwin was prohibited from signing her own name on biz documents, and served to remind party guests to make their mark on the world.

Surprise concerts by The Suffers and Gloria Gaynor continued the theme.

Party People
Reyna Group Owner Leads Real Estate Market with Passion and Excellence

MICHELLE REYNA WYMES, a distinguished name in the Houston real estate market, is the owner of the successful boutique brokerage, Reyna Group. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Michelle has deep-rooted connections to the community she serves with dedication and pride.

Keep Reading Show less

The lobby of White Elephant Palm Beach

COVERED IN VERDANT vines and flanked by tall palm trees, the entrance to the White Elephant Palm Beach feels like passing into a stately home, rather than one of the island’s newest resorts. The building is 101 years old, and while the original footprint and façade remain, the interior has a decidedly updated, ultra-luxe beach vibe.

Keep Reading Show less

Photographer Jhane Hoang with two covers she photographed

ONE OF Houston CityBook’s most beloved photographers was recently diagnosed with stage four cervical cancer. Jhane Hoang has been behind the camera for some of the magazine’s most ambitious shoots — including an overnight shoot at the then-new Weiss Energy Hall at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, and a cold rainy shoot at the Houston Zoo where the crew used a concessions stand as a staging area for hair and makeup.

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment