Stanton House

Like many mid-sized American cities, Downtown El Paso, Texas has experienced a resurgence in the last few years, and the newly opened Stanton House is another symbol of that revival. Housed in a renovated 100-year-old, four-story building that was formerly a furniture store, it’s been transformed into a boutique hotel that blends rich local history with elegant, art-focused interiors — from the lobby to the guest rooms, every space is filled with artworks from renowned and up-and-coming Mexican, European, and local artists.

Stanton House’s 42 rooms and suites range from 330 to 700 square feet, and though luxe, there’s a touch of minimalism to the décor — the art is always the focus. The artworks on display in the rooms are for sale, and in some rooms, visitors will notice a small reading area with a window overlooking the hotel’s four-story Light-Well, which showcases a mobile light sculpture that illuminates the Taft-Díaz restaurant on the ground floor.

Speaking of which, head chef Oscar Herrera is well known in Juárez, just across the border, for his facility with traditional Mexican flavors and exciting, contemporary ingredients. Nearly 70 tons of steel were used to make the giant atrium-like structure that rises over restaurant, which was named for another cross-border collaboration: the historic 1909 meeting between U.S. President William Taft and Mexico President Porfirio Díaz in El Paso.