Day Trips: Flophouze Hotel, Round Top
Repurposed shipping containers become chic lodging
By Gerald E. McLeod, Fri., April 27, 2018
The Flophouze Hotel outside of Round Top doesn't look like a boutique hotel from the highway. The red and blue shipping containers look like, well, six cargo containers you might see strapped to an oceangoing freighter or a railroad car.
From the other end, the long, narrow metal boxes reveal their unique characteristics. Each one has a small deck with Adirondack chairs overlooking a lush pasture and the sunset. In the yard of each unit is a fire pit surrounded by chairs and a rope hammock. This is obviously a place to relax.
The cabins may be shaped like mobile homes, but the insides are more rustic chic than luxury, double-wide fashionable. Each one has a living room, kitchenette with coffee maker, refrigerator, and microwave, a surprisingly spacious bathroom, and a comfortable bedroom. Large windows and reclaimed wood paneling give the rooms a bright and airy feel.
"No two are alike," says owner Matt White.
White also owns Recycling the Past, an architectural salvage business that shares the 5-acre lot with the hotel. A native of New Jersey, he has attended the Round Top antique fairs for 20 years. He decided to move part of his business from the Northeast and finally had room to try the shipping container hotel concept.
"I'm a Lincoln Log, Lego kind of guy," White says. "I'm always looking for a way to put things together differently."
The Flophouze Hotel is at 1132 FM 1291, about a 15-minute drive from downtown Round Top. Depending on the unit, the rooms can accommodate from three to six guests and rent for $175 to $200 per night. For more information, go to www.flophouze.com or call 979/353-2627.
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