Day Trips: Flophouze Hotel, Round Top

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.

1,396th in a series. Follow "Day Trips & Beyond," a travel blog, at austinchronicle.com/daily/travel.