Hotel Enshrined In Song By Rapper Drake To Reopen As 'Soft-Branded' Marriott Affiliate

A boutique hotel off Westheimer Road that was memorialized in song by rapper Drake before shuttering last spring is officially being remodeled and rebranded.

Hotel Derek will reopen next year as The Greenleigh, a “soft-branded” affiliate of Marriott International’s Autograph Collection, giving it more flexibility than a fully branded Marriott hotel, the Houston Business Journal reported.

“This is a great opportunity to bring something really special to this area of Houston,” Rockbridge Hospitality Management President Thomas Healy told the HBJ.

Ohio-based Rockbridge owns the 265K SF property at 2525 W. Loop S., just across Loop 610 from The Galleria.

The 312-room Hotel Derek had operated in the building since 2002, when it opened to replace the Red Lion Hotel. Hotel Derek announced in May that it would close in June but promised on its website that it was “passing the baton for the upcoming transformation to a brand new hotel coming soon.” 

The hotel is featured in Drake's song Company, which features Houston-inspired lyrics, including, “I'm posted at the Derek up on Westheimer, hit me when you're done your shift, yeah.” It was the Canadian artist's favorite place to stay while in town, according to Chron.

Healy said the Galleria area has the Post Oak Hotel, but “everything else in the area is a little dated.

“We think that if we can get creative and offer something different, it will do really well,” he told the HBJ.

The Greenleigh’s theme is inspired by the number of migratory birds that pass through Houston each year. Design elements planned for the hotel include a new glaze with printed birds on the windows, which will pay homage to the area’s nature and help prevent real-life birds from crashing into the windows. 

Other plans include moving the entrance to the opposite side of the building, where it will be surrounded by a wall of greenery and trees, adding a new pool area with greenery and water features, transforming the current pool into an event space, and updating the hotel’s rooms and facade, Healy said. 

The hotel is also in negotiations with acclaimed chef Richard Sandoval to open a restaurant in the hotel, the HBJ reported. The hotel’s restaurant space was most recently occupied by Revolve Kitchen + Bar, but five restaurants in 12 years have occupied the space. 

Dallas-based Makeready will handle management of The Greenleigh. The hotel is slated to open in May 2026.