Hidden near Big Bend is one of West Texas' coolest hotels The mission-style hotel gem is called 'The Gateway to Big Bend'

Built in 1927 by the noted El Paso architect, Henry Trost, the 45-room Gage Hotel offers laid-back luxury crossed with a West Texas charm. Built in 1927 by the noted El Paso architect, Henry Trost, the 45-room Gage Hotel offers laid-back luxury crossed with a West Texas charm. Photo: Jason Risner, Gage Hotel Photo: Jason Risner, Gage Hotel Image 1 of / 66 Caption Close Hidden near Big Bend is one of West Texas' coolest hotels 1 / 66 Back to Gallery

Venture out west across that vast expanse of I-10, head straight to Marathon and you’ll stumble onto one of Texas’ true hidden hotel gems, The Gage Hotel. Driving "round these parts," travelers are awed by the wide open spaces, the deep blue sky and the raw beauty of the Texas high desert.

The rugged Texas mountainscape surrounding the Gage Hotel has a way of drawing folks all the way from Houston to take a drive further out and take in breathtaking views at the foot of the Glass Mountains. Truth be told, this little oasis is enough to make you want to “stay a spell.”

Built in 1927 by the noted El Paso architect, Henry Trost, the 45-room Gage Hotel offers laid-back luxury crossed with a West Texas charm. The hotel is considered a stunning example of Mission and Spanish-style design. Conde Nast Traveler once named the Gage Hotel the No. 1 Hotel in Texas for its cowboy chic and authentic luxury accommodations. Since the hotel's restoration in the late seventies by oil and gas financier J.P. Bryan, the hotel has found a new efflorescence.

"It's unique, and it's not a cookie-cutter hotel, " Gage Hotel General Manager, Carol Peterson said. "No two rooms are alike. Guests return because the love the authenticity and uniqueness of the hotel. There's an understated luxury here. The Gage has become a destination hotel, without a doubt."

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Stroll into the Gage Hotel courtyard, and visitors will discover 45 uniquely appointed rooms and casitas surrounded by the 27-acre native landscaped Gage Gardens. If you need to rest and recharge, the hotel features a full-service spa offering services including an espresso mud treatment, heated stone massage and the Eucalyptus steam room.

"What we hear from our guests is that they want to go hiking at Big Bend, 'rough it' on the trail--but always end their trip at the Gage Hotel. It's like getting welcomed into someone's house," Peterson added.

The hotel’s 12-Gage Restaurant keeps guests coming back with their "craveworthy" chicken fried steak. Known as a top West Texas watering hole, The Gage’s White Buffalo Bar serves up what's been named “Best Margarita in Texas” by Saveur Magazine.

The rich history of Marathon is revealed in the Gage Hotel’s history milestones. Captain Albion E. Shepard founded the town of Marathon in 1882 after he noted the town’s striking resemblance to Marathon, Greece. One essential part of the hotel is called Captain Shepard House. Its classic colonial-style building features five spacious bedrooms and a two-room Carriage House.

The Gage Hotel is named after rancher Alfred Gage, who left his home in Vermont at 18 in 1878 to strike out on his own in Texas. After a few decades in Marathon, Gage managed to build a ranching empire of over 500,000 acres. Since Marathon didn’t offer any lodging at that time, Gage decided to build the Gage Hotel to use as a base for his ranching operation.

"The room Alfred Gage had in the hotel was Room 7, which offered a perfect view so that he could look out over all of his ranching empire," Peterson said.

Gage tapped Trost to design his hotel tucked away in the Glass Mountains. Trost also designed Marfa’s famed "El Paisano Hotel," which became headquarters for the crew of the 1956 film “Giant.”

alison.medley@chron.com