The Ruby Hotel & Bar in downtown Round Rock is getting ready for a major glow-up this fall, as the boutique property starts work on a 2,500-square-foot expansion that will turn an existing 1965 home on-site into a dedicated event venue. The added space is designed to handle bigger weddings, conferences, and corporate gatherings, boosting seated capacity to about 150 and total capacity to roughly 225 when combined with the saloon and nearby gathering areas. The new event space, tucked along Brushy Creek near Main Street, is expected to open in 2027.
The hotel’s July 7 announcement was first noted by Community Impact, which reported the 2,500-square-foot figure and added that the full property spans roughly 2.4 acres. The outlet also listed 400 Fannin Ave. as the hotel’s downtown address.
City backing and incentives
Public support for the project traces back to a March 13, 2025 economic development agreement approved by the Round Rock City Council, according to the City of Round Rock. Under that deal, the hotel was authorized to purchase a roughly 1.028-acre parcel at 408 Fannin Avenue and received approval for a four-year, $2.65 million loan for project improvements that must be repaid in full within four years. The city agreed to forgive interest on the loan.
The package also includes a Chapter 380 economic incentive that returns 75% of hotel-occupancy and property tax receipts to the hotel through 2029. In return, the agreement gives the city access to the event center for five days per year, an arrangement city officials say helps balance private development with public benefit.
Hotel background and timeline
The Ruby opened in 2019 after its owners renovated a mid-century house into a 39-room boutique hotel, according to The Ruby Hotel. The hotel’s July announcement describes the new phase as a 2,500-square-foot conversion of the existing house into event space. Community Impact reports the overall project cost is estimated at roughly $5 million and is slated to welcome guests in 2027.
Downtown impact and trail connection
City leaders say the expansion is not happening in a vacuum. According to the City of Round Rock, the deal ties into a broader push to extend the Heritage Trail and develop The Lawn at Brushy Creek. As part of the arrangement, the hotel agreed to sell a portion of the parcel to the city for $750,000 to serve as a landing for a future pedestrian bridge.
Manager of Lake Creek Hotels Bree Carrico told the City Council the new event space will be primarily indoors, with an outdoor deck facing the creek that should give wedding photographers plenty to work with. She added, “We are primarily in the business of selling sleep,” according to the City of Round Rock, framing the event venue as an extension of the hotel’s core business rather than a total reinvention.
Officials say the finished venue is expected to boost downtown Round Rock’s capacity to host weddings and conventions and help draw more visitors to the city’s historic core, turning a once-quiet mid-century home into one of the busier addresses on Brushy Creek.
