Port A, on Mustang Island, is where we were looking to buy. Still am, if we can find the right property -- we fell in love with the island, the airport, and the people.
I wish you luck on your coastal endeavors, Jay... I've personally not been to Port A but have heard good things from down there..
As a Houston "native" and closer to Galveston than Houston, I have to say Galveston is not a bad alternative from a big picture standpoint. The Strand historical district is bouncing back after Ike, and the Island bills itself as a family friendly environment for spring break and summer.
As PJ said, Galveston is former military, Mile long runways, Air Museum on field, a Schlitterbahn water park franchise is also on the former airport proper, and it is billed as year round - has retractable roof for cold/bad weather. Moody Gardens is adjacent to the field, and also on the former mil field footprint, they have parking on a portion of the old East-West Runway. Moody gardens has year round indoor attractions. There is Mardi Gras in Feb. There is the Lone Star Motorcycle Rally in the fall, which is fairly young, but is bested in size only by Sturgis, Daytona and Austin rallies. Both of those events fill the hotels, and both crowds spend money. Springtime has lots of prom kids and spring breakers, and it stays seasonable enough that the summer season lasts from spring break til October. County lifeguards (ocean trained, part of the Sheriff's Dept) on seawall beaches from about 1st street to about 53'rd street
Uncertain if there is anything already built that falls into your desired property preference, but I will pay attention next time I drive by there. Drawbacks... the island demographics aren't the best. Most of the population east of the airport is lower socioeconomic status, many pockets of public housing, and many of the structures are over 50 years old wooden affairs, some known as shotgun shacks. Once you are off seawall, broadway or The Strand, there really isn't much to look at and some of it can be scary in the daylight, let alone night. Out west of the airport (and end of the seawall) is where most of the islands money resides but even that is a relative term.
Now, if I had to pick a place to put my money, based on places I've been and like to go... I'd be picking something in New Braunsfels, Texas.
BIG summer business centered around tubing/rafting the Guadelupe. Decent sized govt run airfield just east of town. 5 mins from old town Gruene (tourist trap with old town feel, AMAZING restaurant -Grist Mill) and the beginning of River Road and its outfitters. In New B proper is the original schlitterbahn water park, its ginormous, and uses spring water rather than chlorinated water. Also is a spring fed river that people go tubing on as well through town. Its about 20-25 miles north of San Antonio, and the world famous riverwalk and on the other side of San Antonio is Fiesta Texas and Sea World.
I cannot comment about off season, and that may be the Achilles Heel of this whole idea.... I know you have to plan business based on year round income. BUT.. last time I stayed in a hotel room in New B.. I paid 80 bucks for motel 6 for one night. The market supports those kind of prices.
20-30 miles up the road is San Marcos, with "Texas State University" (formerly Southwest Texas State, before they rebranded away from the party school rep). Not NCAA I football, but Austin up the road less than 1 hr has the Longhorns, and Austin is NOT GA friendly so you might even pull some of the UT alums coming for games.
I know College Station/ Texas A&M (their arch rivals in Texas) gets saturated with Aggies coming to watch the games, and they park HUNDREDS of planes on one of the runways there for the game crowd. No idea if Austin has that kind of pull.
IF you decide to build or buy a hotel on the coast, my honest recommendation to you is to also branch out in to beach houses. Buy up a handful of varying properties that are several rows back from the vegetation line (in anticipation of future storms). Many of the beach houses are set up to bunk large quantities of people.. up to 10-15 or more in a 4 bedroom house for family or group get-togethers.. and the going rates tend to be substantial for weekend or weeklong rentals. One month during the summer season will cover the overhead for most of the year. 2 months will make it profitible. And they rent year round. So IF Port A goes through for you, consider getting a few beach properties, and have your housekeeping and maintenance guy for the hotel cover those as well. Rental beach houses typically are marketed as furnished, but you bring your own linens and towels. Its something I have genuinely considered getting into in the next few years.
House rentals in the Canyon Lake/New Braunsfels area are also pretty popular but mostly during the summer season. Many of the riverfront house rental properties have clients/families who return year after year after year, and I've seen "logbooks" in one house where the same groups of families leave little scribbles for over 20 years.. Same furnishing rules apply.
I wish you luck, Jay, and hope you find something that will meet your needs and fill a market niche. Im happy to see how business is turning out for you, and remember the days you first considered getting out of the paper business and getting into the hotel business. My how time flies.
