Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1344694
T his month is the Round Top Antiques Spring Show, March 18 through April 4, with 24 miles of antiques, vintage goods, design, and art filling tents, barns, and pavilions in the open fields along Highway 237. More than 100,000 people descend on the tiny hamlet of Round Top — population 90 when it's not the antiques shows — and along the highways and byways of Burton, Carmine, Warrenton, and Fayetteville. Round Top is exploding with new year-round antiques and design shops, tiny hotels, and good restaurants. And PaperCity is there, having acquired Round Top Magazine, Round Top Antiques Show Guide, and roundtop.com, as well as the showcase pavilions The Halles. Here's a rundown on what's new in Round Top and why you need to be there. ROUND ABOUT ROUND TOP Y ou won't find a fitness center at Round Top's new Hotel Lulu — but that's kind of the point, darling. What you will find is a charming hotel with a little dolce vita, says Cinda Palacios (aka Lulu), who opens the hotelcita with her husband, Armando Palacios, this month. Hotel Lulu, with the first piscina in Round Top proper, is the latest offering in the much-loved Palacios Murphy Hospitality g r o u p : L u l u 's , Mandito's Tex Mex, and Popi Burger in Round Top. Hotel Lulu, which offers urban amenities in a charming small town, is comprised of six historic bungalows in the heart of town on a one-acre square, formerly known as Bybee Square, and an additional off-site private Annex with three charming cottages that sleep up to 10 (guests have pool and room- service access). The atmosphere at Hotel Lulu begs one to slow down and enjoy a vibe reminiscent of '70s Italian culture, poolside with a Negroni. Pop in to Lulu's restaurant adjacent to the hotel. Rooms start at $175 per night. Hotel Lulu, 204 E. Mill St., Round Top, 979.249.5171, hotellulutx.com. Anne Lee Phillips COURTESY LEIGH KENO, KENO AUCTIONS Leigh Keno comes to The Halles LA VITA APPRAISING WE WILL GO WITH LEIGH KENO O n e o f A m e r i c a 's best-known antique authorities, Leigh Keno, heads to Round Top. You might know him as one of the dashing Keno Brothers of PBS renown. Calendar Wednesday, March 31 for Leigh Keno's personal appearance and appraisal event at the newly minted venue The Halles, founded and owned by PaperCity's Round Top Publishing. Bundle up your finds and bring them to The Halles, where Keno's keen eye and decades of expertise guide you to the value of your cherished heirlooms. President of Keno Auctions on NYC's Upper East Side, he presides over pedigreed — and often record-setting — art, furniture, and objects. "I'm very excited to see what treasures will turn up at Appraisal Day at The Halles," says Keno. Keno's Round Top appearance is made possible, in part, by Ruby Lane, which will live-stream his walk-through of the show, with top picks and dealer interviews, on rubylane.com. Leigh Keno Appraisal Day, Wednesday, March 31, 2 to 7 pm, at The Halles, 1465 N. Texas Highway 237; tickets $100; appraisal fee, if selected, $100, includes admission ticket; tickets and submission portal for your items (furniture; artwork; Asian, European, and American ceramics) for an appraisal by Keno at roundtop.com/keno. Tickets and appraisal fees benefit Camp for All. Catherine D. Anspon Hotel Lulu Lulu's restaurant JACK THOMPSON 60