Meyer Hotel: Looking ahead, remembering what was lost

COMFORT: BOUNCING BACK

Venue’s appeal expanded by owners

COMFORT — As the Hill Country marks a year since the devastating July Fourth floods, the team behind The Meyer Hotel is reflecting on both the losses endured and the resilience carrying the community forward.

“A year on, our hearts remain with every family and community changed forever by last

Editor’s note: The raging Guadalupe River flood of July 4, 2025, wreaked havoc across the Hill Country, claiming hundreds of lives and causing billions of dollars in damage.

While no Kendall County residents perished, the rising waters took a toll on commerce.

Businesses in Comfort saw a drop in customers, and supplies of free food and no-cost care products for rescue and recovery teams also bit into the bottom line. Already hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, the July Fourth storm further rocked Comfort merchants.

A year later, the Boerne Star in a continuing series is chronicling the town’s rebirth and showcasing recovering businesses as residents roll up their sleeves, rebuild and get ready to “Bounce Back” once again.

July’s floods,” said Julia Dedo Van Maanen, marketing director for French Cowboys, owners of The Meyer Hotel. “The Hill Country lost neighbors, friends and children, and no amount of time or recovery lessens that. We hold them in our thoughts as this anniversary passes.”

The 2025 catastrophe started with an early morning deluge that swelled the Guadalupe River starting in Kerrville and swept through homes and encampments, eventually claiming 139 lives.

The Meyer Hotel, 845 High St. along the banks of Cypress Creek, has been a fixture of the community since 1860. Originally built by Friedrich Christian Meyer, the historic property combines preserved German architecture with modern amenities, offering visitors a connection to the town’s heritage, staffers said.

French Cowboys founders Franklin Dusserre and Dylan Petrich say they have expanded the hotel’s appeal as a venue for weddings, celebrations and weekend retreats.

The hotel — surrounded by towering trees and historic buildings — remains one of Comfort’s most recognizable landmarks, locals said.

While both The Meyer Hotel and its sister property, Camp Comfort, remained open during the flood and its aftermath, Van Maanen acknowledged the year following the disaster brought significant challenges.

“We are grateful to be part of a town as resilient as Comfort,” she said. “The neighbors, first responders and volunteers who showed up for one another are the reason so many were kept safe. That spirit is what carried all of us through the year that followed.”

The flood struck during one of the busiest tourism periods of the year, creating an immediate impact on local businesses including the hotel, officials said.

According to Van Maanen, widespread cancellations and a decline in visitor traffic created hurdles many businesses are still working to overcome.

“Both of our Comfort properties, Camp Comfort and The Meyer Hotel, came through the flood and never closed their doors,” she said. “But we won’t pretend the year since has been easy.”

Despite those challenges, the company continued investing in its properties. Improvements over the past year have included the addition of a sauna and a cold plunge at Camp Comfort, as well as renovations to a common gathering space at The Meyer Hotel.

“What has kept us going is the support of this community and the guests who chose to come back,” Van Maanen said. “Even through a hard stretch, we’ve kept investing in both properties because we believe in this place and its future.”

As Comfort continues its recovery, The Meyer Hotel remains committed to welcoming visitors and supporting the community that has sustained it for more than 165 years, staffers said.

“Our commitment has not changed: We are here for the long haul,” Van Maanen said. “Rebuilding, for us and for so many of our neighbors, is still a work in progress. We remain grateful to our community, and we look forward to welcoming more people back to Comfort to experience everything that makes this place worth rebuilding for.”

“What has kept us going is the support of this community and the guests who chose to come back.”

— Julia Dedo Van Maanen