Meet Dave Jacoby | Hospitality Developer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dave Jacoby and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dave, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
The advice I often try to give myself is to “give less of a shit”. I find I tend to get so deeply invested in my work that I stress out in ways that are disproportionate to the reality of a given set of circumstances and counter productive. I try to focus on only what I can control and release the burden of what I can’t.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
It took me longer than it should have to prioritize surrounding myself with people and projects that I find creatively stimulating. I spent some time in various consulting and financial services roles because I either thought they’d be lucrative or I because I thought my prior experience was directing me to do so.

In developing Hotel Lucine and its brand, we very consciously selected creative partners, investors, vendors, etc. that are not only good at what they do but also get along on a personal level. I find people genuinely look forward to Hotel Lucine work interactions, which creates a more enjoyable day to day and at times a level of “buy in” I don’t think we’d otherwise organically get. This strategy seems obvious in hindsight but it has taken a few years to implement and I’m happy we did.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
First and foremost, we’d spend a bunch of time at Hotel Lucine. We’d be sure to hit brunch and dinner at our signature restaurant, The Fancy, grab a cocktail on the roof bar and in the Den, and enjoy coffee, pool time, etc. I’m always a fan of a good sunrise paddle on a SUP board. Our friend rents them at 27th St. and on the right day the water is smooth as glass and you have a pretty got shot at floating next to some dolphins. We’d definitely make sure to grab lunch at Fish Company Taco on 23rd St. As the name suggests they have fresh fish tacos prepared in a variety of ways, plus some other items and a daily special. It’s one of Galveston’s hidden gems.

Galveston is also known for its very rich history. I just visited the newly opened Juneteenth museum at Ashton Villa. It’s a great overview of some aspects of Galveston’s African American history.

Galveston is full of quirky characters and hidden gems, so I always make sure to leave a bunch of un-programmed time so we can go off script at take whatever the island gives us. You never know what that will be, but it’ll be something.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to give a shout out to my wife, Keath Jacoby. She’s been my partner in all things in life for years, and is more recently my partner in our development of Hotel Lucine. She primarily focused on our marketing efforts but her reach is so much greater. She has a great compass for “what’s right” – be it aesthetically, morally, or in all kinds of other ways. She helps me navigate so much both when in a work setting as well as on the home front where we have 3 young kids that keep us on our toes.

Website: hotellucine.com

Instagram: @hotellucine

Image Credits
The rendering was designed by Kartwheel Studio. The image of the champagne in a plastic cup was photographed by Sam Wiley. Historic image of the interior courtyard is unknown.