“I always make this common joke where I think if I had just turned left instead of right, I'd be a lot richer,” says Jayson Seidman. “But instead I took an alternate route where I wanted to only go up for properties that evoked an emotion and that I felt like had either a cool story or just really felt good.” Seidman, along with wife and partner Paris Neill, are the creative and business force behind a growing list of hotels, from New Orleans to San Antonio, that are as much places to be at as they are places to stay at. With properties like Thunderbird Marfa and The Drifter, Seidman and Neill have created destinations that walk the line between retro (without being kitsch) and modern (without being cold), and that offer a relaxed, local charm that invites guests to eat, drink, linger, and yes, maybe stay the night too. “For me it's like, would I wanna hang out there?” Seidman explains.