League City woman turned Galveston home into Airbnb for bachelorette parties

While looking for the perfect location for her bachelorette party in 2019, Laura Garcia ran into a common issue: there were not any close, woman-centered locations to relax at in the Houston area.

“Everywhere I looked said ‘go to Austin, go to Nashville, go to Arizona,’ but nothing was here,” Garcia said. “It was really frustrating because being local we don’t always have the money to just spend it on an Airbnb, flights and things like that.”

Although she ended up eventually choosing a location for her pre-wedding celebration, Garcia kept the idea of a girly getaway near Houston in the back of her mind.

Four years later, Garcia and her husband purchased a property in Galveston and named it Girlie Grounds, dedicating themselves to giving women near Houston a getaway spot of their own. 

Located in the center of Galveston, Girlie Grounds provides proximity to the beach, restaurants and more local Galveston fare while providing the atmosphere, treats and services for a girls trip on site. Along with the glitzy remodel and decorations, like golden power outlets and an outdoor pool deck, Garcia provides guests with add-on charcuterie boards, options for stocking the fridge and other additional services like facials and massages.

“There’s so many Airbnbs out there that you go and it’s just like another home,” Garcia said. “I wanted this to be something else.  I really just wanted to provide women with local services and businesses in Galveston. What I’m offering is what I wanted, basically a bachelorette place or a girly getaway.”

Visitors are welcomed to host everything from birthday parties, bachelorette parties or just a nice getaway for guests ages 21 and older. Other services like permanent jewelry sessions, golf cart rentals, additional decorations for a bride and more are all available before booking.

Girlie Grounds also has its own mural painted by Gabriel Prusmack, a local artist who also painted murals near the entrance to Galveston and around the city. 

Many of the decorations were bought by Garcia before the property was purchased while she created the concept and aesthetic for Girlie Grounds. Some decorations were also handmade by Garcia, such as the disco tiles around the house. In between working on Girlie Grounds, Garcia works as an agricultural teacher in League City.

“I already had stuff I bought for the property in the truck and my garage was just a little bit overflowing with stuff,” Garcia said. “I work during school and then I go to our (agriculture) barn so I have students that need me to help them with their animals and things like that. So it’s just a lot to deal with.”

Part of the appeal for Garcia is the ability to give back to local businesses and entertainment in Galveston, like the nearby Moody Gardens and food options like The Spot. Garcia also hires local female estheticians and massage therapists for add-on services as well, aiming for an experience on the cusp of and all-inclusive resort experience.

“Let’s just go down to Galveston and, you know, put some money back into our own economy,” Garcia said. “I wanted that ease of going to Girlie Grounds and us taking care of everything for you.”

Although she has received some flak online for catering specifically to women, Garcia said she has mostly seen positive feedback from women who have booked for bachelorette parties, husbands calling to book trips for their wives and families planning to visit for Mother’s day in May. The website for Girlie Grounds even went viral, going from 800 views to 10,000 within days as word spread on social media.

“It’s about linking the girls together and women supporting women,” Garcia said. “I saw a comment on Facebook or somewhere that said “Good luck to your limited audience.” I think they’re underestimating our audience. We can definitely do this.”