THE PROPERTY. In 1878, Thomas Dudley Wooten, one of the founders of the University of Texas, purchased the land on which Hotel Ella now sits. Wooten’s son, Goodall, moved into the home on the property in 1900 with his new wife, Ella, who oversaw its transformation into a Greek revival mansion. The mansion underwent an extensive renovation in 2013, and now offers the perfect balance between modernity and a rich history rooted in the fabric of the ...