Houston Hotels to stay in while visiting Houston!

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Renaissance Houston
6 E. Greenway Plaza
(713) 629-1200

Renaissance Houston Hotel is Greenway Plaza’s only hotel. The 20-story hotel with 389 rooms is connected to the Houston City Club, where hotel guests can enjoy everything from the indoor tennis courts to a jogging contract. The hotel is also attached to Greenway Plaza shops, which include Landmark Greenway Cinema. It’s a convenient place to stay especially if you’re going to a basketball or hockey game or even a concert at Compaq Center. Rooms on the concierge floor are best because guests receive complimentary continental breakfast and evening cocktails. The rooms are very eclectic with interesting artwork, which makes the hotel unique from others. On site, guests can also take a swim in the outdoor pool or take a dip in the Jacuzzi. For exercise enthusiasts there’s a fully equipped gym, locker rooms and sauna. The hotel has one full-service restaurant, which also serves as a sports bar.

Sam Houston Hotel
1117 Prairie
(832) 200-8800

The Sam Houston Hotel is within walking distance from the Theater District and Minute Maid Park on Prairie Street. Houstonians and out-of-towners get a bit of history the moment they walk in the door. A huge seven-panel print of the battle of San Jacinto graces the lobby wall. Owner and Houston native Barbara Stovall-Smith wanted to create an atmosphere where Wall Street meets Texas and that she did. Check in allows guests to sit, not stand, at the front desk and 27-inch flat screen surround sound televisions are in all the rooms. If guests want an even bigger picture, suites have 42-inch plasma screen televisions, where the movies really come alive. For a romantic evening, the Sam Houston has a breathtaking veranda. Here the staff can accommodate parties from two to 200. Got the munchies at any hour? The kitchen is always open at the hotel’s restaurant, The Rivera Grille. It offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. We went for the Sunday brunch and I highly recommend the French toast with cheese grits!

The Magnolia
1100 Texas St.
(713) 221-0011

Another boutique hotel Houstonians are buzzing about is The Magnolia. It, too, is in the heart of downtown but is adjacent to the Historic District. In 1999, Denver-based Stevens Holtze Corporation bought the historic 1926 Post-Dispatch building and transformed it into a sophisticated hotel. The bathrooms are extra-large with oversized soaking tubs. The rooms are contemporary featuring velvet draperies, marble top bathroom countertops and custom-made furniture to fit all 314 rooms. Services include a complimentary continental breakfast, happy hour with great hors d’ oeuvres and get this, late night cookies and milk. This is a hotel after my own heart. Whether guests want to relax with their significant other or meet a group of friends, The Magnolia Club is the gathering hot spot on the second floor. It features a library, a billiard and game room and a bar.

The Houstonian Hotel
111 N. Post Oak Ln.
(713) 680-2626

The Houstonian Hotel has recently remodeled its 280 rooms. One of the appealing aspects of the rooms is the floor to ceiling windows. Guests get the illusion they’re not really staying in a hotel. If you’re like me and you like the hotel goodies, all the bath and shower products are from Garden Botanika. Olivette is the hotel’s restaurant; it blends Mediterranean charm and cuisine from the south of France, the northern coast of Italy and southern Spain and Africa. Want to golf? Houstonian guests have an all access pass to the Redstone Golf Club, the new home of the Houston Open. (I’m told the greens are challenging yet playable.) I’m more into the Trellis Spa. With 19 treatment rooms, six facial rooms, seven manicure stations and four pedicure chairs, Trellis is the ultimate place for relaxation. Guests can literally check in for the entire day. It also offers massages, body wraps and facials, plus, private lockers and a Jacuzzi.

Hotel Derek
2525 W. Loop South
(713) 961-3000

You may have already experienced Maverick’s bar at the Hotel Derek. It’s a hot spot for singles to mix and mingle. Get a martini or get the menu to order a meal. Currently, Maverick serves up Southwestern cuisine but is getting ready to update its entrees. The chef told me new items include pork ribs, El Paso beef or chicken wrap and Marquesa salad with spicy shredded beef or chicken served with cheddar cheese and corn salsa. Meanwhile, the hotel is very crisp and contemporary in design. It sits in the heart of Houston’s shopping and dining district, the Galleria. The rooms are very spacious and guests may want to ask for a Westheimer side room because the view of the Galleria is truly grand. And, believe it or not even though it’s a heavy traffic area, the noise isn’t really noticeable. The workout facility is first class offering stair steppers, treadmills, stationary bicycles and free weights. For total relaxation, take a dip in the outdoor pool or get personalized treatments in the spa suites. By the way, Hotel Derek’s car service will take you anywhere within a three-mile radius.

The Warwick Hotel
5701 Main St.
(713) 521-1991

The Warwick Hotel is traditional yet classic and has always been one of my favorite hotels in Houston. Partly because of its unbelievable location in the middle of the museum district. It’s perfect for a weekend retreat. The concierge staff is at your service. They’ll not only get tickets to events for you, they’ll take you there. From downtown theatres and museums to golf courses and restaurants, it’s just a matter of picking up the phone and making the call. The Warwick has also completed a multi-million dollar restoration of its 308 rooms back to its original historic landmark grandeur. Offering a spa, sauna, shops and restaurant, when guests check in, they seldom ever leave. Parents if you want to get away and you can’t find a place for the kids to stay, bring them along. The hotel offers babysitting and childcare services.

La Colombe d’Or
3410 Montrose
(713) 524-2600

La Colombe D’or was once the home of W.W. Fondren the founder of Humble Oil. Today it’s one of the cities and the world’s most elegant and exquisite luxury hotels. With only six suites featuring a mixture of original art and antiques, it’s a no wonder it’s so exclusive. Everyone from international dignitaries to entertainment divas has slept here. Built in 1923, La Colombe D’or embraces the past yet is equipped with all modern amenities. Old and stuffy it’s not — more like original and sophisticated. The 2,000-square-foot penthouse is most impressive. It features a mural of the French countryside, private dressing area and a lavish marble bathroom. The main dining room is internationally acclaimed and serves French cuisine. One of La Colombe D’or’s many claims to fame is being named one of America’s “Top Tablesâ€

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little late for that...go back to posting all your pretty pictures