Best place to stay in Houston?
 

My sisters and I will be traveling from Ohio and Virginia at the end of February for our annual Sisters Weekend -- we don't want to rent a car, are flying into IAH, and would like to stay in a nice, safe, central-to-the-sites hotel. Can anyone give us some guidance, as well as 'must see' sites?

Thanks!

I just moved to Houston in August, and I can't imagine not having a car here, even for a weekend. Everything is really spread out. As for hotel recommendations, we stayed at the Magnolia Hotel downtown when we were visiting for interviews etc. We loved it. If you search this board, I think you'll find a couple of other positive reviews on it. Also, for a fun night out check out the Rice Village area. It has lots of cute little restaurants, shops and bars.

Houston is so large that I always end up driving all over the place when I visit. Do you want museums, theater, shopping, NASA space center, Galveston, golf...?

First, you are going to need a car.

Second, what are your interests? Central-to-the-sites depends on the sites.

Third, what is your budget?

If you absolutely can't have a car, then downtown is basically your only choice - and specifically you want downtown hotels close to Main Street, like the Magnolia, so that you can take the light-rail and the buses.

The museum district can be reached by the light-rail, and the Galleria Mall area by bus #82. NASA is theoretically reacheable by bus, but I've never heard of anybody doing that.

Just think about this - a roundtrip taxi ride from IAH to downtown can rent you a car for 2-3 days.

Thanks to all who have responded thus far! Please keep the advice coming, as we are a month away from our trip.

Sounds like we WILL need to rent a car, and I appreciate someone pointing out the cost of a taxi to/from IAH!

Our interests: Well, 3 middle-aged women, we like to SHOP! Not shop at stores that are nationwide, but unique to the city. We also like high-end consignment stores (for collectibles), jewelry stores, good bakeries(!), and unusual/reasonably priced ($10/each) lunch spots. We have very limited time, and the purpose of the trip is to gab as much as possible, so we're not really into gearing around site-seeing.

Sounds like you would want to be in the uptown/Galleria area. There are a number of hotels to choose from in that area. The Houstonian is a very nice one, but there are others as well.

I also agree that you would definitely want a car, especially if you are doing major shopping. Gotta have somewhere safe to put all those packages before heading to another store! :D

Sounds like a fun trip.

I was recently in Houston and rented a car at IAH. I can tell you that it was actually very easy to get around Houston and I was surprised that people there didn't drive faster on the interstates (like in most larger cities). I found it easiest to have my destination directions written down before I started driving. I always use www.mapquest.com for directions. Anyway, I think you won't regret having a car in Houston and I agree that staying in the Galleria area would be best. Expect to get lost inside the Galleria - it's huge! We ate at a restaurant across the street from the Galleria called Canyon Cafe (I think). It was very good. Also had lunch on the third floor of the Galleria. Can't remember the name of the place but they serve salads, sandwiches and fresh fruit. My lunch of chicken salad and fresh fruit was outstanding. Have a great time with your sisters!

I agree that the Galleria is amazing for shopping, it's really just an enormous mall. But it has the stores you can find everywhere else, and it sounds like you want something a little different. Again, I'd recommend Rice Village for this--lots of cute little places down there that you won't find in every big city. Also a great place for lunch is the Empire Cafe, a nice dessert place is The Chocolate Bar, I don't have addresses on these as I'm still new and can't remember street names. You can find them and others at houston.citysearch.com. Let us know if you have any other questions!

If shopping is your primary objective you could get away without a car if you stay in the Galleria area, but you would have to shell out cab fare (not cheap in Houston) to get to Rice Vilage, downtown, or anywhere else away from the Galleria area. Having lived there, I would never even consider being in Houston without a car.

Lots of places to shop. Galleria ia an epicenter.

To the east along Westheimer is Highland Village. (http://www.shophighlandvillage.com/).

Near Shepherd and West Gray is River Oaks Shopping Center (http://www.riveroaksshoppingcenter.com/home.html). Epicure Cafe is very good for sandwiches. Good consignment store there is Baubles and Beads. Very high end stuff. Also nearby is Teala's, some of the best Margarita's in the city, and Backstreet Cafe.

Further east on Westheimer in the Upper Kirby and Montrose area are many funky shops and consignment/antique stores.

On 19th street in the Heights are many antiquey/consignment stores.

Where to stay -- depends on the budget. The Omni and the St. Regis are high end, although may be reasonable on weekends. You may want to check out Priceline and BiddingforTravel.com.

Since this a "girls weekend", are you considering a spa day. There are many here, all of which, according to my wife, are great. My wife really likes Beautique.

A very good "Ladies who Lunch" restaurant near the Galleria area is Ouisie's.

The one knock on the Galleria area right now is traffic. With construction on the West Loop, traffic can be a bear on the weekends.

The Galleria is near the West loop. Traffic is a bear there right now because of construction.

The following is a good list of shopping in Houston. http://www.houston-guide.com/facilit...overmulti.html. Also, houston.citysearch.com has a very good listing for planning high intensity shopping in Houston.

I grew up in lived in Houston for 30 yrs. and owned a home in Bellaire (one and a half miles from the Galleria) for 10 yrs before I left. I go back twice a year for family events, andabout three times a year for work. I would NOT stay at the St. Regis. I have stayed there in the last year and did not find it up to the St. Regis standards of service for the price they charge. I have stayed twice this year at the Omni on 610, 2 miles from the Galleria. It is pretty good, decent hotel, but it is quiet and not that close to the action at the Galleria area. You can cab it from there, or they also have a courtesy car to the Galleria. You can dine at the Post Oak Grill, a 5 min. courtesy car drive away. Post Oak Grill has very very good and would be a nice place for you and your sisters to gab over dinner. You will not, however, want to eat or socialize at the hotel as it is pretty dead. People stay there for work or shopping, but they all go out and just seem to come back to sleep at the hotel.
Downtown does not have good shopping, but it does have the Four Seasons. And the Four Seasons is consistently the nicest hotel in town in my opinion. They have a nice spa and massage services. The pool is outdoors and I think it is heated, not sure if you will want to use it in Feb. BIG indoor jacuzzi that you could gab in. Great service. Quattro is very good for dinner. I believe their courtesy car may take you to the Galleria. That is where I'd stay if you can afford it. Their rates migh tbe good in Feb. Aside from shopping, I suppose you will wand something to do at night, and the downtown area affords you the options of the theater district. A few months ago I went to the Alley Theater afte rhaving dinner at Zin's. Then walked along main Street (which was closed on Sat. night to street traffic) where the bars and restaurants were open and thriving. I have also spent many weekend evenings in the Village area. It is a beeter area in the daytime for shopping in my opinion.
There are a few good high end consignment stores in the River Oaks area, not that far from downtown (if it is stil there, I haven't been in a few years)- I'll try to dig up the names.

This is my first time using this 'talk board' and I am blown away by how gracious and helpful y'all are! This is wonderful! Special thanks to those of you who are Houstonians(?) Houstanites(?) - your tips are invaluable! Keep 'em comin', and I promise to 'report back' after our trip! (We take this trip every year in memory of our parents - they'd be so pleasd y'all are looking out for their 'girls'!)

Sharon,

You've gotten some good advice so far. Other centrally located (near the Galleria hotels) are the Doubletree and Hotel Derek. For a bakery, try the Dessert Gallery, which is on Post Oak in the Galleria area. Their website is www.dessertgallery.com if you want to check it out.

I also like Highland Village and Rice Village for shopping. Benjy's is a fun restaurant with good food near Rice Village. Their website is www.benjys.com.

Too bad Linda Lay (the wife of Ken Lay -- the former CEO of Enron) closed her upscale consignment store. I bet you would have liked that!

Enjoy your trip!
Susan

bellairegirl, there are 2 Doubletrees close to the Galleria, right? I stayed at the Post Oak DT last summer and it was painfully in need of a makeover. Concierge made a point to tell me that they would be $$$ remodeling this year - has that happened? On the positive, they had a nice restaurant and free van service around the area.

Yes. There's also a Doubletree Guest Suites. I don't know if the Doubletree Post Oak has been remodeled yet. I think it's in a great location, but since I live here I haven't seen one of the rooms.

There are also 2 Westins inside the Galleria shopping mall, and I understand one of them has undergone renovations recently, but I don't know which one.

The Houstonian is a little farther away from everything, but it's in a beautiful setting, with a great spa and exercise facility.

Disagree on one commenter's post on the St. Regis. It's a beautiful hotel (formerly the Ritz Carlton) and right where you want to be in terms of location (near the Galleria, River Oaks, Montrose, etc.) Has a great pool, nice workout facility, etc. If you can get a decent rate there, I would grab it.

re the St Regis: I am a starwood platinum member, booked a rm. there at $300+ per night, w/a request for a quiet rm. (not near elevator, etc.) I was given a room next to the railroad tracks that run by the hotel. I immediately asked to be moved, and was told that most of the rooms are on the tracks and they could not move me. I was awoken three times that night by the trains blowing their horns as they went by- these trains run very close to the hotel. I asked to be moved the next day and the request was not honored, and I was told that I should have specified not to be on the tracks side (how was I supposed to know that?)I left. They should have honored the quiet room request to begin with, but they have a fundamental problem w/being next to the tracks, and front desk had a bad attitude about it, telling me it was my fault for requesting a quiet room instead of a room far from the tracks. Forget it.

EMD--I am sorry about your bad experience, but all I can say is I have stayed at this hotel several times, find it to be beautiful and well-run and have never noticed any train noise. Positive tripadvisor reviews confirm the hotel's good standing. The bottom line is that except for the sylvan environs of the Houstonian, any hotel in that city is going to be set near a highway, rail tracks, etc. It's Houston!

I'm still reading the posts, and learning more each day! Houston sounds like a great place, and we will keep the railroad tracks in mind! (good tip!)Don't stop! :)