3 Best Hotels in Downtown/Theater District, Houston and Galveston

This landmark downtown hotel is a bit dated, but services and amenities are top-notch and it has a great location close to the convention center, Downtown businesses, and major sports facilities, including Minute Maid Park (home of the Astros) and Toyota Center (home of the NBA Rockets and the AHL Aeros). The hotel's restaurant, Quattro, which serves Italian-accented cuisine, is a glamorous outpost for business-lunchers and nighttime event-goers. The lobby bar is always a lively scene. The fitness center and pool area are awesome.

Finally, Houston has a great convention-center hotel right in the heart of downtown's sporting venues. Massive, ornate, and luxurious, this is the largest hotel in Houston, with 1,203 rooms. Almost a city within a city, the Hilton Americas has three restaurants and lounges, a gigantic fitness center, and a rooftop bar/grill that's not cheesy at all. The views from its 24th-floor location are pretty amazing, especially at night when the downtown skyline comes alive.

In the heart of the Theater District, this small luxury hotel has the feel of a European manor house. The Chippendale furniture, plaid upholstered chairs, oil landscapes and portraits, and brass cachepots contrast with the steel-and-glass surroundings. Power breakfasters crowd Bistro Lancaster, and the hotel's wine bar is both highly rated and highly popular.