Stay Report: Element Houston Katy (Katy, TX - September 2020)

 Stay Report: Element Houston Katy 
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I travel to Houston a lot and normally I stay in or near The Galleria but this time I was going for a different reason and needed to be near Sugar Land, Texas.  Even though Sugar Land is a part of Houston it was further out of my way so I wanted to find a happy medium and through search I found the Element Houston Katy.  I have previously stayed at Element Hotels and have enjoyed them, from the environmental approach to the mini-suites and complimentary amenities.  I checked the distance and the price and both seem to be good so booked the hotel through the Marriott website, which was easy to do.  

The hotel's location is a bit odd as it is basically located in the Costco parking lot and behind some apartments.  It seems like the track of land was divided in half, with half of the land going to Costco and the other half going to apartments and the hotel.  From the roadway, the apartments come first and then the hotel is in the back; it just seemed unique to me.  In the front of the hotel was the parking lot and then the entrance to the hotel.  As you entered in to the hotel, there was a small check-in desk on left and left was the kitchen where generally the complimentary breakfast would be provided.  Straight ahead was a long and narrow sitting area/communal area with lots of couches and chairs.  These faced to the large windows and patio which also contained chairs and a bbq area.  After check-in, we received the key and proceeded to the room (the Element always provides their own luggage trolley's to assist in transporting your luggage - a great idea).

Element rooms are designed as mini-suites and resemble a New York studio apartment with a bed, a

sitting area, bathroom, and a mini-kitchen.  As you entered the room, on the right was a long but narrow bathroom with a large sink on a counter (the size of the sink reduced the counter space), a toilet, and a shower; there was soap for the sink and refillable shampoo/conditioner and body wash in the shower. In the hallway, across from the bathroom, was a closet with an iron, ironing board, and a place to hang your clothes.  Further into the room, along the left-side of the wall was the mini-kitchen which contained a sink, a stove, a large fridge, a dishwasher, plates, glasses, a sponge, and dishwashing liquid.  There was also a mini-sink and a coffee maker on the large counter space.  Continuing along the left-side of the wall, next to the kitchen was the TV which was mounted on the wall.  Along the right-side of the wall were the two beds with a nightstand in the middle.  The beds were comfortable, large for two people, and provided a goodnights sleep.  There were also plenty of outlets near the bed or on the nightstand to charge all your electronic items.  In between the beds and the kitchen was a desk and chair on side, which faced the kitchen, and a chaise lounge chair which was against the side wall and also faced the kitchen.  Running along the side wall, above the chaise lounge chair, was the window which was large and let in lots of natural light.  Even though there were lots of items and amenities in the room, it did not feel compact or stuffed (like some other hotel rooms) but felt more like a studio apartment in New York City. 

The Element provides lots of amenities for its guest including complimentary wifi, complimentary parking, complimentary breakfast, access to luggage carts, a full-stocked and large gym, a bbq grill for guests to use. a large patio to host bbq and outside activities, as well as a large indoor seating area for guests to enjoy.  Due to the pandemic some amenities were not available or were curtailed, including breakfast which was not as extensive and mainly included mini-packs of cereal, yogurt, and breakfast bars which you could take to-go.  Also, due to the pandemic their housekeeping services were drastically reduced and this put pressure on the front-desk, which having difficulty in responding to this pressure.  Safety-wise, masks wearing and social-distancing signs were plastered everywhere but these were not enforced nor were guests ever reminded by staff.

Overall, it was an interesting stay at the Element.  The hotel room was nice, the amenities were still available, and the general vibe were good.  The service was a bit strained and the lack of adherence to safety protocols was a bit concerning.