Stay Report: Courtyard by Marriott Houston I-10 West/Memorial (Houston, Texas - May 2022)

 Stay Report: Courtyard by Marriott Houston I-10 West/Memorial
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I have been traveling to Houston many times and have stayed at many hotels, some good and some not so great.  I used to stay in the Galleria area but now I prefer to stay at the Memorial area due to proximity to transportation and services.  There are many hotels in the Memorial, some new and some existing and each has positive and non-positive aspects.  We normally stay at one hotel in the area but when we were booking, that hotel was very expensive so we had to look for another hotel and noticed the Courtyard I-10 West/Memorial.  I have passed this hotel but had never stayed there so decided to check it out.  Courtyard is Marriott's business minded hotel so they have nice rooms, a bar and a restaurant, and free parking but no free breakfast and other free amenities that either Residence Inn or Fairfield.  It was very easy to book the hotel through the Marriott website and app. 

The hotel is located on the I-10 service road near Memorial Mall.  The entrance to the hotel is shared with another hotel, two restaurants and an indoor skydiving area.  As you enter the hotel, there is a hallway to your right and the restaurant and bar to the left.  Further inside, on the right side is the check-in area where check-in was quick and we received our keys. We took the hallway right next to the door to the elevators and went up to our room on the 5th floor.

The hotel looks and feels new and is very spacious so does not feel cramped nor compact.  The sizecontinued into the room as the rooms are also spacious and very comfortable.  As you enter the room, on the right side was the bathroom and the closet.  The closet contained a place to hang clothes as well as the iron and ironing board.  The bathroom was very spacious and contained a sink, a toilet and a shower.  Bathroom toiletries included a bar of soap next to the sink and refillable body wash, shampoo and conditioner in the shower; there was no lotion available in the hotel.  Further into the room, on the right side were two large double beds with a nightstand in the middle.  The beds were spacious, very comfortable, and provided a good nights sleep.  The nightstand in the middle had small lamps above and power ports and an alarm clock.  There were also outlets on either side of the bed but not many lights - that was the only negative about the room was the lack of lighting.  In between the bed and the large window was a chair and a lamp.  Across from the beds was a luggage storage place, a nice large desk with power ports, and against the wall was a cupboard with a fridge on one side and on the other side a microwave on top and ice bucket and coffee machine on the bottom.   The main advantages of the room was the spaciousness of the room - nothing felt cramped nor tight - and the plethora of amenities in the room.

The hotel is a full-service hotel so amenities included a restaurant, a bar, a gym, complimentary parking and complimentary wifi.  The gym was a decent size and had enough equipment for a good workout, the parking had plenty of spaces and the wifi was decent; I did not try the bar nor the restaurant.  Overall, it was a really comfortable stay at the Courtyard.  Easy and accessible parking, spacious rooms, and good service yielded a pleasant stay.

Trip Report: Aeromexico, Houston IAH to Mexico City (May 2022)

 Stay Report: Aeromexico, Houston IAH to Mexico City
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I needed to fly to Mexico City from New Orleans and there were a couple of options available but most had me connecting in Houston - since I was connecting in Houston anyway I thought I may as well try and fly with an airline I have been wanting to fly for a while; Aeromexico.                                                                                                                                                                                              Aeromexico is a Skyteam member and is the national airline of Mexico.  They have a good reputation of flying mostly international flights from Mexico with some limited domestic routes.  Delta and Aeromexico have a joint venture agreement which allows them to seamlessly operate and sell tickets on each others routes.  Previously when I have flown to Mexico City, it has been with other carriers as they have provided better timings and fares; many carriers have stopped flying to Mexico City and instead have focused on leisure destinations such as Cancun in Mexico.  From Houston there are fullservice airlines flying like United and Aeromexico as well as low-cost airlines like VivaAerobus and Volaris.  I looked at the low-cost airlines and 1) the timings were odd; 2) with the addition of checked baggage and other amenities the price was the same as Aeromexico; and 3) I was traveling with my friend and so wanted to coordinate flight timings with them.  

It was easy to book the ticket with Aeromexico.  As a full service airline, a personal item plus a handcarry were included in the ticket as well as preselecting your seat at no charge.  Aeromexico has 3 categories of tickets - classic, plus and premier.  Classic is the regular ticket with a seat assignment and handy carry, plus includes that plus extra miles, extra legroom seats, and priority boarding.  Premier is business class with extra checked baggage and other business class services.  I selected the classic because I was not checking a bag and the classic fit my travel plans.  I was able to preselect my seat during the booking and could manage my booking through the app; including being able to upgrade at a cost or add additional services for a fee.                                                                                                                                                                            Checkin was open 24-hrs in advance where I could confirm my seat selection, add any extras, and receive my boarding pass.  I got to the gate really early as I was connecting from another airline and wanted to ensure I had enough time to connect to my international flight.  Because I had checked-in online, I needed to verify my passport and boarding pass with the gate agents.  The agents were very helpful and customer friendly so this was an easy process.  Flight was scheduled to depart at 11:15am and 30minutes prior boarding started.  Boarding was done by groups and these were strictly enforced; however, passengers waited until called by the gate agents event though the previous group had gone through so boarding took longer than necessary.  Luckily we were not a full flight so boarding completed, boarding doors closed and we pushed back ontime.

The operating aircraft for this 2hr20min flight was a Boeing 737 with a 3-3 seat configuration.  The color scheme, the layout, the seat configuration, everything reminded me of an older Delta plane; I know they have a joint-venture so do they also share planes?  The plane had business class up front and then economy in the back but in economy there was economy plus with extra legroom and then regular economy.  Each seat had a big PTV screen with USB ports and headphone jack underneath, followed by a full-size tray table and then a seatback pocket containing the safety card.  The seat pitch was good and so was the seat width but the seat comfort was lacking and you felt the age of the plane in that.  Once we were airborne, inflight service commenced with complimentary drinks and peanuts; there was also buy-on-board service as well for additional snacks.  Wifi was available but it was not complimentary but the PTV did have a decent amount of movies and TV shows; especially given the short flight time it was a good selection.

We landed and it took a VERY long time to get to the gate and deplane.  Overall, it was an average flight with Aeromexico.  It seemed very reminiscent as if I was traveling with Delta - same color scheme, same seat design and PTV design, and same layout.  The only difference was the onboard staff and primary language of instruction.

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.

Stay Report: Doubletree by Hilton Hotel & Suites Houston by the Galleria (Houston, Texas - July 2020)

Stay Report: Doubletree Hotel & Suites Houston Galleria
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Travel around the world has been seriously diminished due to COVID-19.  Even when traveling, hotels and airlines are putting in special measures to ensure a safe and healthy travel experience.  I have been limiting my travels due to the pandemic, but recently I had to travel to Houston.  I have been to Houston many times and stayed at various hotels throughout the city, mostly in the Galleria area.  When I was looking this time, I found a good deal at the Doubletree in the Galleria area.  I have stayed here twice (see reviews here) and the experience was mixed - the rooms were nice but the service bad - but I decided to give it another try.

The hotel has gone through some renovations on the inside (and this was evident in my previous stay in 2017) and since then the only additions have been due to COVID, which included partitions around the check-in desk, markers on the floor for social distancing, wipes next to the elevator, and signs stating masks were required.  Other than that, everything was the same including how small the hotel entrance is; the layout of the hotel is such that you have the hotel building, the parking garage, and a small connector between the two.   As you enter the connector, the parking garage is to your right, the connector in the middle, and the hotel on the left; the entrance is small generally and gets more crowded once there is a rush. Both valet and self-parking are available.

The lobby itself is wide and spacious. The waiting area is right in front, while the check-in desks are to the

left and the elevators and meeting rooms are to the right.  As both the meeting rooms and elevators are in the same direction, it can become a bit crowded when there events taking place.  I have stayed at other hotels during the pandemic (see review here) and their restrictions were far more strict than what was done here.  There was no restriction on limiting the hotel to only guests so anyone could enter and exit as they please.  Also, even though the state had mandated a mask-wearing policy and the hotel had signs requesting masks be worn, there was no enforcement or verbal reminders regarding mask wearing.  In terms of social distancing, the only stickers on the floor were the ones in front of the check-in counters and they were not adhered to by most guests (nor enforced by the hotel staff).  Check-in was okay but there was no customer service aspect - no greeting, no welcoming a Hilton Honors member, and not checking the reservation before asking questions, in fact it was the bare minimum of service expected and required; even the cookies, which are normally handed out at the beginning had to be requested.  I received the key and proceeded to my room.  

The waiting area for the elevators can become crowded very quickly as there are 4 elevators all converging onto the same waiting area.  They did have wipes for guests to use to wipe down the surface, but this was at your personal preference.  Also, other hotels had enforced either a minimum number of guests in the elevators or only same-household groups in the elevators; none of that was mentioned nor enforced here and it was basically to each their own how they wanted to proceed.  Previously, given my status, I have been upgraded to a junior suite and those rooms, while outdated, are quite spacious; this time I was not upgraded so I was given a standard Doubletree room.  

As you enter the room, on the left was the bathroom which contained a toilet, a shower/tub, a sink with lots of counter space.  The bathroom was standard with standard amenities and toiletries needed to be requested from the front desk.  Further inside the room, on the left were two double beds with a nightstand in the middle.  The beds were generally comfortable, decent in size and overall good in sleep comfort.  Across from the beds, against the wall, was a console that had a TV on top, an open shelf with the coffee/tea as well as ice bucket, drawers on the bottom, a fridge on the bottom, and a small table next to it.  There was a large window across one wall and in between the window and the bed was a chaise lounge chair.  There was a lot of furniture in the room and given the amount of things in the room, the standard size of the room, and then add people to that, the room felt small and cramped and some of the furniture needed to be removed to make the room feel more open.

The hotel is full-service so there are many amenities for the guests to enjoy including a pool, a gym, meeting rooms, business center, restaurant, parking garage, and wifi.  As I said earlier, parking was a nightmare both times I stayed here; you have to pay for parking so considering it requires payment, you think they would come up with a better solution.  The gym also needs to be remodeled as its small and is located on the 3rd floor, right next to other rooms (it looks like they converted two rooms into a gym).  The business center was 3 computers in the open lobby on the other side of the check-in desks.  There was complimentary printing, but there was also a lot of noise; the wifi was complimentary and provided decent speeds.  

Overall, its an average hotel in the Galleria area.   Plus points are the location, the hotel's signature cookies, and the spacious rooms and full-size fridge in the suites.  Negatives include inconsistent and poor customer service and horrible (paid) parking situation, and particularly to covid no enforcement or adherence to public health-related guidelines.  Given the horrible parking situation, the lack of adherence to public health guidelines and overall the general lack of service provided this was my last time staying at this hotel. 

Stay Report: Doubletree by Hilton Hotel & Suites Houston by the Galleria (Houston, Texas - September 2014, 2017)

Stay Report: Doubletree Hotel & Suites Houston Galleria

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Photo courtesy of Hilton.com

As I travel often to Houston, I am always looking for a good hotel in the Galleria area. I have a special affinity to Doubletree thanks to the complimentary warm chocolate chip cookies they provide. There is a Doubletree hotel in the Galleria area and I have stayed here twice, each with different results. Overall, the rooms are mini-suites so they are large and spacious but the parking is always a nightmare.

photo courtesy of Hilton.com

The hotel is set aback from the main street but as the hotel is large, you can see it from the main street; one side of the hotel faces the main street but the entrance of the hotel is on a side street. Given how big the hotel is, the entrance to the hotel is very small. The layout of the hotel is such that you have the hotel building, the parking garage, and a small connector between the two. As you enter the connector, the parking garage is to your right, the connector in the middle, and the hotel on the left; the entrance is small generally and gets more crowded once there is a rush. Both valet and self-parking are available.

The lobby itself is wide and spacious. The waiting area is right in front, while the check-in desks are to the left and the elevators and meeting rooms are to the right. As both the meeting rooms and elevators are in the same direction, it can become a bit crowded when there events taking place. As I said, I have been here multiple times and each time the check-in was different. When I first arrived in 2014, it was extreme chaos when we checked in as the hotel could not handle a crowd. The lines were long and the check-in process was very cumbersome. When we finally got to the front, there was no greeting, no apologies for the wait, nothing - and no smile on any of their faces (there were 3 people working in the lobby checking in guests, and none of them were smiling). The check-in was taking a really long time, and no explanation was given, so I asked 'is everything ok'. The attendant replied 'I am looking for a room' and went back to staring at the screen. No customer service at this hotel. When we finally finished, no cookies were given; I had to ask for the cookies even though they are supposed to be given upon check-in. In 2017, it was a different story as the check-in process went smoother, they were more customer-friendly, and overall it was a more pleasant experience (in fact, the mood of the hotel felt lighter as well - they had recently gone through an upgrade and it improved the feel of the hotel).

Photo courtesy of Hilton.com

I received my key and took the elevators to the room. Even though there are 4 elevators, they can get busy really quickly and become very slow (I don't think the hotel was designed for the large rush of crowds they now receive). All the rooms at this DoubleTree are Suites so the room was very spacious and clean, and the beds were very comfortable. As you enter, on the left hand side is a galley kitchen, which is a bit outdated but provides a very large fridge.  The kitchen also contains a sink, lots of counter space, dishes, a microwave, and a stove.  There is also a round dining table with 4 chairs in the sitting room just right outside the kitchen.  The sitting room also contains a sofa-bed/couch with a coffee table, and in front of the sofa is an chest with drawers on the bottom and a TV on top.  The sitting room is very spacious, has lots of features for guests to enjoy, and can become private by closing the door between the sitting room and the bedroom.

The bedroom itself is also quite large.  You enter into a long corridor, which will

Photo courtesy of TripAdvisor.com

eventually lead to the bathroom.  As you head down the corridor, the beds are on the left side In between the two beds was a night stand and in front of the beds was another chest with drawers on the bottom and TV on top.  The beds were spacious and comfortable, and provided a good night's sleep.  The bedroom area was quite spacious and easily allowed access to each item.  Continuing down the corridor leads to the open closet and the bathroom.  The closet is on the right and contains a place to hang items and a shelf to store items.  Next to the open closet is the bathroom which contains a shower, a toilet, and a double sink.  Considering how big the rooms area, the bathroom area is relatively smaller but overall its a comfortable room.

The hotel is full-service so there are many amenities for the guests to enjoy including a pool, a gym, meeting rooms, business center, restaurant, parking garage, and wifi.  As I said earlier, parking was a nightmare both times I stayed here; you have to pay for parking so considering it requires payment, you think they would come up with a better solution.  The gym also needs to be remodeled as its small and is located on the 3rd floor, right next to other rooms (it looks like they converted two rooms into a gym).  The business center was 3 computers in the open lobby on the other side of the check-in desks.  There was complimentary printing, but there was also a lot of noise.  The wifi was complimentary and provided decent speeds. 

Overall, its an average hotel in the Galleria area.   Plus points are the location, the spacious rooms, and the full-size fridge and kitchen available in the suites (as well as the cookies).  Negatives include inconsistent customer service and horrible (paid) parking situation.

Stay Report: Hilton Houston Westchase (Houston, Texas - October 2018)

Stay Report: Hilton Houston Westchase

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photo courtesy of TripAdvisor

I was planning a trip to Houston and wanted to stay near the Galleria area but could not find a good deal so I expanded my search.  I had previously stayed at the Hilton Houston Westchase for a family friends wedding, and the hotel was nice and located about 15-20 minutes away from the Galleria and I found a good deal so decided to restay at the hotel.  From the outside, hotel looks like a tall office building with an attached restaurant and parking surrounding the building.  The parking is free and ample but some of the parking is a little shady so I would be careful about leaving valuables in the car; the parking does fill up quickly, especially well-lit areas and those closest to the entrances.  The hotel is located next to a supermarket and easy access to many amenities and highways. 

Check-in was a breeze, the attendant gave us the key and explained everything that the

photo courtesy of Hilton.com

hotel offered. We went to our room, which was located on the 5th floor and two doors away from the elevator (we were a little skeptical about the proximity to the elevator, but no noise from the elevator or gathering around it was heard).  Both the rooms and the bathrooms had been updated with the new Hilton offerings, but the doors and other structures indicated the building itself was old.  As you entered the room, the bathroom was on the right while the closet was on the left.  The bathroom was a bit small but decent and contained a sink, a tub, a toilet, and bathroom toiletries.  The closet was also standard and contained a shelf, hangers to hang items, an iron and an ironing board.  Further into the room on right hand side were the two double beds with a nightstand in the middle.  The bed quality was very nice and the pillows were very nice, but the beds in the Hilton seemed smaller than the ones we got at the Doubletree (check out that review here); the bed could easily fit two people, but there is just enough room to fit 2. Across from the bed was a chest with drawers on the bottom and a TV as well as coffee stand on top. The bottom of the chest also contained a mini fridge a well as a safe.  The room also contained a desk and a chair next to the chest, and between the bed and the window was was a table and lamp (the window faced out onto the parking lot).  The room we had was on a corner so while it was shaped a little differently, there was still plenty of space to more around and be comfortable.

photo courtesy of Hilton.com

The hotel is a full service hotel so there are many amenities for the guests to enjoy including a restaurant, parking, wifi, a fitness center. meeting rooms, a business center, and a pool.  The parking was self-parking, there was no charge, and there were plenty of spaces available; however, as I said before some parking spots were not as well lit as others so I would be careful about leaving valuables in the car.  The wifi was complimentary and there was no limit on the number of devices that could be connected, and the speed was decent enough to check email and watch videos.  The fitness center was located on the first floor, en route from the elevator to the big conference room/meeting room, and seemed to be installed as an afterthought.  The fitness center was located next to other rooms so there is a lot of traffic passing by the fitness center and it was somewhat small as well, as only three, maybe four, people could work out at the same time; 4 people or more and the place would feel very congested and cramped. Again it seems as if the hotel took out an existing room and replaced it with the fitness center. The amenities inside the fitness center included decent equipment as well as fruit (not the best looking, but not the worst looking either), water, and cold towels.

In the end, the hotel provided a nice and comfortable room with free parking, free wifi, good customer service, and decent location with many restaurants and services within a short distance away.  While it is a bit further away from the Galleria (about a 15-minute drive) the added benefits of the hotel make the drive worth it.

Stay Report: TownePlace Suites by Marriott Houston Brookhollow (Houston, TX - June 2012)

Stay Report: TownePlace Suites Houston Brookhollow
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photo courtesy of TripAdvisor.com

I travel to Houston a lot, sometimes for pleasure and sometimes because I live in a hurricane-prone city so we need to evacuate.  In one of those instances of evacuation, I was looking for hotels in Houston.  I normally stay near The Galleria but that usually fills up quickly so this time I decided to book a bit out of town.  I found the TownePlace Suites in northwest Houston off of Highway 290.  Having driven through this area, I was familiar with the area so was comfortable with booking the hotel.  It was easy to book and manage the hotel through the Marriott app. 

photo courtesy of TripAdvisor.com

The hotel is located on the side road of Highway 290 and there are many restaurants, shops, and hotels around the area.  The hotel is set aback from the main road, behind the shops and restaurants, and it looked decent enough from the outside.  We pulled up to the lobby and as you enter the front door, on the left was the lobby and straight ahead was the elevators; to the right of the entrance was the dining room and lounge where free breakfast was available.  To get to the room, we took the elevators to the second floor (there are only two floors to the hotel) and walked across a walkway that was open and underneath was the lobby.  Since it was an open lobby and walkway, this meant that all the noise from downstairs could be heard and amplified upstairs (it was loud and unpleasant).  The room we received was located right next to the lobby so we could hear all the noise and then some.

photo courtesy of TripAdvisor.com

When we opened the door to our room,that is when the unpleasantness began.  The room smelled of cigarette smoke (even though we had booked and received a non-smoking room), and when I say smelled it reeked of the smell.  As you open the door, on the left side is a small open kitchen with a sink, a fridge, and drawers for basic items.  Just beyond the open kitchen is a desk that faced out the window.  On the other side was the bathroom which was standard with a toilet, a tub and a sink but the furnishing all looked old; beyond the bathroom was a sitting area with a couch/sofa bed.  In between the sitting area and the desk was a chest with drawers on the bottom and a TV stand on top.  Next to the couch was a half wall that separated the sitting and bedroom area.  In the bedroom area were two double beds, a nightstand in between, and a closet next the window.  Even though the place is called a ‘suite’ there were no partitions or separations between the rooms so everyone could hear everything – it didn’t feel like a suite, more like a loft that somebody had just designed into separate areas.  The designs of the furniture also smelled of smoke and looked dated – the room overall had a dated feel to it.
   

photo courtesy of Marriott.com

We had reserved a room for 3 days, but we could not see ourselves sleeping in this room for 3 days so we went downstairs to ask to be switched to another room.  The lobby attendant was anything but helpful or friendly and, without even looking or bothering to make any effort, said ‘we are full for tonight’.  Since we had arrived late in the afternoon/early evening, I understood that all rooms may not be available that evening so we said that we had reserved for three days so could we switch tomorrow – again we got a surly ‘no’.  When we informed the attendant of the smell, we got the response ‘well, it’s a non-smoking room’.  We had replied saying we understood it was a non-smoking room but it still smells so is there something they could spray to at least make the room a bit more pleasant for tonight – again a surly ‘fine!’ and huffed away.  It wasn’t so much the response but rather the lack of customer service (combined with the uncomfortable room) that made us decide to go looking for another hotel that night.  While we were at dinner, we noticed a hotel across the street from a different hotel (check out that review here).  We drove over, talked to the lobby attendant who was nice, customer-friendly, acknowledged our participation in their rewards program, and provided us with a bigger, more spacious room at a lower cost!

photo courtesy of TripAdvisor.com

After we returned from dinner, we informed the hotel we were checking out the next morning and no one asked ‘why you are leaving after one day since you had booked three days’ and that is the main issue with the hotel – the lack of customer service and lack of customer attention.  It was our first experience at a TownePlace Suites and it was unpleasant so stayed in one since and avoid booking their properties!  To end on a positive note, the hotel does provide some complimentary amenities for guests including complimentary wifi, parking, breakfast, a fitness center, a bbq/picnic area, a pool/whirpool, as well as on-site laundry facility.

Stay Report: Westin Stonebriar Hotel & Golf Club (Frisco, Texas - October 2015)

Stay Report: Westin Stonebriar Hotel & Golf Club 

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I was looking for a place to stay in Frisco, and wanted something that was close to many of the shops and restaurants we wanted to visit.  I noticed the Westin Stonebriar and what drew me to the hotel was that 1) Westin usually have comfortable rooms which are spacious; 2) free parking; and 3) late checkout for spg members (at 4pm). 

The hotel is located next to a golf course so it is surrounded by land, and thus there are not many things available within walking distance; there are plenty of options within a 5 minute drive though.  The hotel does provide either paid valet or free self-parking, and spots were always available (just depended on how far you wanted to walk).  As you entered the hotel and walked straight, on the right was the bar and on the left was the check-in desk.  Right next to the bar were the elevators to the rooms.  Behind the elevators was a nice sitting/lobby area where guests could relax and look at the gardens/golf area.  Check-in was efficient, overall the customer service was really nice, and we received the keys and proceeded to the room. 

The rooms themselves were spacious and comfortable.  As you entered the room, on the

photo courtesy of Marriott.com

right was the bathroom while on the left was the closet.  The closet was standard and contained a place to hang your clothes, a shelf, a safe, an iron, and ironing board.  The bathroom was also standard and came with a toilet, a tub, a sink, bathroom toiletries and overall was a good size.  Further into the room, on the right were the two double beds with a night stand in the middle.  The beds were big enough to accommodate two people, there was plenty space to move around, and it provided a comfortable night's sleep.  Across from the bed was a chest with the TV on top, a coffee maker and two complimentary bottles of water while underneath were drawers as well as a fridge.  Next to the chest was a desk and chair, and from the chair you could look out the window onto the golf course; you could also sit on the chair next to the bed and look out onto the golf course as well.

photo courtesy of VisitDallas.com

The hotel looks like a country club so there are many amenities for guests to enjoy including a golf course, a large workout facility, locker rooms, a pool, and restaurants.  Since we were there for a wedding most time was spent outside the hotel, but sitting and walking around the hotel grounds was really beautiful and a nice form of exercise.  The hotel also provided wifi which was complimentary and had decent speeds.

Overall, it was a nice and comfortable stay at the Westin. 

photo courtesy of 3610realeastate.com

The rooms were spacious, the customer service was nice, and the hotel grounds were really well-maintained and beautiful so it was nice just to gaze out or take a walk around the hotel property.  While the hotel is not within walking distance to many services, there are many shops and restaurants within a 5-10 minute drive.  Overall, a great place to stay near Dallas.

Stay Report: Hilton Houston North, IAH Airport (Houston, Texas - December 2014)

Stay Report: Hilton Houston North, IAH Airport
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

photo courtesy of Hilton.com

We were flying in and out of Intercontinental Airport (IAH) so needed to find a nice, clean hotel that also provided easy access to the hotel.  We found a great hotel in the Hilton Houston North which provided great airport hotel (though not connected to the airport).  The Hilton Houston North is located about 15-20 minutes away from the airport and is situated between a business park and a mall. The property is very large, has ample parking with security around it, and is able to handle large crowds (many flight staff were staying at the hotel and many large holiday parties from the surrounding businesses were also taking place at the hotel)

As you enter into the lobby, the first thing you notice is how large it is.  Straight ahead is the restaurant and coffee area while to right are the check-in desks and waiting area as well as the elevators to the guest rooms (meeting rooms are to the left).  As the hotel is designed to handle large groups, check-in was smooth and efficient so we received our key and went to the room.  

The rooms are spacious and looked modern and updated with new Hilton amenities. We had a room with

photo courtesy of Booking.com

2 double beds so as you entered there was a bathroom to the right and a closet to the left.  The closet was standard and contained a shelf, hangers to hang your clothes, an iron and ironing board, as well additional blanket and pillow.  The bathroom contained a toilet, an updated sink and tub as well as bathroom toiletries but the bathroom had nod been renovated as much as the main room but it was still large and pleasant.  Further into the room on the right side were the two double beds with a nightstand in the middle while across from this was a chest with drawers on the bottom and the TV stand and coffee stand on top and a mini refrigerator as part of the chest.  Next to the chest was a desk with a chair and between the bed and window, which faced out onto the parking lot, was a chair and a lamp.  The room was spacious and comfortable enough for an overnights sleep. 

photo courtesy of TripAdvisor.com

As a full-service hotel there are many amenities for the guests including a fitness center, a pool, meeting rooms, a business center, parking and wifi.  The wifi was complimentary and it had decent speeds, enough to check email and watch videos.  The business center was located next to the meeting rooms on the first floor and contained 4 computers - 2 macs and 2 windows - which provided access to internet and office documents and could easily print out materials.  The hotel also offered late night dining (when we arrived around 11pm - both a cafe and room service were still available) as well as a breakfast buffet. There is a Starbucks in the lobby, but it was closed the morning we were there.  Self parking was available at no charge and there were plenty of spaces available as well.  The hotel did provide a shuttle to the airport, there were lots of shuttles, but this shuttle was combined with other hotels in the area (the Hilton, the Marriott, and the airport) but as I said the shuttles were plenty and ran often.

Overall, it was a nice stay at Hilton Houston IAH Airport.  I was traveling a lot to Houston during this December and I enjoyed my stay so much that I had rebooked the hotel for my other stays as well.  The positives are the spacious rooms, the complimentary self parking, complimentary wifi, and frequent shuttles.  The negatives are the distance away from the airports and the hotel easily sells out.

Stay Report: The Westin Oaks Houston at the Galleria (Houston, Texas - March 2015)

Stay Report: The Westin Oaks Houston at the Galleria

I originally stayed at this property in November 2013.  I revisited the property in March 2015 and here is a combination of my experiences at the property.

I travel to Houston a lot and usually I like to stay in and around The Galleria area as it has access to the interstate and lots of restaurants and shops.  There are two hotels directly connected to the Galleria and both are Westin; the one facing Westheimer is the Westin Oak Galleria while the one facing W. Alabama is the Westin Galleria.  When the Westin was part of SPG I found some really good rates to stay at this hotel, but since Marriott took over it is very hard to find those special rates.  The reason I enjoyed the hotel is because 1) it is connected to the Galleria so you can go enjoy the mall and then walk back to your hotel room; 2) the service and the rooms were great; and 3) there is complimentary parking in the Galleria garages.

Even though the hotel is part of the Galleria complex there is a separate entrance to the hotel.  The main entrance is on the street level and there is also an access to the mall from the basement level.  As you enter into the lobby, the first thing you notice is how tall and open the lobby is but also how dark the lobby is.  The valet stand is outside the lobby and inside there is a waiting area while straight ahead are the check-in desks.  The elevators are to the rights of the check-in desks and if you continue towards the right you access the business center (computers and printers in the lobby), the bar, and the elevators which can take you up to the meeting area.  The lobby is very spacious and there are plenty of chairs and spaces for you to relax, but as I said before there is not a lot of natural light so the lobby can feel quite dark.  After check-in, I received my key and went to the elevator - the guest floors can only be accessed by key and its one of those elevators where you put in your key, press your floor and then you are told which elevator to proceed to.  It takes some getting used to at first and sometimes there can be a lot of people in one elevator.

When I got the room, the first thing I noticed was how spacious they were and how easily and comfortably 4 guests could fit in the room.  As you open the door, on the right is the bathroom and on the left is the closet.   The bathroom was standard with a toilet, a tub, a sink and toiletries but the main differences were that the bathroom was also a good size and the sink had a long counter to provide lots of storage.  The closet was standard with a shelf on top and places to hang your clothes on the bottom but the closet also contained the safe, an iron, and ironing board.  In the main part of the room, on the right-hand side, were the 2 large double-beds which were very spacious and very comfortable (they provided an excellent nights sleep).  In between the beds was a nightstand and in front of the beds was a chest with drawers on the bottom and a TV on top.  There was a coffee stand next to the TV and there was a mini-fridge hidden as part of the chest.  Next to the chest was a large desk and chair in which you could do more work to add more storage space.  The room also contained a chair and lamp next to the bed that faced out to the windows – the windows faced onto Westheimer street and provided great views of the city down below.  As I said, the room was very spacious and the beds were comfortable so it provided for a great nights rest.
    

The Westin is a full-service hotel so there are many facilities for the guests to enjoy including a gym, restaurant, business center, meeting rooms, pool, wifi, and parking.  There are two parking options available, either valet or self-parking.  The self-parking is free, which is quite unusual in the Galleria area, and space was always available - even on the Thanksgiving holiday (the garage is the regulars shopping garage shared by all shoppers and there is an entrance to the mall and through this entrance there are elevators to take up to the hotel).  The wifi was complimentary for SPG members and it was relatively fast enough to check email and watch videos.  The business center was a bit odd as it was just some computers and a printer near the escalators in the lobby; given the size of the hotel I expected a dedicated business center.  The fitness center was nice but it was in an odd location; to access the fitness center you took the elevator the basement in which there was the mall access as well as garage access but this was the access to both for guests of the hotel as well as guests of the mall.  To access the fitness center, you had to cross this pathway to get to the other side of the hallway to access the fitness center.  The fitness center itself was very nice with updated equipment and enough of them to get a decent workout.  (Since this gym is smaller, guests of the Westin Oaks are able to use the bigger gym of the Westin Galleria which is located on the other side of the Galleria Mall).  

photo courtesy of TripAdvisor

When I stayed at the hotel it was still part of SPG so I was able to take advantage of 2 Starwood programs – the ‘gear lending’ program and the ‘stay friendly’ program.  The ‘gear lending’ program is a partnership with New Balance and it allows guest to rent tennis shoes, gym shorts, gym shirt, and a mesh bag for $5.  These are fresh clothes that are laundered and they come to your room in a mesh bag and you can use them throughout your stay; upon checkout leave them in your room (or you will be charged the full price of each item).  You also get a pair of socks but those you get to keep.  The ‘stay friendly’ option is an environmental/eco option in which you do not choose housekeepings ervice throughout your stay, and for this you get either a coupon to the restaurant or 500 starpoints.  This means that no one will come in your room even to tidy up or make the bed or vacuum --- nothing.

Overall, it was a nice and comfortable stay in a hotel that is very conveniently connected to the Galleria.  The hotel provides comfortable and spacious rooms, complimentary self-parking, and easy and convenient access to the Galleria.  There are not many negatives to the hotel so that is why the Westin Oaks Houston at the Galleria is at the top of my list of hotels to stay at in Houston in the Galleria area.