Leading the revival in Houston’s once less than favourable downtown district, is the Marriott Marquis, a sprawling 1000-bedroom hotel that, at first glance, might not look like much from the outside, but with its swish interior and resort amenities, travellers might check in for business, but it’s likely they’ll stay for pleasure.
The Dallas-based design company Looney has created a subtle nod to the Lone Star state with a retro feel that references Houston’s landscape throughout; carpets are decorated with recurring motifs of Texas rivers, murals have been constructed from cow shapes and astronauts are printed on black glass inside the elevators.
The rooms are simple and elegant with floor-to-ceiling windows - some with views of the adjacent Discovery Green park – that are softened with metallic curtains reminiscent of moon dust. It’s difficult to imagine spending time in-room though, when there are six restaurants and bars to choose from, including Xochi, that serves up Oaxacan specialties from chef Hugo Ortega, and Cueva, a wine bar with 16 locally-produced wines on tap.
We suggest heading to the sixth floor rooftop and grabbing a cocktail from the High Dive bar to enjoy while floating in the ‘lazy river’, a Texas-shaped winding pool that is the most obvious reference to the state.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
1777 Walker St
-
Nothing expands its affordable offering with a new starter smartphone, the Phone (3a) LitePacking all the familiar Nothing tech tropes into a low-cost, high-powered device, the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite should open up the brand to even more customers
-
Faena New York just landed in the Big Apple – and it's an excuse for a good timeArgentine hotelier Alan Faena’s first New York address serves up high-octane hospitality with a dash of leopard print
-
David Goldblatt captures intimate portraits of Johannesburg during apartheidBetween 1948 and 2016, David Goldblatt returned periodically to Fietas, a suburb in the west of Johannesburg’s city centre, to photograph the impact of apartheid legislation on its residents and landscape. The resulting photographs have now been collected and published for the first time
-
Faena New York just landed in the Big Apple – and it's an excuse for a good time
Argentine hotelier Alan Faena’s first New York address serves up high-octane hospitality with a dash of leopard print
-
These vintage American motels will have you longing for the open road‘Vintage Motels’ documents how the humble roadside stopover has evolved into a design-led destination for a new generation of travellers
-
At Duryea’s Sunset Cottages in The Hamptons, it’s all about stillness and open horizonsA beloved Hampton restaurant becomes a tucked-away retreat set on a windswept bluff above Fort Pond Bay in Montauk
-
The return of Genghis Cohen: LA’s cult Chinese diner lives onThe 1980s Chinese-American landmark returns with red booths, neon nostalgia, and a fresh dose of Hollywood eccentricity
-
A24 just opened a restaurant in New York, and it’s as cinematic as you’d expectHidden in the West Village, Wild Cherry pairs a moody, arthouse sensibility with a supper-style menu devised by the team behind Frenchette
-
Seven kitchens, one fire: inside LA’s hottest new food marketAt Maydan Market, chef Rose Previte turns global street food and layered design into a vibrant, fire-lit experience
-
The Viceroy Hotel Group wants you to get on your bikeAcross properties in Santa Monica, Chicago, Washington DC and the Algarve, Viceroy guests can experience curated cycling routes and community events
-
Big flavours and bold design define La Nena Cantina, Los Angeles's newest Mexican hotspotFrom handmade tortillas to 40-ingredient mole, this new Sunset Boulevard restaurant takes Mexican cuisine seriously
