You will have traffic no matter where you stay nearby. The good news is that it's not at all like Los Angeles.

Not so much in the way of nightlife in the Willowbrook area--really more family oriented, and not so walkable.

Have a look at The Woodlands. Several places to stay inside The Woodlands, as well as a few places nearer to the freeway just outside The Woodlands. With the waterway and Market Street, you have a lot of options for dining and evening activities, all walkable from each other. If you stay at the Marriott, lots of things within walking distance.

You don't say when you are coming, but check out the schedule for the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. In the spring and summer months there are outdoor concerts there which can be a lot of fun.

Thanks for your responses! I'll actually be there in June... I'll take a look at the Pavilion schedule. That's a great idea.

Sounds like it'll be The Woodlands. We don't have much toll roads in LA... how much is toll normally during morning traffic?

Keep checking the Pavilion schedule--what's on the website now probably isn't a complete list. It seems to skip from May to August with nothing in June or July. That's not typical--for example last June they had Jimmy Buffet, the Beach Boys, Dierks Bentley and One Direction, to name a few. If you do go be warned that it will be hot and humid--bring your insect repellent along. There are two types of seating: covered and lawn. The lawn seating is on a hillside above and behind the covered areas. People bring blankets and lawn chairs for that area. You can walk along the waterway from the Marriott to the Pavilion easily.

Yoshi--

While I don't drive that toll road, I'd estimate it's probably about $2.50-$3.00 each way daily. Perhaps someone who does drive in that area can be more definitive.

Another alternative, depending on what you're looking for, would be to check into a downtown hotel and drive out to the Greenspoint area each morning. You'd be going against traffic, so it wouldn't be that heavy, and no toll roads would be involved. (It's probably about a 20-25 minute drive.)

While downtown itself isn't all that busy, nearby areas include Minute Maid Park (if the Astros are in town), Washington Ave. and lower Westheimer, two areas for restaurants and bars, both of which are served by a shuttle bus that's very reasonable. Or you could hop in your rent car and travel to the Kirby Drive or Galleria areas for more upscale dining. Whatever you choose, you'll have a good time.

Stay at the Marriott Woodlands, and drive to your conference. Welcome to Houston!

Thanks for all your responses and great recommendations. I never considered downtown thinking the traffic would be hectic in the morning. 20-25 min drive isn't bad at all. We do that everyday in LA!

Now I have a difficult decision of either Woodlands or downtown. If I were to stay in downtown, am I better flying into Hobby or Bush airport?

Thanks again.

You don't have to take the toll road to drive from The Woodlands to the Greenspoint area, just a straight shot down I-45. The segment between the two will take about 20-25 minutes as well, and you will not see much difference in the traffic there as compared to going north on I-45 to Greenspoint.

As to airport choice, go with the schedule and fare that work best for you. IAH is about a 25 minute non-rush hour drive to downtown; Hobby is probably a few minutes closer. It would be a wash for me; the time and fare would be my deciding factors.

Good to know I can pick either airport. I have lots of deciding to do. Thank you again everyone for all your help.

My original suggestion was with emphasis on traffic. The Woodlands in for sure better than Willowbrook. My preference between Downtown and The Woodlands would be If you stay at The Woodlands taking 45 will be "with the rush hour traffic", so plan on taking the Hardy Toll Road. Also, when you rent a car make sure they have a toll tag. It is not cheap (I think about $3.75 each way).