We booked on priceline.com for $65. Yeah baby! It was billed as a "4 star hotel" on priceline, so we thought we got a bargain. We would have been better off going to Holiday Inn or even the local Super 8. Like others before us, our room has a view overlooking the "ZONE D'EROTICA," an adult megastore. Cool! I tried to get a parking pass, and was informed that I had apparanetly already been charged $19.95 for valet parking, which is mandatory! Nice! This place is awesome! Our bathroom door won't close, and the mattress feels like my futon! Yes, I have only been here 30 minutes and I am already bad-mouthing the place. It is that excellent! I recommend it to anyone who likes being ripped off!

Houston,Texas: Hotel Derek, Total Ripoff and Total Nightmare!
On May 5th, we stayed at the Hotel Derek in Houston,Texas. When told that the rate was $800.00 a night,we declined. Then they say we could get a discount rate for $385.00 a night.We accepted. The room was smelly,noisy (there was a small conference room next door) and the VERY small bathtub was stopped, in the VERY small bathroom . We called to get it fixed and they did not come until several hours later. It never really got fixed , so it was nasty to take a bath with the water up to our legs ; it took a long time for the water to run down the drain. It was terrible! We called to check out the next morning but needed at least until 12:30p.m. so that we had enough time for the water to drain. It was not accepted at Reception,they had to contact the manager first. We waited, they did not call back to let us know the response from the manager,so we assumed it was o.k.. It was NOT! When we called them back they were very upset because we had not checked out at 12:00p.m. as it was the hotel's check out time. Never before we've had this lack of consideration! Believe me, we have lived and traveled in many places around the world and this definitely has been our worst experience in a hotel. One that has been given a 4 star rating? I DON'T Think So! It does not belong in that category. This hotel does Not have , Cleanliness, Comfort , Luxury, and very important Good Customer Service. Big Dissapointment ! and a major ripoff !

I paid $150 for my room, which was a large room overlooking the adult store across the highway. The furniture was strangely resemblant of IKEA as another reviewer said. It was April and warm enough to be out by the pool. Unfortunately their pool is located in between two parts of the building, so it never gets any direct sunlight. It was late afternoon on a friday, so when we tried getting drinks by the pool, we literally waited so long we didn't want the drinks anymore. We had to get back upstairs, change out of swim suits and go sit at the bar to get our drinks. The hotel used to have an awesome bar, and now its a little french bistro...I dunno, Hotel Derek was known for their bar, it was the place to see and be seen. Overall the stay was fine, nothing too great.

I recently spent two nights at the Hotel Derek and thoroughly enjoyed my stay. To start, the hotel is located at 'main and main' in the Galleria, just a short walk or drive from the mall. Upon arrival, I was very impressed with the level of service and attention I received from the time I stepped out of my car to the time I was finished checking in. I have been to many boutique hotels throughout the country, but there is something special to be said about the Derek lobby -- contemporary and stylish with a Texas flare to it! Although I arrived on the later side, I was very surprised by the level of activity and energy in the lobby and in the restaurant Bistro Moderne, where I dined the first night. The restaurant is French inspired with a local influence to it and I thought the food was very well-balanced and not overly priced (as many hotel restaurants typically are).

For me, I am very particular when it comes to room accommodations and unfortunately, many boutique hotels have small rooms. This was not the case with the Hotel Derek. I was very surprised at how spacious the rooms were and how well amenitized they were. The room had a great modern décor, but was very sophisticated with the quality of bath products and mini bar items. The large glass work-desk in the room was also great for me as I needed to do a few hours of work while I was in Houston. Most importantly, I had two of the best night's sleep I can remember at the hotel -- there is something to be said about how comfortable that bed was! I even went as far as asking the hotel manager what type of bed it was, but I guess its custom made and I won't be able to get the mattress in a store. Too bad!

I have stayed at several hotels in Houston before, but this hotel really has everything I am looking for -- trendy, sophisticated, comfortable and highly amenitized. I cant wait till I return!