We stayed at the Alden for 3 nights. We were in town for the Astros/Cubs series. The location was great- within walking distance to Minute Maid Park, and the public transit system. The rooms were pretty small- even though our room was an "upgrade" with a lovely view of construction. The overall decor was shabby modern- Nice linens and pillows, but the wood furniture was chipped and worn looking. The bathroom was very pretty and clean with a granite and glass shower (no tub). This was the best hotel shower I've ever had. Great water pressure and hot water.

The concierge wasnot very helpful-he couldn't help with restaurant suggestions or directions. Altogether, the staff seemed a little aloof. Beware- EVERYTHING is expensive here. Parking is $25/night, and valet is the only option. There are no ice machines or vending areas (you have to call the concierge and have ice brought to your room). There is a mini-bar, but no prices are listed, and the selections are very limited ($3.00 for a can of diet coke, and $3.00 for one snickers?).

We wouldn't stay here again for this price- "The Inn at the Ballpark" a few blocks away is far better, and the staff is unbelievably friendly. Try to book there before you settle for the Alden!

Upon arriving at hotel, staff not friendly. If it had not been for the older gentleman parking cars, we would have had to carry our own bags to room. Front desk personnel was very snobbish & lazy. The room was very small, telephone handset did not work. Room service did not provide a table for food when bringing it up, when we requested a larger table the waiter did not have one. The room was not clean (shower,floor, carpet) housekeeping needs improvement. The floors looked like they had not been mopped or vaccumed in a long while. Furniture looks modern in photo but, it was chipped and dirty. There was dust everywhere (blinds, tables etc).No ice bucket in room or ice machine on floor (that we found). Robe in closet already used & not cleaned. There were stains on sleeves. No shower cap provided. We got tired of calling down to front desk because their attitude was very slow & lazy. Lock on door not secure. Restaurant downstairs was very pretentious and expensive. The food was ok the service was great our waiter was excellent. We went into the bar on Friday evening. We had to find the waitress to pay her once we were done. The waitress was sitting with a customer across from us socializing. Upon checking out, we had to bring our own bags down, we had to address a charge listed on our bill. The staff was really snobbish & acted as if they did not want to be bothered. This is not a 3 or 4 star hotel. It was dark, gloomy and expensive and the rooms are very small and not clean. I would not recommend this hotel. If a person is on a business trip & spends most of their time out of the hotel & uses it only for sleeping it's a perfect stay. We were very disappointed. The PRICE of the hotel did not match the service we recieved. This hotel has the potential to be really nice with major renovations. We have used hotels(-) before & have always been happy with our selection. This hotel was a bad surprise to us.

Not bad. I've stayed at MANY boutique hotels and this hotel has similar nuances - well designed rooms, albeit a bit SMALL, great cocktail lounge, great minibar and VERY comfy bed. The staff in the restaurant and lounge were fantastic! The front desk staff - OK, but a bit young and immature, though fine. They could improve the bath products - not the line, Aveda, but the selection. The neighborhood is dicey, but if you're cabbing it everywhere, not a big deal. The minibar had great selections - very original and healthy options. I had a burger one night in the lounge and it was the best burger I've ever had. The room is SMALL - REALLY SMALL. I was comfortable by myself traveling for business, but I definitely would have gotten a bigger room if I was traveling with my husband. Last, but not least, they serve complementary Illy coffee in the morning and I have to say, it's the best coffee in the world. I would stay here again.

The Alden has some serious issues to address. First, the king "deluxe" rooms are not deluxe in any way. They have one glass and one robe, no lotion or bath oil. Our phone did not work nor did one of the lights. Second, though the hotel claims to have twice daily maid service, the night service is non-existent. If you ask for turn-down service, they will simply throw some towels in your room and not bother to change the one glass in the room or make your bed. Finally, the water at the hotel is luke warm at best. Taking a shower was a most unpleasant experience. To be fair, the restaurant at the hotel is quite good and the bed is also comfortable. I travel frequently and often stay in boutique hotels. This is not one that I will visit again. If you are in Houston and want a boutique hotel downtown, try the Icon.