I have stayed at, and reviewed, the Alden Hotel before, about a year ago. I rated it as acceptable at the time, because it is a great property with great beds in a great location- however I was disappointed with the cleanliness and especially the indifferent staff. The devil is in the details, and apparently things have gotten MUCH worse. I decided to try it out again as a colleague was staying there.

To make a long story short, here is what happened with my stay:

1) My room was on top of a ballroom hosting a conference. This "conference" turned into a late night dance party. The music was very loud and was still going strong as I was considering going to bed....
2) The room didn't have an alarm clock. Hello, the $49 Motel 6 has an alarm clock!
3) The room safe had been left locked by a previous guest and I could not use it. The front desk said they would fix it while I was out for dinner but I never heard anything about it again.
4) It was very cold in Houston this week (near freezing). Apparently, the AC/heater in the room was broken, and could only blow very cold air despite being set on 80 degrees. Since the maid had left it on since "cleaning", the room was an icebox. I could not warm it one single degree over the evening.
5) I was going to try and struggle through these other things (hey, I'm not a crybaby, right?) when I discovered my robe had a dirty smear across the front. OK, I won't put that on...
6) ...and there's the NASTY STAIN on the bedsheets.

At this point I gave up trying to "cope" and requested a new room ASAP. I received a room across the hall that was warm, away from the loud music, and apparently clean. Except that it smelled like the inside of a damp ash-tray. Ewww. Given that I wasn't going to ask for a THIRD room, I slept there over night and promptly checked out.

To their credit, the front desk staff was apologetic and sent me an apology in the form of food from room service, however the room(s) should not have been in that condition to begin with, especially for the price. I will NEVER stay here again, which is a shame- with good management, this could be the premier hotel in downtown Houston. Stay at the infinitely better Hotel Icon a few blocks away (and closer to the good restaurants and train).

I LOVED THIS HOTEL. great service, wonderful beds, and bathrooms, the friendliest staff who went out of their way to accomadate me, learned my name and were just so helpful and kind. I stayed 6 nights and it was worth every penny. Lovely bar with excellent menu, the same food that is served in the fantastic and elegant restaurant. Everything about this place is top notch and professional, it is a luxury hotel and the service reflects this. The rooms while small, are very luxurious and comfortable, the beds are amazing. I'lll stay there again and again, in fact, I won't stay anywhere else in Houston. THe best boutique hotel ever.

It's a great looking little boutique hotel, but it needs to pay more attention to details:
* Firstly, the place reeked of mildew and dampness. I imagine any one with allergies would have a hard time staying here. One of the days I was there they cleaned the carpets, but that really only masked the odor.
* The staff when I checked-in was a bit on the aloof side. I'm never a fan of that sort of treatment. However, they were better on departure day.
* The room was small, like New-Yorkish small. That's what I expect in New York or London, but not Houston.

On the plus side:
* If you get room service, try the mac and cheese, it's crazy delicious.
* Even though I'm not familiar with Houston, the location seemed great -- centrally located to many bars and restaurants. I was able to walk to the aquarium.

We stayed here for a weekend in October. Formerly the Sam Houston, this hotel has been nicely renovated. Our room, probably one of the smallest, was elegant, clean and very comfortable. All staff were very accomodating and pleasant. One receptionist even went out in the pouring rain to get us a morning newspaper. Would definitely stay here again.