My husband and I stayed at the Magnolia Hotel in downtown Houston on Saturday night, May 6. This is a very classy, modern hotel with a great location. We pulled up to the hotel about 5:30pm and were able to find parking on the street, so didn't have to use the valet parking. From 6:00pm on Saturday through Sunday it's free parking at the metered parking on the surrounding streets around the Magnolia.

We stayed in a king bed standard room and it was roomy and comfortable. The garden tub was really nice, with room for 2 people. The rooftop pool was an added bonus, but we didn't use it during this stay because we explored downtown. Sambuca's Restaurant is 2 blocks away and has great night life with a live band on the weekends. You'll need to make reservations for dinner, but you can always sit at the bar without reservations for a drink or food. There are plenty of restaurants or dance establishments within a few blocks, actually.

The lobby is modern with a warm, inviting fireplace. We didn't have time to explore the hotel bar but it was definitely hopping while we were there. It was also prom night and the place was bustling, but it wasn't overwhelming. We live in the Clear Lake area, specifically half a mile from the Kemah Boardwalk, but we'll definitely return to the Magnolia Hotel. I'm the travel coordinator for our company and I won't hesitate to reserve or suggest the Magnolia for any of our travelers.

April 26th 2006
Just returned from a three night stay at the Magnolia. Liked the hotel - check in was polite and efficient and the room spacious, modern and clean. Liked the 'Happy Hour' in the bar from 5 til 7pm, but was a little disappointed by the rooftop swimming pool that looks a lot bigger on the pictures than it actually is. There also didn't seem to be anywhere to sit near to it. It did look impressive by night though. Downtown Houston is a bit dead at weekends by day but is very near Minute Maid Park - a stadium tour or an Astros match are well worth doing. At night Downtown becomes quite lively - enjoyed Sambucca Jazz Cafe and the Irish and Sports bars on Fannin. Hotel bar quite friendly, but finished at 2am. All in all a good value stay at a pleasant and friendly hotel.

We had several issues with our room. Toilets stopped up everytime you used it. Carpet was wet by the mini bar. Lastly..we noticed the ceiling started leaking in the bathroom when we got back in the room late after a concert. Staff was quick to help and ended up moving us to one of their corporate apartments at midnight. The toilet stopped up in that one too ???? Bad plumbing I guess. That was the only bad part. You don't expect stuff like that at a nicer hotel. It was a rainy day and the complimentary car service was a very nice ammenity. The lounge was very nice too. Great location for Astros game and very close to the rail line and restaurant/bars. We would stay there again for sure.

We stayed at the Magnolia on Friday night. We were pleasantly surprised. It reminded me of a small hotel you would find in NYC. The rooms were very nice and extremely clean. I usually stay at the St. Regis, which is also wonderful, but this hotel does not have the same European feel at all. It is more simple, modern, and minimalist looking. It's a great place for an inexpensive get away, but it is not known as being a great luxury hotel. It is still luxurious in its own right!!! The milk and cookies were great, as were the classy band. I enjoyed it greatly! Very close to downtown attractions. Would stay again.