After reading the reviews in this site we thought we had made a good choice. We should have known that it was not going to be a good experience as even making a reservation was difficult. First of all, it took three tries to actually speak to someone t make a reservation, they either didn't answer the phone, were put on hold indefinitely or were disconnected. We should have just tried another hotel then, but based on the reviews we gave them the benefit of the doubt.

Checking in wasn't much better, though we were greeted by a pleasant doorman who took our luggage (but it took two hours to get it into our room, which made us late for a dinner party!). The staff at the registration desk was cold, rude, pretentious and snooty. No eye contact, no smiles and understaffed. They almost seemed angry to be working, but they were taking it out on us.

The room was hot, smelled moldy and overlooked a parking garage. We could tell that it was very nice some time back, but it had not been maintained, as a lot of the furniture was stained (strange stains on the seats of the chair), chipped and worn out. There were two light bulbs missing and we called, were told someone would be up to change them but no one ever showed up, even after we called again.

Breakfast was the same as check in. Staff was sourly, rushed and not friendly, and the food was mediocre at best, and too expensive for the quality..

We were extremely disappointed. We could tell that it must have been a nice hotel at one time before, but definitely a long time ago. We will never be back there. Buyer beware!

Mr and Mrs Silveira

Where do I begin? Stayed here for our 5th Anniversary on a 1-nighter. I had a Deluxe Room but then when I got there asked if the Junior suite was available and it was for only $30 more. So we ended up getting that room and what a room it was. The room was big, not huge but much bigger than most hotel rooms. As any hotel snob like myself would expect, historic and expensive hotels usually mean small rooms. Not in this case.

The bathroom was about half the size of the actual room. I could have done a couple cartwheels in there. The sinks wee so far spread apart that we had room to put anything and everything we needed to prepare for our evening concurrently and not come close to bumping elbows. The shower was ridiculously large with 2 shower heads (one in the wall and a rain shower head in the middle). There was also room for 3 or 4 in that shower (not that you would put that many in there, just for perspective. Top all of this off with an oversized jacuzzi tub.

The Red Cat Jazz Cafe was right across the street. The first time I have ever gone and I will now go every night I am in downtown Houston.

This Hotel is on the North side of town, but on the tram line to cheaply and easily get to other parts of town. The building is very old looking outside, but has been redone beautifully inside. The restaurant was still being completed, but I can tell it will be incredible (they showed me the work in progress).

I was fortunate enough to book this hotel for a 2 night stay. I stayed on the 8th floor in a Junior Suite (with Jacuzzi tub). The room and bathroom areas were huge, with nice views through the 5 soundproofed windows (very quiet). I had a corner room, so probably not all views are as exceptional. Room was very comfortable, bed very cozy, and a/c system was easy to control.

The staff was exceptional. Just what you would expect from a top-rated hotel. I did not want to leave! From the friendly valets, to the experienced staff; Al, Kevin, Stevenette, and Tank all treated me like Gold. I look forward to next visit.

I have found so many great hotels on Tripadvisor, I wasn't too worried about their #1 pick in Houston. Let's say it was a real disappointment...

On the outside and inside, the hotel looks very posh. They used the bank motif quite well. But when I checked in, the quality started dropping. It took 7 minutes to get someone to the front desk. If I had to wait in line for 7 minutes, that's par for the course. But they couldn't find anyone to check me in. Still, not a ig deal.

But when I checked in, he smiled and mentioned "so, you booked on Expedia..." Yep, I smiled, unaware.

When I got to my room, the whole boutique vibe was out the windown. I got the smallest room I've ever seen (and that's not easy) with ugly carpet and cown (no kidding) on the wall paper.

I immediately called down to the front desk to see how I could get a grownup-sized room. This IS Houston, after all. He politely told me that the room size was a factor of the booking on Expedia, and that there was nothing I could do. Next time, he gently advised me, I should book on their web site instead. Had I only known...

The bed was fine, the TV was nice, and the bathroom was well beyond the usual. So it wasn't all bad.

The next morning, when I casually mentioned the NY size of my TX room to the bellhop, he asked if I booked online. Sure enough, another sermonette about the perils of online booking. And even the chauffeur in the London-style cab who didn't know the roads of Houston knew better than to book online.

I don't know what they have against cheap business travellers like myself. But if they don't want Expedia guests, they shouldn't offer rooms on the site. I wish I could have spent more elsewhere.