Starting with the good....I loved this hotel, the decor, the employees who were all very nice, the wonderful fitness center and the free high speed internet access. The beds are VERY comfortable and the rooms and bathrooms are gorgeous.

The bad....It can get expensive if you opt to order room service. My breakfast of yoghurt with berries, coffee and bacon came out to a whopping 25 dollars!

Also, the parking is expensive at 20 dollars per night, athough I think this is standard in Houston where parking is at a premium.

The rooms are not sound-proofed. The jazz club across the street seemed pretty cool until it kept me up for most of the night.

And why is the lobby so dark? I felt like I was walking into a funeral parlour!

Despite all of this, I'd stay there again. It has a charm that can't be matched by the other big-name hotels.

Stayed at this location Saturday 03/04/06 for one night with the family - self, wife, son, & daughter ... I chose a downtown hotel due to taking my 9-yr-old daughter to her first ballet, Swan Lake ... I knew it wasn't kid-friendly (no in-room Nintendo, no swimming pool), yet we all enjoyed the niceties ...

I do understand now what one reviewer said about having to look for the entrance - it's just inside the parking garage ...

Inside it is a lovely hotel ... the kids were amazed at the lobby decor, the high ceilings, and massive columns ...

We had a spacious double/double room with a large bathroom -- again, oo's and ahh's from the kids and wife ... Bathroom Note: When getting out of the raised bathtub, be careful -- it's a long way down ... wife loved the coffee, and when she asked for more packets from the evening housekeeper, she was given a handful - very nice ...

After the ballet, my wife and I went downstairs to The Whiskey Bar - enjoyable ... while we didn't eat in the restaurant, Bank, I do understand what others have said about the pulsating loudness of the music coming down from the bar on the mezzanine ... I'm not sure what time the DJ starts - maybe later in the evening as not to disturb diners ... But if not, I would hope that service and food in the restaurant would help you overlook the music ...

Would I recommend this hotel? Yes. In the evening, the lobby is for a younger crowd only due to the loudness from the bar ... The spacious rooms are very nice, bed and bathroom are wonderful ... Would I personally stay again? If for some reason I have to go to Houston and can't get out of it, then Yes. But then again, my nature is to explore, so I will probably stay somewhere else ...

My husband and I had our wedding reception at Icon in early November 2005. The hotel's accomodations for our numerous out-of-town guests, including about 25 traveling from Europe, were a very significant consideration in ultimately choosing this location for the event. Our expectations were not only met, but exceeded in all areas. Most of our relatives who stayed there for a week continue to rave about the hotel to us, complimenting the personal services received (at the restaurant, the spa and the bar) there, being addressed by name in the lobby by staff, and thoroughly enjoyed and were impressed by the spacious, comfortable and beautifully-appointed rooms. For our reception, the staff went above and beyond our hopes and dreams for a truly special and lovely event. In particular, the hotel's decor and outstanding gourmet food were noted as favorites. For our wedding night, we stayed in a fabulous penthouse suite which was the most exquisite room/suite either of us had ever stayed in before. The hotel has a lot of "wow" factors. For those commenting on lack of places to go/things to do, it is close to quite a few restaurants/bars/clubs if people are willing to do some research and be adventurous. The rail line stop outside Icon makes traveling to Midtown (for more places to go out) or other areas v. convenient. Also, Foley's department store is 2 rail stops away. We are looking forward to staying at the Icon again in the future.

We stayed at the Icon for 4 nights after a week cruise. In choosing the hotel I liked the idea of the antique, boutique hotel feel. Upon checking in, this was exactly what we got. The decor of the hotel is beautiful, and almost takes you back in time.

Rooms - The room (510) was nicely appointed and spacious. My favorite thing about the room, oddly enough, was the bathroom. The bathroom was huge with a nice jacuzzi tub, huge walk-in shower (we joked that the shower was the size of my boyfriends apartment), Molton Brown products, large vanity, etc. The thing I enjoyed was the access window from the tub to the bedroom area. This opened up the room, and seemed to make the atmosphere ever so slightly more romantic.

Service - The service was fantastic. The staff really seemed to go out of their way to cater to us. From the moment we checked in until the moment we left. I particularly liked the care that was taken in presenting our room service. I was also impressed when one morning we needed to go shopping for some restaurant supplies, they bought out the Food & Beverage director to help us, aside from helping us with the name of the place to go, he also called them ahead of time to let them know we would be coming.
Another time we were looking for a good Sushi restaurant, now I'd forgotten that the offer the complimentaryt taxi service, so after asking about a good Sushi restaurant I thanked them, and went out to catch a cab. The staff stopped me, and informed me that they would drive us. The driver was pleasant and informative. He helped us find an open club for later that evening as well.

Restaurants - Very fine restaurant and bar. The food presentation, service, and taste were all great. (This is not my area of expertise, I pay more attention to the level of servie)

Downside - I loved the hotel, and if I'm ever in Houston again, I will absolutely stay at this hotel again. The only downside was the city it was in. We really didn't have a say in the town, because this was where the cruise that we were on was docked, but Houston does not have much for tourists. First, the entire city closes down on Sunday's. Not even a fast food restaurant open. There was not much to do in walking distance to the hotel, it was all business oriented. Also, most of the restaurants and clubs were closed on weeknights. We still had a great time, as we are the kind of people that are going to find a way to have fun, and enjoy ourselves. But, there is no need for us to ever go back to Houston.

However, if you are a business traveler looking for a good hotel, or perhaps a couple looking for a romantic getaway weekend, that doesn't include much sightseeing, than this is the perfect hotel.