I came in to Houston to visit some clients. When I pulled up the door man greeted me and offered to carry my luggage. I thought he was exceptionally friendly. When I went into the lobby/ front desk area the hotel looked dated, I was a little concerned. Check in was quick, nice staff. The room again was dated, but very clean, especially the bathroom. The location was great, it was in walking distance to some great restaurants and I was a theater across the street. The food at the hotel was EXCELLENT! I would go back for sure.

The hotel valets scratched our rental car and would not take responsibility for the accident. Then, when I left my coat in the room after checking out, I called immediately, only to be told that the coat was not there. When I called repeatedly for the next couple of days, saying I was 100% sure I had left my coat on the sofa in the room, the front desk and housekeeping denied responsibility as well. Employees of this hotel must be treated badly, because customer service is not a priority.

For those that do business in Houston, Texas sometimes its hard to find quality & price at the same time. I'm usually afraid of staying in older hotels but The Lancaster pleasantly surprised me. This past November I had a 3 day business trip and I needed something downtown but I had a budget. Many of the hotels downtown will start at $300 a night, The Lancaster $130 - $150. The Lancaster staff was very nice and for the age of the hotel everything especially in the bathroom was in clean, good condition, which I judge on greatly. The bed was super soft, TV was dated and small, but I wasn't there to watch TV. The only minus is mandatory valet if you bring your own car for travel for $30 daily, but for downtown Houston, there is no such thing as a parking lot. The restraunt had excellent food but pricy, which I expected for Houston.
As I had clients to see, I recommend the hotel for family because blocks away nearby is the Aquarium, many Theatres, and Minute Maid Park within walking distance of The Lancaster.

Went to concert in the downtown area, and did not want to drive home, so we booked a 4* via Hotwire.

Check in/out was easy , and the staff was very helpful. But the condition of the hotel was less that spectacular. It's an older hotel, so I expected to trade some wear for character. Fixtures are old (knobs, faucets), and the tiny elevator needed some major upkeep. But the room was spacious, the view was great, and the bed was comfortable. You still get a brass key for your room, so that should give you an idea of what to expect.

Valet parking is $30/night. But you can easily park across the street under the Plaza for $9. No in and out priveleges though. The hotel does offer a free shuttle to locations in DT.

I've stayed in all class/style of hotels. So long as I get a nice, quiet room in an overall good property, then I'm happy. This was no exception.

So overall, the price vs. hotel was fair. But I would not consider this a 4* by any means. Maybe a 3* for sure...but that's it.