PRICE:
Frommer's Exceptional

This hotel, originally called the Sam Houston, was taken over by Alden Hotels in 2005. A couple of years earlier it had been completely remodeled in modern decor. This remains the case now, and I use "modern" in the best of senses -- sleek, uncluttered interiors that seek simplicity but avoid the "lab" look, which always leaves me with a chill. The guest rooms exert a comforting, quieting influence -- a respite from bustling downtown Houston. They also rack up lots of style points with unexpected touches, such as nicely chosen fixtures and sharply dressed beds. The standard rooms are medium size and have ample, very attractive bathrooms. The two kinds of suites are larger and come with extras such as plasma TVs. But the electronics in all the rooms are quite good, and there's a DVD library free for the use of guests. The original Sam Houston Hotel was opened in the '20s and closed in the '70s. At that time, its location wasn't in the best part of downtown; now the location is great, just 2 blocks from the ballpark and Main Street. For more on the hotel's highly acclaimed restaurant, 17.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Texas, 4th Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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