PLAY

Guests of The Houstonian are welcome to enjoy the otherwise private Club, which includes a 175,000 square foot fitness center with more than 300 pieces of indoor and outdoor fitness equipment, 160 fitness classes, three pools, and indoor and outdoor tennis and pickleball courts. The Club’s resident pickleball pro is Bobbie Phoumy, who played in the U.S. Open Pickleball Championship days after giving me a complimentary hour-long lesson. Neither of us won but we had a great time trying.

If you’d rather run or walk outdoors, The Houstonian grounds include a tree-canopied paved trail that provides access to the Memorial Park trail.

The Houstonian has a robust events and activities schedule that will appeal to adults, kids, singles, couples – everyone, really. Sage n’ Bloom is the in-house florist and hosts classes on floral design. Wine and bourbon dinners showcase brands such as Stags Leap and Woodford Reserve and you can kids of all ages will enjoy pastry tours and classes. The team has gotten quite creative with events since the pandemic, and last year hosted a distanced movie night showing Urban Cowboy and the actual mechanical bull from the movie was there for photo ops. 

EAT

Houston has a diverse, thriving, award-winning food scene with reservations at top spots Nancy’s Hustle and Squable hard to get.  No worries, though, because The Houstonian’s “Tex-Lex” cuisine checks all the boxes for foodies and novices alike.  Named for the terroir of the three chefs in charge, Texas, Louisiana and Mexico, Tex-Lex cuisine is represented in all Houstonian restaurants and bars, from upscale dining at The Tribute to elevated spa cuisine at Trellis.

The Tribute’s elegant renovation includes museum-worthy fixtures and art and upholstered banquettes covered in custom toile that depicts The Houstonian Hotel.  It’s a beautiful space and the food is equally creative and reflective of the local culture.

The signature menu item here is Snapper Ponchartrain, a thick piece of fish perched on dirty rice with a cascade of sauteed crawfish on top.  The Cajun and Creole flavors meld perfectly with the Gulf Coast snapper and it is easy to see why it’s a best seller.  My favorite Tribute items are the Post Oak charred oysters with chorizo butter (which were insane) and the stuffed Bandera quail.  The tribute to local and regional food traditions and ingredients is what makes The Tribute so much more than a “hotel restaurant,” rather it’s an upscale neighborhood restaurant with all the best of regional flavors under one roof.

When the weather cooperates, the hotel hosts food festivals on the lawn of the Manor House, the elegant, historic home where President George H.W. and Barbara Bush lived for many years, including while he was CIA Director.  There could only be one place able to pull off this juxtaposition of a Bayou City crawfish boil and a historic home filled with photos of President Bush with world leaders and that’s The Houstonian.