Houston Hotel

words by > Jill Fergus

Houston’s newest hotel boasts both beauty and brains— and has a rich history to boot.

Houston’s hotel business is booming, with a slew of design-conscious boutiques springing up around the city in the past few years. Two of these include the Icon, housed in a former bank with a Rande Gerber cocktail lounge and a Jean George Vongerichten restaurant; and Alden, with minimalist rooms and the trendy 17 restaurant. The latest hotel that is sure to make some Texas-sized noise is the Hotel ZaZa (sister property of the popular Hotel ZaZa in Dallas), set to open this month in the Museum District, which is home to numerous world-class cultural institutions including the Contemporary Arts Museum and the Mies van der Rohe-designed Museum of Fine Arts.

The ZaZa Houston, while having contemporary interiors, is housed in the former Warwick Hotel, a 12-story historic landmark. It was originally built in 1926 as a residential hotel, and, in the 1960s, it was taken over by legendary oil wildcatter John Mecom, Sr., then one of the world’s richest men. He spent $13 million (a staggering sum at the time) to renovate the neo-classical building, turning the Warwick into the social hub of the city; lavish parties were thrown in the spacious ballroom, elegant lobby and bar areas. When Bob Hope came to visit, he claimed the view from the presidential suite was one of the most beautiful in the world. Today, those views—of the skylines of downtown and the Galleria/ Uptown, and the historic mansions of Broad Acres and Shadyside neighborhoods—are still one of the main draws of the hotel’s guestrooms, but now they have been completely redesigned for today’s modern sophisticated traveler—all with ZaZa’s trademark theatrical style.

Some features of the 315 rooms include plasma screen televisions, Italian linens and down comforters, rainforest showers and nightly candlelight turndown service. In addition, each floor has a butler’s pantry, where complimentary tea and coffee is served each morning. Those eager to stay in some of the city’s most upscale and opulent rooms can book the “Magnificent Seven” category penthouse suites, located on the 12th floor. These eight rooms (one of which measures 3,000 square feet) feature one-and-two bedroom layouts, floor to ceiling windows, fully equipped kitchens and private access.

The hotel’s signature restaurant and cocktail lounge is called Monarch. Guests can choose from three distinct dining areas including the Baroque-inspired main dining room with soaring ceilings, plush seating and a cool Champagne bar; a more casual bar area with private nooks and bottle service (a DJ spins late-night); or the tree-shaded terrace—a perfect spot for light fare and specialty cocktails. The menu features premium steaks as well as lighter Mediterranean fare. On the second floor is the Urban Oasis pool area with six fully-furnished private cabanas and butler service. Once the sun sets, the real action takes place—and if this branch of the Urban Oasis is anything like the one at the ZaZa in Dallas, you can expect it to be a local hotspot, attracting a slew of celebrities, sports figures and entertainers.

Other noteworthy elements of the hotel include a state-ofthe-art fitness center overlooking the pool and a 10,000-square-foot ZaSpa offering Eastern-inspired holistic treatments. It’s the perfect place to unwind with a deep tissue massage or soothing Thai massage after checking out the nearby museums (perhaps the Buffalo Soldiers Museum or the Holocaust Museum) or a vigorous run in adjacent 445-acre Hermann Park. Those in town for business can get their work done in the full-service business center and have meetings in the numerous event spaces and the Phantom Ballroom (with space for up to 600 guests)—and still have time for playing. It seems inevitable that the Hotel ZaZa, like its 1960s predecessor, will once again be the epicenter of Houston’s social scene. www.hotelzazahouston.com