Where I Would Stay in Downtown Houston

Let's say you're coming to Houston for business, for pleasure or for, well, whatever reason. There are plenty of wonderful hotels in town. Some are well-known chain hotels like the Four Seasons. Others are small and intimate luxury hotels like La Colombe D'Or. If you were to ask me where to stay in downtown Houston, I would probably point you to one of four hotels.

Click for a Larger Shot of Hotel and Restaurant Locations

Hotel Icon - This has been one of the city's hottest hotels since it opened before the 2004 Super Bowl. Having stayed there and seen several of the different rooms, I can attest that the rooms are beautifully appointed, the bathrooms are nice and spacious and the entire hotel has a great sense of style.

Alden Hotel - Formerly the Sam Houston, the Alden Hotel is known as one of the hippest hotels in town. Particularly worthwhile are the hotel's restaurant, 17 and the always popular bar, A+.

Lancaster Hotel - As the web site says, the Lancaster is Houston's original small luxury hotel. It consistently gets great reviews from those who stay there and is perfectly situated in the middle of Houston's theater district.

Magnolia Hotel - Just a few short years ago, The Post Dispatch building was reborn as the Magnolia Hotel, one of four Magnolia hotels located across the country. This is a great historic hotel located a short walk from Main Street and Minute Maid Park.

Now, if you're going to stay downtown, you may as well eat downtown. Without going into detail, here are four options you can try over a long weekend in Houston.

• Azuma - Sushi
• Bossa - South American Fusion
• Mia Bella Trattoria - Italian
• Longhorn Cafe - "Texan"

Bossa has always worked well for us as a pre-theater restaurant. Mia Bella is an Italian restaurant with great atmosphere... right on Main Street. Azuma has excellent sushi with a great menu. And the Longhorn Cafe' is a good place for a casual meal, right around the corner from the Lancaster.