Four Seasons Houston Review
I know, I know. It’s shocking to see anything about domestic travel on this blog. However, my Four Seasons Houston review has been a long time coming. My in-laws live in Houston, and I have work in the Houston area. This means I often will find myself in Houston for a combination of work + leisure. And, since the Four Seasons resort in Dallas is no more, sometimes I have to take advantage of the Four Seasons Houston if I’m looking for a little luxury closer to home. (However, because of my positive experiences at the FS Houston, I am looking forward to the more urban Four Seasons Dallas opening in the future!)
The Four Seasons Houston is perfectly located in downtown with easier access to the freeways than some of the other hotels in downtown Houston. I have stayed in a lot of hotels in and around downtown Houston, and I love the intimate feel of the Four Seasons. They truly embrace hospitality, and I feel safe coming and going as required by all my outside commitments. While there are A LOT of different areas, if I’m choosing where to stay in Houston, I’m always choosing the Four Seasons. It’s probably one of my favorite hotels in North America because of the consistency of service.
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Booking the Four Seasons Hotel in Houston
As a Four Season Preferred Partner travel advisor, I’m happy to book your stay at the Four Seasons Houston to make the most of your trip. Four Seasons Preferred Partner bookings include a variety of extra amenities at no additional cost to you (so why would you not use a travel advisor?!). Additionally, the Four Seasons Houston often offers a 3rd night free rate, so it can make for a fantastic romantic long weekend in Houston. Here are just a few things that you can expect when booking with a luxury travel advisor (like me!):
The Four Seasons Arrival Experience
What makes the Four Seasons hotel in Houston stand out to me is the service. While I feel like I’m here “often”, I’m not a super frequent guest by any stretch of the imagination. However, the front desk staff has recognized me and always makes me feel welcome. When I arrived VERY late one evening after numerous flight delays, they had already set the thermostat in my room so it was ready for a good night’s sleep.
On my most recent trip, they wanted to ensure that both the pillows and mattress topper in my room matched the selections in my profile. (I actually purchased the Four Seasons bed for home because of my experience at the Four Seasons Houston.) When I reach out to them via the app, whether to schedule spa appointments or to request assistance, they respond immediately. While this should be standard of a 5-star hotel experience, it isn’t always. The staff at the Four Seasons Houston truly goes above and beyond to ensure that I’m comfortable and content.
This level of service is what the Four Seasons brand is known for, and the Houston property certainly delivers on the personalized approach to knowing their guests.
Rooms at the Four Seasons Hotel Houston
At this point, I think I’ve stayed here 6 or 7 times in the last 3 years. I’ve lost count. I’ve stayed in the standard rooms, the corner rooms, as well as the executive suites at the Four Seasons Houston. I can say without hesitation that all the rooms are comfortable and you can’t go wrong. I had the most standard room when I stayed here for a conference, and it was just as comfortable as my suites. If you are traveling with family, you might enjoy a cabana room for easy pool access. These rooms overlook the pool and have a patio area adjacent to the pool. There really is a room for everyone here, including residential suites if you are staying for an extended period of time.
Corner Room – 1425
On my first stay at the Four Seasons in Houston, I was upgraded to a corner king room. Dare I say this room ruined me? I LOVE the corner rooms at the Four Seasons Houston. (I loved the corner room at the Four Seasons Dallas resort, too.) Why do I love corner rooms so much? They usually have a lot more natural light than a standard room. I’m a sucker for natural light and well lit room. I can’t help it.
The corner rooms at the Four Seasons Houston feel very open and airy. I love the fainting couch, even if it’s not super conductive to working and lounging. (The corner rooms have a table and chairs for working or dining, so it works out really well.) Like the executive suites, they do have a few personal touches that keep them from feeling like Yet Another Hotel room.
If you update your Four Seasons hotel profile in advance, you have the opportunity to choose whether you want a soft mattress pad or the regular, more firm mattress. You can also choose your preferred pillow type. For me, the first time I stayed at the Four Seasons Houston, I felt as if I was sleeping on a cloud.
The bathroom offers the same large vanity and walk-in shower as the executive suites. The marble and tile offers a fantastic, upscale bathroom with plenty of light. There are always plenty of hangers in the closet, and there is an iron and starch readily available. Every detail you need is readily available.
Executive Suites – Room 1114 and 1718
I’ve stayed twice in the executive suites at the Four Seasons Houston. I love the set up of the suite because the room gives me a clear separation between work and rest. Both of the executive suites that I have stayed in have had a sliding door between the two rooms and both rooms had their own set of windows, so if you closed off one or the other, you aren’t sacrificing anything. When I travel to Houston in the summer, it is beneficial to be able to close the curtains to keep the bedroom cool.
The Living Space
The executive suite living room has a fantastic wet bar area, complete with wine glasses, a minibar, and refillable water bottles. (My guilty pleasure is the gummy bears. Why do gummy bears always taste better when staying in a luxury hotel?!) The full-size couch even offers a chaise lounge for working and watching TV.
I love the streamlined design and warm brown and blue tones of the room. It’s a nod to Texas without being too Texan, if you know what I mean. I’ve found that these modern design elements are pretty typical in Houston luxury hotels. At first, I was perplexed by it, as Dallas luxury hotels tend to feel more traditional, but I’ve come to love this part of Houston hotel design. I love the design touches in the living room that make it feel more like home. There is even a book on cocktails that I have purchased for friends.
The Suite Bathroom
The large bathroom offers a large walk-in shower with a handheld and overhead rain shower. The water pressure is good, and I’ve never had an issue with hot water. The bath amenities are Diptyque, which are lovely. (On one stay, they had Ferragamo bath products, which are some of my all-time favorites from the Lungarno Hotel Collection in Florence. I was so perplexed and couldn’t decide what to make of that because I hadn’t ever seen Ferragamo at the Four Seasons and certainly not in the United States!)
The Sleeping Space
I LOVE the clean lines of the bedroom in the Four Seasons Houston executive suite. It’s the bed, the nightstands, the TV, and the windows. That’s it. It’s the PERFECT place to rest without distraction. I’m a huge fan of the Four Seasons bedding. It always feels crisp, clean, and comfortable. There is no better place to end the day, as far as I’m concerned. I’ve also been really impressed with the soundproofing at the Four Seasons Houston. As with any big city, there can be a lot of noise. You don’t notice it at the Four Season Houston. Whether I’m on the 5th floor or the 11th floor, I don’t hear anything.
Wellness & Spa at the Four Seasons Houston
I will fully admit that I was spoiled by the spa at the Four Seasons Prague (and even the Four Seasons Paris). The Prague spa is probably one of the nicest urban hotel spas I’ve ever visited. I’m a frequent visitor to the spa at the Ritz Carlton Dallas (we got married at the Ritz in Dallas!), and I like it a lot. The spa at the Four Seasons is probably second or third to those city hotel spas. It’s fantastic, but it just doesn’t have the same space and amenities as the other Four Seasons spas I’ve visited. The spa area features a small sitting room, a steam room, and showers. As much as I complain about the heat in Houston, I wish they had a sauna, as it’s one of the few things that does help with the inflammation in my hip.
But I don’t just go to the spa for the facilities. And, I want to be very clear, I’ve never had a bad treatment here. In fact, all of my massages have been INCREDIBLE. (That’s saying a lot because I’m usually super stressed when I’m in Houston.) I love that the Four Seasons spa offers a variety of treatments with a regional focus. For example, the Four Seasons Houston offers a body scrub that includes brown sugar and Bourbon, which is very on brand for the hotel. (Bottle & Bayoux has an extensive Bourbon menu that includes some specialty cocktails.) This is something that I started paying attention to after staying at the Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco and Borgo Pignano in Tuscany. While these might not be things I would ordinarily try, I appreciate the nod to local experiences.
If you aren’t a massage or a facial person, they also offer manicures and pedicures, which can be a great way to wind down after a long day.
Pool & Fitness Center
Houston is HOT and its humid. For that reason alone, I strongly recommend booking a hotel with a pool. An outdoor pool. Indoor pools are nice, but when the humidity is stifling, those indoor pools don’t always feel great. I like the pool area at the Four Seasons, though it does get busy on summer weekends. It’s not huge with a Texas-sized lazy river like the Marriott Marquis Houston, but there’s plenty of room for swimming. The hot tub is fairly large by hotel standards, too. I find that the best time to relax by the pool is after work on weekdays, regardless of season. It’s generally pretty quiet.
One of the things I love about the fitness center at the Four Seasons Houston is that it is open 24 hours. It’s huge, especially for an urban hotel, and offers cardio and free weights for staying in shape. My friend Carolyn was super excited to find that it had a Peleton available, too.
Dining at the Four Seasons Houston
While downtown Houston tends to cater towards business travelers (for obvious reasons), the hotel bar definitely offers some incredible people watching. In fact, when I stayed at the hotel for a conference, I suggested to a few of my friends that we should hang out at Bottle & Bayou because I didn’t think we would see anyone we knew. Wrong. We saw everyone we knew. That said, I do like the vibes and the cocktails are pretty good. (This is my petition to bring back the Paloma with elderflower though.) Like the St Regis Florence Winter Garden bar, they have a cocktail menu from Four Seasons around the world, along with an extensive old fashioned menu (with a nod to Dr. Pepper because we are in Texas), and some other creative cocktails. They offer small plates, and I’ve definitely been known to order fries with my cocktail. They are always made fresh and are truly delightful.
In addition to the lobby bar, there is also a speakeasy and a fine dining restaurant, Toro Toro. Since I’m generally traveling alone, I’m more likely to just enjoy an easy meal at Bottle & Bayou or order room service. I noticed on my most recent stay that they do offer mixology classes, which is something that I will definitely be looking into booking in the future!
Four Seasons Room Service
I’m not going to lie. Most of the time, the room service at the Four Seasons is its own fantastic dining experience for me. I used to check into the resort at the Four Seasons Dallas and never leave the room except to go to the spa. I ordered room service, and it was as good as going out to a restaurant, if not better. Room service at the Four Seasons Houston has been good, but it’s a little more inconsistent. To be fair, they have been changing and working on their menus. So, I think they’re trying to figure it out, just like we all are.
One of my favorite dishes was a spicy Bolognese pasta that was served with crispy parmasean. When I tell you that this pasta changed my perspective on room service, it is definitely is. The flavors were fresh, everything was served piping hot, and I had the luxury of enjoying dinner in my pajamas. (As an introverted-extrovert, this is entirely necessary.)
On another trip, I was trying to stay low-carb and ordered the steak after getting home around 10:00pm. After all the time I’ve spent in Italy and France, I’m definitely a rare steak girlie. When the steak arrived medium to medium-well, I called to let them know about the mistake. They immediately sent up a new steak and removed it from the bill, which I didn’t ask for at all. I thought it was a tremendous goodwill gesture.
In-Room Breakfast
Generally, I practice intermittent fasting, which means I don’t eat breakfast. However, if I’m going to have a long night and won’t have dinner until after 8:00pm, I’ll go ahead and start my day off with a bit of protein at breakfast. I love the Four Seasons Houston has a strong a la carte menu for breakfast. My order is usually soft scrambled eggs, as well as a side of bacon or sausage. However, I love their pastry basket and their sunrise smoothie for a sweet treat. While most hotel breakfasts are pretty meh, especially when you order via room service, the Four Seasons delivers in this area as well. I just don’t take advantage of it as much as I would like to. (It’s such a strange thing when your body switches over to getting used to fasting mode. I never wake up hungry anymore!)
Bonus: Where to Eat in Houston near the Four Seasons
This might get me a little hate. I don’t care though. I can’t talk about Houston and not talk about one of my favorites restaurants near Four Seasons Houston. There used to be a location in Dallas, though it’s been closed for a LONG time. My family has been dining at Ninfa’s since before I was born. My mom learned to fish braid my hair from Steph, our long-time and favorite waitress. She even tried to teach us to make the famous off-the-menu sauce. It didn’t work. You have to go to Ninfa’s. (There are two restaurants that are core childhood memories for me. Ninfa’s is one.)
Ninfa’s on NAvigation is less than a 10 minute drive from the Four Seasons, and you will always find me there (at least once). This is Tex-Mex and its tasty. I LOVE their fajitas, but you have to order a side of pechuga gravy. It’s not on the menu. You just have to know. You can also order it at Ninfa’s Uptown, and I love going there, too. It just happens to be at the Ninfa’s on Navigation is closer to the Four Seasons. Make a reservation and you won’t have to wait. If you do have to wait, they also have a great margarita menu. I love to bounce around it depending on my mood. This month, it was the Desert Daisy for me with its blood-orange ice cube.
If we travel to Houston together, I’m taking you to Ninfa’s. If I’m traveling to Houston on my own, I might eat almost all of my meals at Ninfa’s. It’s nostalgic, tasty, and they still make fresh, homemade tortillas. There’s nothing better in my mind (and many people do try to change it). When my friend Eric was in Houston, I took him. A few months later, his wife, a food writer for the WP, wrote a story and highlighted their fajitas in it. I like to think that I had something to do with that.
Seriously, Ninfa’s is my favorite restaurant in Houston. And even though I sometimes consider having it delivered to the Four Seasons when I’m tired, I know it won’t be the same. It’s worth making the 8 minute drive to enjoy some warm, sizzling fajitas in person.
