Hotel at a Glance: Houston Marriott Westchase

The Houston Marriott Westchase sits 5 miles up the road from The Galleria, the largest mall in Texas. Past the mall’s 400 stores is the heart of downtown Houston, full of acclaimed restaurants and museums.

• Nifty in-room amenities: Guest rooms feature Marriott’s signature Revive Bedding, Texas-inspired decor, Bath & Body Works bath products, and LCD TVs.
• Distance to downtown: about 17 miles
• Onsite dining: Republic – A Texas Grill serves casual American food with tangy Texas influences.
• Sip on bold flavors: The hotel has an onsite Starbucks so you can start your day right, as well as a southwestern lounge for an after-dinner drink.
• Take a dip: There’s an indoor pool and an outdoor pool for your convenience, plus a bubbly whirlpool.

Houston, Texas: Space History, Museums, and World-Class Dining in Nation’s Fourth-Largest City

As the nation’s fourth-largest city by population, Houston has established itself as one of the Gulf Coast’s most thriving cultural hubs. The city has 19 museums covering everything from history to art to science. For art lovers, the Menil Collection—which Frommer’s calls “one of the world’s great private collections”—is a must-see. Here, you’ll browse a wide array of 20th-century art from Jasper Johns, René Magritte, and Andy Warhol, as well as artifacts from Africa and the Pacific Islands.

You could also spend an entire day exploring Houston’s science institutions. When Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell said his famous “Houston, we have a problem” line, he was talking to mission control at Space Center Houston. Here, visitors can tour the historic mission-control room and get a behind-the-scenes look at astronauts training for the International Space Station. Along Houston’s Hermann Park, The Health Museum exhibits a large-scale human body that you can enter to learn about how your organs operate.

For shopping, visit Uptown Park, an outdoor mall that brings to mind an Italian piazza through Romanesque columns, stone fountains, and open-air bistros with strings of twinkling lights. According to a Zagat survey, Houstonians dine out more than anyone else in the country, and this mall offers some of the city’s best eats, from sushi to Spanish tapas to creamy cupcakes.

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