Hotel Derek Houston Galleria

This upscale hotel occupies a sleek 15-floor building with tinted windows located on a bustling street in Houston's 610 Loop. The trendy property, which opened in 2002, puts a chic twist on Texas decor with a colorfully painted bull stamped “Hotel Derek” placed at the electronic front doors. Black granite chevron tiles line the lobby, which features neon lighting details, Texas Wildcatters photography, and several sitting areas, including a baby-blue sectional sofa on a zebra-print rug and metallic chairs beside a fireplace. The wooden front desk is illuminated by orange lights, giving the illusion of a candlelit glow. Yellow dandelion patterns on brown carpeting spruce up the hallways and cool lighting fixtures brighten up elevators. Attracting a young and lively crowd, the hotel fosters a social setting by providing nightly poolside movies and a happy hour. 

The Hotel Derek is in the heart of Uptown Houston, a few blocks from the Galleria Mall, and within walking distance of Target, Starbucks, and the Post Oak Plaza. High-end shopping and dining are reachable on foot, but there’s also a free hotel shuttle that travels within a three-mile radius. Bars like the Railyard are five minutes by cab and the Big Woodrow's Bar & Grill is 10 minutes. The heavily trafficked location is beside the Interstate 610 and 30 minutes by car from the George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

• 10-minute drive to Rice University 
• 10-minute drive to the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium
• 15-minute drive to Downtown Houston -- and B-Cycle bikes 
• 15-minute drive to Houston Toyota Center, home of the Rockets
• 15-minute drive to George R. Brown Convention Center
• 20-minute drive to Minute Maid Park, with the Houston Astros
• 30-minute drive to Johnson Space Center

Rooms feel vibrant and hip with colorful designs, bright artwork, patterned carpeting, and large windows that face uptown or downtown (including views of the Williams Tower), plus fun, Texas touches like cow-print robes. Furnishings are occasionally worn, however, and there have been complaints about cleanliness. All rooms have flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, minibars, glass writing desks, large safes, coffeemakers, and irons/ironing boards. Standard and Superior Rooms have red built-in banquette seating and Sky Deluxe rooms also have Keurig coffeemakers. Suites offer floor-to-ceiling windows and sitting areas, while Junior Suites have wet bars. One-bedroom Terrace Suites feature sofa beds, two bathrooms, a balcony, wet bar, and an office area, while the one-bedroom Penthouse Suite has two entrances, sitting/dining areas, two bathrooms, a bidet, an office corner, a balcony and a wet bar. Stylishly wallpapered bathrooms have exposed pipes, hardwood floors, hairdryers, and shower/tub combos, but they're small.

Artificial grass and stylish lounge chairs create a charming atmosphere at Splash, the small outdoor pool, which has a wheelchair lift. A red accented hallway leads to Sweat, the 24-hour gym, that features hardwood floors, treadmills, cardio machines, free weights, a boxing bag, and nice perks like chilled bottled water. The Revolve Kitchen, decked out in stylish red and black decor, serves Texan cuisine and casual meals like the Hangover Burger for breakfast lunch, and dinner, as well as Starbucks coffee. Revolve Bar has 10 craft beers on tap and two black-lacquer pool tables. The hotel has thirteen modern and eclectically designed meeting rooms, and wedding services can also be accommodated in the spacious Bravo ballroom. Optional catering, Internet, and multimedia equipment are provided. The turquoise-painted 24-hour business center has a narrow lounge with two flat-screen TVs, gifts for sale, two PC computers, and a printer. Wi-Fi is free throughout and limited self-parking spaces are available (for a fee) as well as valet parking.