My daughter and I enjoyed an impromptu, one-day staycation in Houston, Texas! We live in San Antonio, Texas so it was about a three-hour drive from our house to our hotel. We only deserve the finer things in life, so we stayed at the stunning Marriott Marquis Houston, famous for its one-of-a-kind Texas-shaped lazy river!
Photo of the Texas-shaped lazy river from www.marriottmarquishouston.showare.com
On Saturday, we woke up, packed and hit I-10 by noon. My goal was to hit the I-10 by 10. I felt like Nate Johnson from the movie Johnson Family Reunion, because it took me forever to get us all packed and into the car.
Once on the road for a few minutes, Nevaeh and I noticed the bluebonnets were on and popping. We pulled off to the side of the road and took a few photos! Nevaeh fell asleep shortly after that.
About 1 hour into the drive, I pulled over so I could take Nevaeh to the Buc-ee's in Luling, Texas. She loved it! I told her she could get one thing. Nevaeh saw cotton candy as soon as we walked in, and immediately her mind was made up- that is what she wanted.
On our way out, Nevaeh found Buc-ee the Beaver and we grabbed some photos with him! Nevaeh was all up on him, touching his teeth and face. Poor Buc-ee.
Video of us in Buc-ee's
As we neared the hotel, I ordered two pancake meals from iHOP for curbside pickup. Then we continued to the hotel.
As we arrived, I opted to do self parking. Next time, I will budget for valet parking because self-parking was a hassle that I could have lived without. Self parking was $40 per night and valet was $65. Be sure to remember to take your parking card to the hotel front desk to get it validated on the day you check in, or else it will be about $10 per hour in the Avenida North Garage parking garage.
I temporality left my car at the front while we checked in and took our bags to our hotel room. The bell-hop off loaded our bags and assisted us to our room. Then, Nevaeh and I went back to the front to get our car and self-park. Parking is located in a parking garage across the street. You can use the sky bridge to get to-and-from the hotel and parking garage.
Room Tour: Room with Two Queen Beds
Room tour video
Our lovely room was located on the 25th floor with a beautiful view of the Houston Convention Center and downtown. This spacious, 355sqft room featured:
Ceiling to floor windows with goruous view
Mini fridge
55in LED Internet streaming TV + cable
Lounge chair
Desk and chair for writing/work
A/C
Electrical outlets and USB outlets near the bed
Iron and ironing board
Hair dryer
Coffee/tea maker
Radio and alarm clock
I am a Marriott Bonvoy member, so I enjoyed free Wi-Fi! It is free to join, so why not join? This hotel has a smoke-free policy.
I did not tell Nevaeh where we were going before we left because I wanted to surprise her, and she was blown away. The sweetest (and most unexpected) thing happened when we unloaded our bags in our room. Nevaeh gave me a huge hug and said, "Thank you Mommy!" I asked her why she said thank you, and she said, thank you for brining me so high (the room was on the 25th floor). I felt like my job as a mother had been fulfilled.
We enjoyed our breakfast before we went down to the rooftop and pool! Nevaeh ate all of the pancakes. Next time I will order more.
Altitude Rooftop & Pool
My baby had the time of her life at the pool! Located on the 6th Floor, Altitude Rooftop & Pool brings a lively resort experience like no other. My baby especially enjoyed floating along their huge, one-of-a-kind Texas-shaped lazy river. The first day, we arrived to the pool at sunset and stayed for about two hours. Nevaeh played with other small children in the infinity pool and we floated the lazy river two times. Of course, she did not want to leave.
The rooftop and pool area conveniently has two bars serving instagrammable cocktails and food, a huge Texas-shaped lazy river, a rooftop infinity pool and whirlpool. On the Saturday night we visited there was music playing over the loud speakers, but apparently their poolside programming includes live music! There are a lot of lounge chairs. There are cabanas, pergolas and day beds available for rent . You can enjoy all of this with the absolutely breathtaking views of downtown Houston.
Video of Nevaeh and I at Altitude Rooftop & Pool the first night
We returned to the pool the next morning for about an hour. Although it was very foggy and there was a slight drizzle, I allowed her to play in the pool because she was very much looking forward to playing at the pool again.
Final Thoughts
Our staycation at The Marriott Marquis Houston was pretty great! This is the perfect hotel for a weekend getaway in Texas. The hotel staff were extremely accommodating and helpful. I really appreciated getting assistance with our luggage to and from our room. The hotel is stunning, and it only gets more breathtaking as you walk in. The lobby is so eloquent and perfect for photos.
I look forward to doing more mommy and me excursions with my little princess. I want her to know how it feels to be valued, pampered, treated like the QUEEN she is. So when the little knuckleheads attempt to approach her in the future, she has a great foundation to make sound decisions on. They need to come correct. Plus- I have always loved traveling and capturing memories. I NEED this for me too!
Location: 5/5
Cleanliness: 4.5/5
Service: 4.7/5
Value: 4.5/5
Nearby Family Attractions
It is great staying in downtown Houston because you are so close to so many awesome places you can check out with your family! The hotel is actually connected by a skywalk to the George R. Brown Convention Center.
Aquarium We visited the Downtown Houston Aquarium last summer and Nevaeh had such an awesome time!
Zoo We visited the Houston Zoo last summer as well, and Nevaeh had a blast!
Discovery Green If you haven't been, it is a must! We went when Nevaeh was a little tot and she had such a fun time running and playing at the massive play area. There are all types of food trucks, vendors, and a splash pad.
Nearby Restaurants
Not only are there tons of fun things to do in the area, but there is tons of good food to be had as well!
Lunch & Brunch
Leeland House - personal favorite!
Dinner
Grotto Downtown - A beautiful, upscale Italian restaurant
More videos from the trip: