(Pictured) A 1,000-room Marriott Marquis will soon join Houston's George R. Brown Convention Center
Houston has been undergoing a transformation. Attendees who have not visited in the last few years are going to find a city very different from the one they remember. Major developments, a revitalization of downtown, and a burst of new restaurants and hotels are making this metropolis a whole new experience for meetings groups.
Downtown Houston has seen some big changes recently, particularly with last fall's transformation of the Houston Entertainment Complex into GreenStreet. The 568,000-square-foot mixed-use convention district now offers expansive green space and outdoor areas, along with restaurants, shops, and entertainment offerings. Earlier this year, ground was also broken on the Hotel Alessandra, a boutique property that will anchor the district.
"Green space is important to folks," says John Solis, senior vice president of sales for the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau. "This 12-acre park is the nucleus of the larger campus -- people can sit outside and enjoy a cup of coffee, network, or explore the retail and food options."
The wider convention district has seen the start of construction on the 1,000-room Marriott Marquis (due for completion in mid-2016) on the north side of the George R. Brown Convention Center. In fall of last year, the city broke ground on the 70,000-square-foot Nau Center for Texas Cultural Heritage, and the Convention Center itself recently completed a renovation of its front façade, including the addition of ground-level restaurants and a new concourse.
WHERE TO…
PLAY - Houston Zoo
This popular attraction offers a number of customizable tours and animal-oriented venues. This spring sees the completion of Gorillas of the African Forest, a $28-million natural habitat (complete with waterfall, flowing stream, and logs) for the park's majestic gorillas -- and also includes three front-row venues for groups of up to 100.
STAY - JW Marriott Houston Downtown
Last summer, an investment of $81 million transformed the 102-year-old Samuel F. Carter Building into this 323-room luxury hotel. It includes a full-service restaurant, lounge, spa, and 16,000 square feet of meeting space.
MEET - Alley Theatre
This September, this theater is expected to complete the largest renovation in the venue's history, including upgrades to both its large Hubbard Stage and extensive back-of-house improvements. Even throughout this work, the theater's 14th floor is available for groups, who can take advantage of its dramatic view of the theater district.
ESSENTIAL Tool Box
CONVENTION CENTERS & FACILITIES
George R. Brown Convention Center (1.2 million sf); NRG Center (1.4 million sf)
ROOM TAX
7 percent
READERS RECOMMEND
Pinnacle Awards Go To:
• Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau
A few blocks west of the convention center, the new SpringHill Suites will be springing up this year in the historic Humble Oil Building complex. Later in the year, a 325-room Hyatt Regency and 157-room Hyatt Place will be opening in the Uptown area next to the Galleria.
The city is drawing huge events in the near future. Next year Houston plays host to the Final Four, and 2017 it will be the host city for the Super Bowl.
"We've been seeing a lot of vibrancy in the last three to four years," says Solis. "The New York Times and Forbes have put it on more radars as a destination people need to put on their bucket list."
Solis points to the city's growing culinary scene as a major reason it is helping to draw more interest from visitors. The start of this year saw the opening of the bakery/bar/restaurant Weights + Measures in the Midtown district, and last fall the Creole-infused Holley's in the same area. The farm-to-table Bistro Menil and cabaret supper club Prohibition are a couple other recent additions to the downtown scene.
Getting to Houston and getting around is also easier than ever. The METRORail is in the midst of an expansion, and will soon offer visitors 22.7 miles of rail total to move between Downtown, Midtown, the Museum District, and beyond. The Hobby International Airport expansion should be wrapping up this summer: Southwest Airlines' $150-million investment is helping upgrade the airport with an expanded international terminal, new ticket counter, six new security checkpoints, and five new gates.
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This article appears in the May 2015 issue of Successful Meetings.