Which hotels in Houston, Texas, and Houston airport IAH have the best club or executive lounges? Whether you are traveling as a couple, a family, or as a single business traveler, club lounges are useful, providing food, drink, and a place to escape. By reviewing each of the executive club lounges in Houston, Texas, I conclude which hotel club lounge comes in at the top and which hotel I would select as having the best club lounge.
If you want club lounge access for free, book a standard room at a hotel that partners with our luxury travel concierge, and you will get a room upgrade and free club lounge access. This free lounge access has to be one of the best hotel deals available.
Texas has many hotels, reportedly more than 550 hotels, but most are in the “affordable” range rather than sitting at the luxury end.
Luxury hotels in Houston, Texas, include the St. Regis Houston in River Oaks, Galleria, 17 miles from George Bush Intercontinental, and The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston in the heart of Houston.
I have compiled a list below containing the club lounges available across hotels in Texas. I will be reviewing each of these hotel club lounges in detail in turn so that you know what you will get if you book a room with club lounge access or get upgraded to a club lounge for free because of your loyalty status.
1. JW Marriott Houston Downtown
Set in the historic Samuel F. Carter skyscraper, the JW Marriott Houston Downtown showcases paintings and sculptures created by local artists. It has a Houston-themed restaurant and a premier Spa by JW, as well as 16,000 square feet of Houston event space.
JW Marriott Houston Downtown is probably your best luxury hotel with a club lounge in Houston. Add to this, it is near George R. Brown Convention Center, so it is ideal for conferences.
Convenient to the George R. Brown Convention Center, Minute Maid Park, and the Texas Medical Center, the hotel is linked to the area’s popular attractions and downtown areas via public transit.
Technologically advanced guest rooms boast iPads to order room service or summon the valet, 55-inch flat-screen HDTVs with 120 channels, and complimentary wireless Internet access.
The executive club lounge at the JW Marriott Houston Downtown is great, with nice detailing, such as tables made out of tree stumps. Very stylish! The main downer is that this club lounge is only open on weekdays and is closed on weekends except for breakfast.
This is a big lounge with various seating from sofas to bar chairs and high tables. There are lots of big windows, so the space is really great to relax in. You could spend the day here.
The evening spread is generous here and includes bowls of BBQ Sliders, Quesadilla’s, guacamole, cheeses, and crackers, along with cakes, but there is no free alcohol here. This is the same across most club lounges in North America. You can pay for drinks at a slightly lower price than the bar downstairs in an honesty bar.
The breakfast is much more than continental. You get hot scrambled eggs, potatoes, sausages, bacon, bread, pastries, spreads, fruits, and cereals.
2. JW Marriott Houston by The Galleria
JW Marriott Houston by The Galleria has won a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence. This Uptown hotel is situated across the street from The Galleria, the city’s premier shopping mall, along with the restaurants and shops surrounding the mall, much like the Hyatt and Hyatt Place that we have reviewed below. There are also two Westin hotels directly attached to the mall, but they don’t have club lounges.
Step inside your redesigned room or suite, which features modern furnishings, luxury bedding, a well-lit workspace, and city views. While the rooms are not overly special, they have been nicely updated with lots of plugs in useful places. The bathrooms don’t have a tub but are modern and stylish, with a large walk-in shower where the tub would have been.
JW Downtown’s ‘Griffin Lounge’, which is their executive club lounge here, is excellent but not as good as the JW Marriott above, as it feels smaller. It is located on the 11th floor and is open for breakfast on weekdays and the weekends, but not evening snacks at the weekends. The evening food offering includes three or four hot dishes during weekdays, along with sandwiches, fruit, salad, cheese, crackers, and veggies, but there is no free alcohol here. You can pay for drinks served to your table at a slightly lower price than the bar downstairs in an honesty bar.
Buffet breakfast in the lounge is good on weekends, with a huge spread. The buffet includes fruit, cold cuts, bread, and everything else you can think of, plus hot dishes, including hot scrambled eggs.
The dining destinations beyond the executive club lounge include JW Market, which offers a thoughtfully crafted coffee experience, and Stray Horse, which serves classic dishes with a modern sensibility and regional flavor for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Maintain your workout routine in the fitness center or enjoy a swim in the indoor-outdoor rooftop pool. Usefully, you can get in inside and then swim to the outside. Event spaces combine for 40,000 square feet of space.
3. Hilton Americas Houston
Conveniently located in the heart of downtown Houston, Hilton Americas-Houston is connected to the George R. Brown Convention Center via two indoor skywalks. It is also next door to the Houston Marriott Marquis. The lounge at the Hilton Americas is better because of the truly incredible views, but the Marriott Marquis has a better pool area with its amazing lazy river.
This AAA Four-diamond hotel is just steps away from a range of attractions such as Discovery Green Park, Toyota Center, BBVA Compass Stadium, and Minute Maid Park.
The Hilton Americas-Houston Rooftop Executive Club Rooftop Lounge is fairly incredible. You get access to this lounge by booking a room on an Executive Floor or by being a Hilton Honors Diamond loyalty member. Gold members don’t automatically get lounge access. It is well worth paying for the upgrade to this lounge.
Located on the 24th floor of the Hilton Americas hotel, it’s a stunning lounge with dark wood floors, a stylish feel, and floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows offering views of the Houston skyline.
Within the lounge, you get snacks throughout the day, including a hot breakfast, hors d’oeuvres, and drinks.
What makes this lounge super special is the floor-to-ceiling windows all around the lounge. You get incredible views of the Houston skyline as well as the Toyota Center, Minute Maid Park, Discovery Green, etc. The sunrise during breakfast or the sunset later on in the day is worth the price of entry alone.
Within the lounge, there is free sparkling water (bottled) as well as cans of soft drinks and Starbucks coffee all day long. The lounge offers a continental breakfast plus some hot items.
The food is served in a room that’s located outside of the lounge. The hot food includes scrambled eggs, sausages, and potatoes, plus hot oatmeal. There is also yogurt along with boiled eggs, cereals, fruit, and pastries, as well as juice.
Hors d’oeuvres are served with a paid bar for alcoholic drinks (same as the other hotel club lounges in Houston). The food is served in large silver vats and is extensive, things like nachos, shrimp, and potato skins.
This is undoubtedly the best Hilton club lounge in Houston and the best club lounge at the convention center if you are visiting on a conference. While the lounge is better than the Marriott Marquis Houston lounge next door, you might be attracted to the Marriott Lazy River. I would say the lazy river and the views from the Hilton lounge are both unmissable, so you may want to split your stay half and a half between these two hotels.
4. Marriott Marquis Houston
The Marriott Marquis in Downtown Houston opened around 2017 and has an incredible (if slightly concrete – don’t expect much greenery) lazy river. This massive Texas-shaped lazy river, along with a huge 1,000 rooms, makes this centrally located Marriott Bonvoy hotel a good choice in Houston. The hotel is also conveniently located for Houston venues like the George R. Brown Convention Center, Minute Maid Park, and the Toyota Center.
The lobby area is huge and swanky, with numerous chandeliers. The lobby connects to all of the main restaurants, and Marriott elites have their own check-in line. A fun feature in the elevators is the NASA-inspired art decorating the walls.
The rooms are pleasant with a bed, comfy chair along with a desk, TV, etc. Shampoos, soaps, and lotions are from Thann. If you book a room with club lounge access or have Marriott Gold or Platinum status, you get complimentary access to the M Club Lounge.
This executive club M lounge is wonderfully decorated with snacks, soft drinks, sparkling water, and juices available throughout the day. Snacks include m&ms, pretzels, granola bars, and so on.
The complimentary breakfast served in the lounge is very good, with hot and cold dishes. Hot dishes include eggs, bacon, hash browns, fruit, bread, cereals, pastries, and muffins. There is also an evening food offering with hot and cold food.
This lounge is very good but closes after breakfast on weekends, so you don’t have an evening food spread on weekends.
There isn’t just one pool here. There are three separate pools on the splash deck. The lazy river, the infinity pool, and then a jacuzzi pool. The pools are heated, but only the jacuzzi pool is warm. There is also a fitness club open 24/7.
Other Marriott Bonvoy hotels with club lounges in Houston include the Houston Marriott Westchase, Houston Marriott West Loop by The Galleria, Houston Marriott Energy Corridor, Houston Marriott at the Texas Medical Center, Houston Marriott North, Houston Marriott South at Hobby Airport, and Dallas Marriott Las Colinas. All these lounges close on weekends but offer free breakfast for Gold and Platinum Marriott Bonvoy members in the main hotel restaurant.
5. Hyatt Regency Houston Galleria
Hyatt Regency Houston Galleria is located next to the Houston Galleria in Uptown Houston.
The restaurants at Hyatt Regency Houston Galleria serve Texas-sourced fare at its finest. Urban Star serves traditional Texas-style cuisine and offers an upscale dining experience. Urban Star Market serves grab-n-go foods, beverages, hot breakfast, and Starbucks Coffee.
There are ten meeting rooms and 19,000 ft² of meeting and event space, the perfect space for large conferences, weddings, and lively celebrations and social gatherings.
325 luxurious rooms featuring modern décor & amenities, stunning city views, luxurious bathrooms, a mini-fridge, coffee maker, complimentary Wi-Fi internet, and 55-inch HDTVs.
Most importantly, select rooms include Regency Club Lounge access. Regency Club Rooms get access to the exclusive 13th-floor Regency Club Lounge. The Regency Club Lounge serves a complimentary continental breakfast and evening hors d’oeuvres and offers the ideal place to work or relax.
Enhance your stay in Houston and beat the Texas heat with a refreshing dip in the outdoor swimming pool. Located on the third floor, this pool area also includes an expansive pool deck with cozy loungers and tables, making it the perfect place to relax with friends while enjoying being outdoors. The 24/7 StayFit™ Gym provides everything you need for a total body workout. There is also a business center conveniently located in the lobby and open 24 hours a day.
Worth noting, the Hyatt Place Houston Galleria is a brand new Hyatt Place, around the corner from the new Hyatt Regency Houston Galleria. The lobby is on the 3rd floor, with check-in desks, a bar, a breakfast room, a dining area, seating area. This hotel has a good reputation with a standard Hyatt Place offering. The parking is valet only and costs $32 USD, the same as the Hyatt Regency. There is a good-sized parking lot across the street as an alternative, and this hotel tends to be cheaper than the Regency.
6. Sheraton Suites Houston Near The Galleria
Sheraton Suites Houston Near The Galleria is located in the business district of Houston in Uptown Houston and has a nice pool and fitness facility. It is a decent business hotel with good rooms and decor, although it is quite a bland and generic hotel.
The hotel features all suites, providing versatile accommodations. Spend an afternoon walking through the Bayou Bend Gardens or viewing your favorite animals at the Houston Zoo. Upon your return, Sage Restaurant serves Texas-inspired American cuisine.
Book a club room and get access to the Sheraton club lounge, which offers various drink options, continental breakfast and evening appetizers, etc.
7. Sheraton North Houston near IAH airport
Sheraton North Houston at George Bush Intercontinental Airport is a generic airport hotel that attracts convention attendees. It is one of the best hotels near Houston airport with a club lounge.
With over 30,000 square feet of meeting space, they can accommodate anything from weddings to corporate business meetings. The club lounge at Sheraton North Houston at George Bush Intercontinental offers continental breakfast but also offers hot oatmeal, scrambled eggs, and French toast, which makes it a decent club lounge offering. Evening hors-d’oeuvres include veggies and dip, cheese and crackers, and 2 hot appetizers. Alcohol is also available for a fee.
Of note, the Houston Westin Downtown does not have an executive club lounge, and neither does the Marriott Bonvoy Hotel ICON, Autograph Collection. Courtyard by the Galleria in Houston doesn’t have a club lounge either and instead provides continental breakfast for Gold and Platinum Marriott Bonvoy members.
8. Hotel Hilton Houston Post Oak by the Galleria
Yet another chain hotel in the Galleria shopping mall location is the Hilton Houston Post Oak by the Galleria hotel, boasting spacious new guest rooms, all with step-out balconies and a new fitness center with modern equipment.
Located less than a mile from the prestigious Houston Galleria, the hotel offers a shuttle service for your shopping ease. Soak up the sun poolside, grab a cocktail at The Brittany Bar, or enjoy a tasty meal at The Promenade.
Executive rooms offer access to the Hilton Executive Lounge, which includes continental breakfast and evening drinks and canapes (non-alcoholic).
This Hilton is located 30 minutes from Intercontinental (IAH) and Houston Hobby (HOU) airports.
9. St. Regis Houston
St. Regis Houston is probably the best luxury hotel in Houston along with the Four Seasons. While it doesn’t have a club or executive lounge, it is worth considering as it really is one of the best hotels in town!
The St. Regis Houston has been honored as one of the finest hotels in the United States. Nestled in the lovely residential setting of River Oaks, the hotel is just minutes from the downtown central business district and the world-class shopping and entertainment of The Galleria, Highland Village, Uptown Park, and West Avenue.
The St. Regis Houston’s sumptuous ambiance abounds with elegance and dramatic floral arrangements. The bright, spacious rooms, attentive service, and extraordinary restaurant confirm The St. Regis Houston’s commitment to excellence.
The 180 guestrooms at The St. Regis Houston offer traditional décor, complete with quality furnishings and floor-to-ceiling windows. Fifty-two uniquely appointed suites in a wide range of sizes are also available; many of these include a wet bar, a separate bedroom, and an oversized master bathroom with a whirlpool tub. Guestroom amenities include a hairdryer, air-conditioned rooms/facilities, Bose Wave® Music System Radio, 37-inch flat panel LCD widescreen HDTVs and HD DVD players, city view rooms available in-room movies, nightly turndown service, dual-line direct-dial phones, and complimentary daily newspaper.
The Remington Restaurant presents a dining experience much like Houston – decidedly Modern, quintessentially American, and with a definite dash of Texas. With its feast of fresh, locally produced ingredients and an international approach to their preparation, The Remington Restaurant is widely known as one of Houston’s best.
Busy executives can take advantage of a special lunch menu that adheres to tight schedules without sacrificing culinary excellence. The sun-soaked dining room is open daily for breakfast and lunch, with evening dining available Monday through Saturday. The dining venue also offers outdoor seating, weather permitting. Rated AAA Four Diamond Award Restaurant.
Diners can also enjoy dinner in The Remington Bar, where the club-like feel of this live-music dance venue provides an entirely different experience. The Remington Bar has its own special menu, focusing on grilled food from steaks to a signature hamburger. A menu is offered on Sunday nights when The Remington Restaurant is closed.
Recreational facilities include a climate-controlled outdoor swimming pool and a fully equipped exercise room.
10. The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston
Soaring 38 stories above the glamorous Uptown and Galleria area, The Post Oak Hotel is enthralling and visually striking in every sense. Much like the St Regis above, there’s no club lounge, but again, this hotel is worth considering as it is one of the most luxurious hotels in Houston.
Upon entering the tower, a captivating atrium lobby greets guests with a grand chandelier laced with Swarovski crystals, an extravagant artwork collection, and a plush living area. The Post Oak Hotel complex is awash in greenery amid a canopy of majestic oak trees and cascading fountains – a true vision while dining al fresco at one of the many outdoor patios.
The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston is the city’s only AAA Five-Diamond destination boasting elegant accommodations masterfully blended with extensive conference space, prominent office space, designer fashion, signature dining, and sophisticated amenities all in one tower.
The 700,000 ft² tower embraces every desire of savvy business and leisure travelers alike. Add commanding views of downtown Houston, the unmatched culinary excellence of Mastro’s, the two-story Rolls-Royce showroom, and direct helicopter pad access.
Photo above from the club lounge at the InterContinental London O2.
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