When you think of traveling, you probably think of being a globetrotter by seeing the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Great Wall in China or taking a beach side vacation in Bali or even snapping some pictures alongside the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. But have you ever thought of Houston, Texas as a travel destination? I know that I surely did not before this vacation. I mean I was aware that the music industry’s Queen Bey hails from there but I never thought of it as a must see destination. Well I hope this collection of Team NuWa‘s experience changes your mind about the Lone Star State as much as it did ours.
Where to stay – Hotel Alessandra
We started our trip by checking into the gorgeous Hotel Alessandra located in Downtown Houston. The moment that you step into the hotel, you’re greeted with classic French luxury décor and smiles from the valet staff.
In fact, Hotel Alessandra has many French sceneries in the hotel including one of Houston’s top restaurants, Lucienne, which is remarkably reminiscent of a Tiffany & Co box wrapped up inside of the hotel, ready to gift you with delicious food and beverages.
Along the hotel room hallways, you will find French style wallpaper that matches the bathroom inside of the room, which perfectly compliments the French style white porcelain bathtub.
Our room also included an aerial view of the pool, located on the fifth floor
Where to stay – Royal Sonesta Houston
We ended our trip with a 2 night stay in the very busy Royal Sonesta Hotel. There always seemed to be a wedding or event going on at this exquisite hotel. The hotel was large but the staff still showed detailed attention to each and every customer. I think Royal Sonesta has the comfiest beds that I have ever slept in and their restaurant serves the tastiest waffles!
What to see – Architecture & Interior Design
I found that architecture and interior design were of high importance in Houston. Everywhere I turned, I saw extraordinary homes with Spanish, French and modern influences. Therefore, it’s no wonder that we also stumbled upon the most beautiful furniture store that I ever seen. I know that going to a furniture store doesn’t sound like a fun vacation activity. But what if the store reminds of you Alice in Wonderland in the most luxurious way possible? That’s what I thought of while happening upon Restoration Hardware. The store was entrancingly set up both indoor and outdoor.
What to do – Rock Climbing & Houston’s Musuem of Fine Arts
When we were not busy indulging in all of the various types of cuisines that Houston had to offer…which was almost never, we were doing things such as trying a new sport. We found a groupon for rock climbing at Houston’s Climb 59. We tried something new that we had never tried before and we came out conquering fears that we never thought we’d overcome. But as the saying goes “no pain, no gain,” so needless to say we definitely left with a few bruises and soreness the next morning.
We were lucky enough to be in town while the Oscar De La Renta exhibit was going on at Houston’s Musuem of Fine Arts. It was really nice to take a walk through fashion history and marvel at the beautiful gowns that Oscar De La Renta is renowned for.
What to eat – Cuisines from all over the world
While I initially didn’t have high expectations from Houston as a travel destination, I did, however, have huge confidence in the food! We ate so many different types of cuisines varying from sushi to tacos. You can literally travel around the world food-wise all within Houston’s borders. We ate at Ramen Tatsu-ya (Japanese), Peli Peli (South African), Torchy’s (Mexican), Uchi (More Japanese), Lupe Tortilla (More Mexican) and our undisputed favorite restaurant, Fat Bao (Taiwanese). Fat Bao was so delicious that we visited there twice in our short 5-day stay.
What to eat – Dessert
And of course we can’t forget about DESSERT! We went to Sprinkles, the world famous pink cupcake ATM and bakery. Yes you read that right, a cupcake ATM! What a beautiful time to be alive when you get dessert from a vending machine! We also visited Petite Sweets, a small little café serving up not so small specialty hot drinks. I ordered the Unicorn Hot Chocolate and it completely met my expectations of everything a magical, fairy-tale inspired drink should look like!
Houston is definitely a city that I want to visit again and again. As they say, “everything’s bigger in Texas” so there’s no way that you can not see all of Houston’s perimeter in 1 visit. The Lone Star state might be lacking in stars, but its certainly not lacking in things to discover. If our experience didn’t open your minds up to a US getaway in Houston, then go visit and stay in one of these 2 beautiful hotels. I’m sure that stay alone will change your mind!
