Downtown

Le Meridien Houston Downtown

★★★★★

Le Meridien is the downtown hotel to choose if you want style, a rooftop scene and a central location at an upper-mid-range price. It occupies the restored Melrose Building at 1121 Walker Street, a 1950s office tower that sat empty for years before its conversion into a hotel, and the design leans into that mid-century heritage with clean lines, warm colors and a relaxed, European-influenced atmosphere typical of the Le Meridien brand, part of Marriott. The rooms and suites are modern and comfortable, including Queen/Queen rooms that work well for friends or families. The hotel's big draw is Z on 23, a rooftop bar on the 23rd floor with indoor and outdoor seating and sweeping views of the downtown skyline, open year-round when the weather cooperates and popular with locals as well as guests, especially on weekend evenings. Downstairs, Zutro serves American dishes, craft cocktails and breakfast, lunch and dinner, and Oxbow7 is a second bar for a quieter drink. The location puts most of downtown within walking distance: Discovery Green and the convention center to the east, the Toyota Center and Daikin Park a little farther, Main Street and the METRORail a few blocks west, and the Theater District within a short ride. Pets are welcome, with a weight limit and a modest fee. The main drawback is parking, which is valet only and expensive, as at most downtown hotels, so consider rideshares and the train if you do not need a car.

Book a higher floor for views, and if you are coming for a weekend, reserve a table or arrive early for Z on 23, which fills up on busy evenings. Guests who want a quieter night should ask for a room away from the elevators and avoid booking directly below the rooftop on event nights.

Le Meridien is particularly well placed for sports and events. Walk to the Toyota Center for Rockets games and concerts, to Daikin Park for the Astros, and to the convention center for conferences, and enjoy Discovery Green, with its winter ice rink and year-round events, just a few blocks away. Downtown restaurants and bars, including the Market Square area, are within easy reach on foot or by a short rideshare.

The hotel suits couples, groups of friends and business travelers who want a contemporary hotel with a social rooftop. Families can use the Queen/Queen rooms, though the hotel has no pool, so in summer families might prefer the Marriott Marquis nearby. Compared with the Magnolia, Le Meridien feels more modern and nightlife-oriented; compared with the C. Baldwin, it is closer to Discovery Green and the convention center.