In a town where oil tycoons rub elbows with bohemian artists, Houston, Texas, has an eclectic landscape, highlighted by a collection of high-end hotel restaurants that host laid-back weekend brunches. Enjoy a leisurely meal after exploring the city’s diverse settings, including everything from a massive Theater District covering 17 bustling blocks, to nearly 38,000 acres of sprawling green and pristine parkland.
The Omni Houston Hotel at Westside, based in the west end of Houston, is a 10-minute drive from George Bush Park, a 7,800-acre green urban space that is home to equestrian trails, a field for flying model airplanes and the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum. Cafe on the Lake, located inside the hotel’s tropical atrium lobby and set along its indoor lake, has a breakfast buffet each morning and a Champagne brunch on Sundays. Also in West Houston, Hotel Sorella is part of CityCentre Houston, a mixed-used commercial and residential complex with trendy boutique shops, restaurants, hotels and lofts. The Bistro, the hotel’s upscale restaurant, specializes in Texas Creole cuisine and serves brunch each Sunday.
Hotel Granduca is a high-end hotel, including a lobby with a grand piano, massive wrought-iron chandeliers and marble floors. Lounge by the outdoor swimming pool in private cabanas, taking in the views of the surrounding fountains and gardens. On Sunday mornings, Ristorante Cavour, the hotel’s elegant dining spot, serves a lavish brunch. Kids 4 and under eat for free. The Houstonian Hotel, Club and Spa is a luxury hotel set in an 18-acre wooded region. The hotel’s chic spa has 21 treatment rooms, tranquil rooms and couple’s showers and tubs. With the kitchen on full display, Olivette is the on-site gourmet Mediterranean restaurant that serves Sunday brunch. Both hotels are directly across the street from Memorial Park, a 1,500-acre park with an 18-hole golf course, a 3-mile jogging path, an outdoor pool and an arboretum.
Less than a 10-minute car ride from Rice University, the St. Regis Houston is an upscale hotel, where some guest rooms have DVD and CD players, jetted tubs, crystal chandeliers, fireplaces and floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the downtown skyline. On-site dining options include a wine bar, afternoon tea lounge, Remington Bar -- which hosts live bands on weekends -- and Remington Restaurant, which hosts a Sunday brunch. Hotel ZaZa is a five-minute drive from Rice University and across the street from The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, a massive complex highlighting works by Pablo Picasso, Paul Cezanne and Thomas Gainsborough. The trendy hotel includes a poolside bar and Monarch Restaurant, which has an outdoor terrace with views of the museum’s ornate Mecom Fountain. The restaurant also has Sunday brunch and DJs on the weekend.
Based downtown, Four Seasons Hotel Houston is just a short walk from Toyota Center, home arena to the NBA’s Houston Rockets, and Minute Maid Park, home ballpark to MLB’s Houston Astros. The elegant hotel includes a swimming pool on the fourth floor surrounded by palm trees, a wooden deck and bar. Quattro is a gourmet Italian restaurant that has weekday pasta lunch buffets and Sunday brunch. The Lancaster Hotel is directly across the street from Jones Hall for the Performing Arts, which hosts the Houston Symphony throughout the year. The historic 1926 hotel provides a host of dining options, including a hosted wine hour on week nights and complimentary breakfast buffet each morning. The on-site restaurant, the Bistro, serves brunch on weekends throughout the year but dates and times vary.
