Galveston, Texas, is a gulf island city with 32 miles of beaches, a 10-mile seawall and a 36-block Historic District famous for its Victorian architecture. Now a major cruise ship port, Galveston draws art collectors and antique and bargain hunters to its galleries, shops and factory outlets. Fresh gulf seafood highlights its waterfront restaurants' menus. Galveston's beachfront hotels are portals to the city's outdoor, shopping and dining fun.
The Hotel Galvez opened its doors in 1911. It's now the city's oldest beachfront hotel. An AAA 4-Diamond establishment on the National Historic Register of Places, the hotel greets guests with a mahogany-ceiling lobby. Rooms have Victorian decor in shades of emerald, warm brown and gold. Designer toiletries, etched glass mirrors and Carerra marble tile grace the guest baths. All accommodations have gulf or island views, pillow-top mattresses and luxury bed linens.
Select rooms have hypoallergenic bedding and air filtration systems. Other amenities include flat-screen cable television with in-room movies, complimentary high-speed and Wi-Fi Internet access and iPod docking stations. An outdoor pool and on-site fitness center with whirlpool keep active guests busy.
The hotel's spa provides facials, body treatments, massages and a special menu. Its meditation garden room and waterfall offer the ultimate escape. Bernardo's Restaurant in the hotel lobby has sweeping ocean views and serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and Sunday champagne brunch. Fresh gulf seafood prepared in traditional and contemporary dishes is the house specialty.
Hotel Galvez
2024 Seawall Blvd.
Galveston, TX 77550
409-765-7721
wyndham.com
Balcony rooms--many with ocean views--await guests of Galveston's Quality Inn and Suites Beachfront, less then 10 minutes from the Port of Galveston cruise terminal. Other amenities include high-speed Internet access, microwaves and refrigerators, free weekday newspaper and complimentary deluxe continental breakfast. The hotel welcomes smokers. Guests have access to an on-site fitness center with cardio and strength-training equipment, an indoor heated pool and hot tub.
Families can make the 3-mile trip to Moody Gardens, complete with an aquarium, seasonal beachfront park and 18-hole golf course. A three-minute stroll along the seawall leads to the Golden Corral steak and buffet restaurant. For seafood, Gaido's of Galveston--operating since 1911--is a two-minute drive away. Gaido's offers fresh, hand-processed gulf fish and shellfish, with freshly baked breads, as well as local produce and fruits prepared according to the restaurants' own recipes.
Quality Inn & Suites Beachfront
5924 Seawall Blvd.
Galveston, TX 77551
877-424-6423
qualityinn.com
Galveston's Commodore on the Beach Hotel beckons guest with a large, fountain-fed beachfront pool and 92 beach-view rooms. Located at Seaview Boulevard and 37th Street, the Commodore stands between Galveston's Stewart Beach and restored Historic District, and Moody Gardens. The cruise ship terminal is five minutes away.
Cheery tropical fabrics brighten the hotel's spacious patio and balcony accommodations. Family suites have tile floors and separate seating areas with wicker furniture. All rooms have satellite television and complimentary Wi-Fi. Other amenities include complimentary continental breakfast, complimentary juice available all day long and afternoon and evening cookies. The non-smoking hotel is within walking distance of Gaido's and Landry's seafood restaurants.
The Commodore on The Beach
37th and Seawall Blvd.
Galveston, TX 77552
409-763-2375
commodoreonthebeach.com
