Houston TX

[SFChrissy]

There are a lot of you peepz who travel regularly and thought you could point me in the right direction.

I have to make travel arrangements for myself and 10 other co-workers to a conference in Houston TX

What are some of your favorite and most frequently used travel booking sites?

And is anyone familiar with downtown Houston??? Tell me what I shouldn't miss during my short 4 day stay...

Thanks a bunch~

[TomAz]

i know houston really well. lived there for years and years, worked downtown for the last 8 years i lived there, and have been back frequently.

Where is your conference? or is that part of what you need to decide?

[locachica73]

I use to have to book alot of travel for people I work with. My typical route was to go to www.expedia.com find the cheapest flight and hotel, then go directly to the airline that was offering the cheaper fare and seeing if I could get it even cheaper through their home site. Often I got it for a bit less so then I would book it through them, that usually works better because if someone has to back out at the last minute it is easier to cancel through the airline then through expedia. But if Expedia had the cheapest fare I would book through them. I would do the same with the hotel. We never really booked rental cars for people but when we did I used www.budget.com.

[chairmenmeow47]

do not let anyone stay at the extended suites. that's all i got, caused a nightmare for some of my employees last year.

[locachica73]

Any of the Marriot hotels and their affiliates were always my go to hotels. Better beds, better service and even though they were a bit more spendy people always had much better feedback.

[SFChrissy]

i know houston really well. lived there for years and years, worked downtown for the last 8 years i lived there, and have been back frequently.

Where is your conference? or is that part of what you need to decide?Our conference is at the George Brown Convention Center and they have a bunch of rooms blocked out at the Hilton so that's covered.

Tom, which airport is best to fly into for downtown access...I hear Hobby??? Share your familiarity with me, please...

I use to have to book alot of travel for people I work with. My typical route was to go to www.expedia.com find the cheapest flight and hotel, then go directly to the airline that was offering the cheaper fare and seeing if I could get it even cheaper through their home site. Often I got it for a bit less so then I would book it through them, that usually works better because if someone has to back out at the last minute it is easier to cancel through the airline then through expedia. But if Expedia had the cheapest fare I would book through them. I would do the same with the hotel. We never really booked rental cars for people but when we did I used www.budget.com.Savy idea, thanks!!!

[TomAz]

Hobby is closer to downtown but most people fly into IAH. Hobby is more commuter flights on Southwest, etc. Continental's gonna be your best bet into IAH, probably.

also its not like Hobby is exactly close. IAH maybe 20 miles while Hobby 15. that's a guess.



as far as things to see in downtown Houston, here is a complete list.

...

[SFChrissy]

Hobby is closer to downtown but most people fly into IAH. Hobby is more commuter flights on Southwest, etc. Continental's gonna be your best bet into IAH, probably.

also its not like Hobby is exactly close. IAH maybe 20 miles while Hobby 15. that's a guess.



as far as things to see in downtown Houston, here is a complete list.

...
Continental looks like the winner in 'n out of IAH...

Where's the list smart arse???

[TomAz]

Houston is a nice place to live, but I wouldn't want to visit there.


there are some nice restaurants and bars in the 'theater district' part of downtown.

if you like art, the Menil and the CAM are both very worthwhile. but that's not walking distance from the Hilton. though I guess the light rail goes right near the CAM.

if you like to shop, catch a cab and go out to the Galleria.


also, the George R Brown is kind of a cool building, done by the same guy who did the Pompidou in paris.

[TomAz]

but mainly, downtown houston is almost entirely office buildings that empty out at night. it's tough to do anything in that city without a car. will you be renting a car?

[Pixiessp]

Isn't Westheimer still happening Tom? When i was there it was pretty cool.
tons of restaurants and bars/clubs.

[TomAz]

Westheimer is a very long street. I mean it's like 20 miles. so it depends.

near downtown in the Montrose neighborhood, Westheimer is the traditionally gay part of town, but now its more mixed, gentrified with good restaurants etc. you could walk around this neighborhood with ease, though it's a long walk (but doable) from the Hilton downtown.

outside the loop (610) on Westheimer is the galleria and then you get into a long string of restaurants, bars, strip clubs, etc. some of the restaurants and bars are good, many are typical national chain frat boy crap (Dave & Busters). you'd need a car to navigate this area.

[TomAz]

oh also there used to be some nice vietnamese restaurants just on the southern and eastern fringes of downtown. right after the fall of saigon in 75 a bunch of vietnamese moved to houston because they were used to the weather.