Wild Valentine's Days

The most over-the-top Valentine's Day options: How the rich get sexy

Flowers, dinner and a bottle of wine . . . we thought we had it all figured out when it comes to celebrating Valentine’s Day.

Until a trio of over-the-top deals below came along and put those plans to shame. If you’ve got the disposable income, there are some crazy Valentine's Day possibilities. From an overnight stay at a posh three-story penthouse suite to a Fifty Shades of Grey worthy night of thrills that would satisfy even the book/film’s mercurial main character Christian Grey, here are three extravagant ways to spend Feb. 14.

The penthouse suite at Hotel Icon

Love is in the air from high atop the heart of downtown at this luxurious boutique hotel. Treat your sweetie to a night in the elegant, three-level penthouse suite with sweeping views of the city (a mere $2,214 per night). Your stay includes a bottle of bubbly upon arrival, dinner on your private rooftop terrace and breakfast at the hotel’s Line and Lariat restaurant.

Soak it all in with a dip in a butler-drawn bath in a claw foot tub.

The Fifty Shades experience at Perry's Steakhouse and Grille

Sweep your date off his/her feet and into a helicopter this Valentine's Day. For just $1,499 per couple, you can enjoy a Fifty Shades of Grey lavish evening of pleasure. A limousine will pick you up and take you to a helipad where you'll be flown over The Woodlands for an aerial tour at sunset.

After the helicopter ride, your driver will take you to Perry's Steakhouse and Grille for a decadent dinner followed by a viewing of the film Fifty Shades of Grey at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Vintage Park, where a bottle of champagne will be waiting at your reserved seats.

Romance on the ranch at The Inn at Dos Brisas

Romance your one and only with a weekend at The Inn at Dos Brisas resort. Enjoy two nights (packages start at $3,468 per person) at the legendary luxe Spanish-style hacienda in the Texas Hill Country.

The fun here includes the likes of a 60-minute couples massage, a horse-drawn carriage ride for two, daily breakfast and lunch, and dinner both evenings (one night at the Inn’s five-star restaurant including wine pairings and the other in your room with bottle of wine).

Swoop your date off your feet with the Fifty Shades of Grey-inspired evening including a helicopter ride and dinner at Perry's Steakhouse and Grille.

Photo via Perry's Steakhouse & Grille

Swoop your date off your feet with the Fifty Shades of Grey-inspired evening including a helicopter ride and dinner at Perry's Steakhouse and Grille.

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traffic nightmare

Freeway construction narrows I-10 to just 2 lanes west of downtown

Photo by Juan Nino on Unsplash

Leaving downtown on I-10 may take longer during the construction.

An already problematic Houston traffic situation is about to get even worse. I-10 West will be narrowed to just two lanes beginning Friday, October 24, TxDOT announced.

The closure will take place between I-45 North and Houston Avenue. It is expected to last until mid-2026.

In addition to narrowing the freeway to two lanes, TxDOT will also close the the I-45 Southbound Direct Connector to I-10 Westbound, including the HOV lane until mid-2026. It will be rebuilt at the new, elevated height. TxDOT will also close the I-10 Eastbound Direct Connector to I-45 Northbound until the project is completed in mid-2028.

As CultureMap has previously reported, the work is part of TxDOT’s I-10 White Oak Bayou Elevation Project. Designed to raise I-10 above the floodplain of White Oak Bayou, the $400 million project is taking place between I-45 and Heights Blvd. The project began in January when the five-lane highway was narrowed to three lanes, which makes leaving downtown via I-10 more difficult for commuters heading to destinations such as Memorial, Spring Branch, the Energy Corridor, and Katy.

In addition to work on the mainlanes and HOV lanes, TxDOT will also reroute Houston Avenue under I-10. Currently, the Houston Avenue bridge is low enough that it is regularly hit by 18-wheelers, which results in hours-long traffic backups.

Photo by Juan Nino on Unsplash

Leaving downtown on I-10 may take longer during the construction.

traffic