Texas travel

5 adults-only getaways around Houston and Texas for a blissful post-COVID ‘vacci-cation’

If 2020 was the summer of staycations, 2021 is the summer of “vacci-cations.” You’re now Pfizered-up, Moderna-pumped, and J&J-prepped for some R&R away.

Leave your corona troubles behind, grab a travel buddy, and hit the road for a grown-up getaway. These five adults-only destinations — ranging from romantic treehouses to chic resorts — are easy escapes from Houston (one is in town, another is in Galveston) for nature-inspired tranquility, spa pampering, culture seeking, or outdoor adventure.

There’s just one rule: no kids allowed.

Cosmopolitan castle: Houston Towers, Houston
Houston’s most unique boutique guest house is a fairytale castle that rises in the heart of the city. The Disney-worthy Houston Towers started as a 30-year renovation project for an owner who bought the original 1935 duplex in the 1970s and began converting living spaces and adding turrets inspired by architecture around the world. The current owners purchased it in 2015, continuing the transformation and opening it as an inn. Choose from seven regal rooms and suites, including the Fairy-tale Tower Suite (a hideaway accessed by a private staircase); Skylight Tower Suite (a two-story room with a spiral staircase); and the largest Texas Tower Suite (with fireplace and private balcony). Rooms are furnished with chandeliers, grandfather clocks, and countless antiques, but rain showers, jacuzzi tubs, and big-screen 4K TVs make them modern retreats.

Guests enjoy a complimentary buffet breakfast featuring hot dishes that cater to many different tastes, as more than half of guests are international. Located in the Riverside Terrace neighborhood, Houston Towers is near the Museum District, NRG Center, major hospitals, and universities. They define “adult” as “16 and up with manners;” many guests have been musicians auditioning for the University of Houston who can practice on the piano in the ballroom, they say.
Details: Ages 16 and up; rates from $167 per night, with no minimum (rates and minimums can vary by season); houstontowers.com.

Beachfront escape: Club Ten at The San Luis Resort, Galveston
You don’t have to belong to a club to stay on the Club Ten floor of the luxury Galveston resort, but the VIP amenities offered on the adults-only floor make it feel like a members-only experience. All 21 Club Ten rooms (on the 10th floor) come with a private balcony with full ocean view. On arrival, guests are treated to complimentary valet parking, priority check-in, and a bottle of Prosecco for two. After a good night’s sleep in a California King, complimentary breakfast in bed is delivered. Modern bathrooms feature bowl sinks, rain shower heads, Molton Brown amenities, and a special surprise — a television in the mirror.

Throughout their stay, Club Ten guests can enjoy sweet treats and bottled water located in the private-access Club Ten floor lobby, as well as priority seating at on-site restaurants including The Steakhouse, Grotto, Blake's Bistro, and Landry's Seafood House.

Rejuvenate at the resort’s spa with a new Salt Air massage performed poolside in a spa cabana. Then watch the sun dip below the horizon while sipping champagne in a luxe private cabana by the plunge pool.
Details: Ages 21 up and up; rates from $499 per night, no minimum; sanluisresort.com.

Heavenly hideaway: Treehouse Utopia, Utopia
The name “Utopia” couldn’t be more perfect for this magical, hidden-away resort west of San Antonio. Four whimsical treehouses sit between heaven and earth in a serene setting that’s so remote, there’s no advertised address; guests are given a hand-drawn map and gate codes, and are guided to their treehouse by a personal escort. Opened in 2018 by co-owners Laurel Waters (chef and owner of nearby Laurel Tree upscale restaurant) and builder Pete Nelson of TV’s Treehouse Masters, Treehouse Utopia consists of four distinctive abodes built into majestic, centuries-old bald cypress trees high above the Sabinal River.

Each of the four treehouses — the cathedral-like Chapelle, book-themed Biblioteque, circus-inspired Carousel, and large and regal Chateau — is decorated with antiques hand-selected by Waters. Design details like repurposed stainglass windows, clawfoot tubs, and hand-painted tile elevate the treehouses from rustic retreats to luxurious private castles. As a personal touch, Waters stocks treehouse kitchenettes with homemade yogurt, granola, fresh-baked breads, and other goodies to enjoy for breakfast each morning.

It’s easy to spend hours on a personal balcony overlooking the river, watching the fish swim in the crystal clear waters, listening to the frogs, and watching for deer and wild turkeys. For those who want to venture out, Garner State Park and Lost Maples Nature Area are nearby for hiking and biking; and the town of Utopia (site of the Robert Duvall golf film Seven Days in Utopia) has several cute shops and cafes. If you want to dine at The Laurel Tree, however, you’ll need to be there on Saturday — the only night it’s open. Treehouse Utopia is currently booking through the end of the year, and reservations can be hard to come by, so plan to book a few months in advance.
Details: Ages 18 and up; rates from $475, with two-night minimum, treehouseutopia.com.

Hill Country chic: SEVEN at La Cantera, San Antonio
Sharing a highway exit with Six Flags Fiesta Texas, La Cantera is known as one of the most family-friendly resorts in the Hill Country. But climb high into those hills, then even higher to the resort's top level, and you reach SEVEN, the exclusive adults-only floor that stays a bit under the radar. Peace-of-mind perks start immediately with complimentary valet parking, personal concierge greeting, and champagne at a private check-in desk. There’s complimentary happy hour each evening in a private lounge, and free breakfast each morning featuring elevated fare like warm quiche and bagels with cream cheese and smoked salmon. Enjoy a glass of wine or Lavazza cappuccino there, or take it back to your guest room balcony overlooking the peaceful resort courtyard.

SEVEN guests also get their own entrance into the award-winning Loma de Vida Spa. For maximum bliss, schedule a CBD-oil massage at a Sky Loft room then, after a private outdoor shower and snack on the private terrace, spend the afternoon at the spa’s tranquil infinity pool overlooking the award-winning golf course; and keep the craft cocktails coming.

Be sure to book a reservation at Signature, the resort’s chef-driven high-end seasonal restaurant that’s so grown up, they customize your water infusion while you study the endless wine list. An after-dinner dip in the adults-only pool under a starry sky is a dreamy way to end the night.
Details: Ages 21 and up; rates from $250, with no minimum; lacanteraresort.com.

Rustic getaway: Skybox Cabins, Glen Rose
Just a short drive out of Dallas-Fort Worth, at the top of the Texas Hill Country in Glen Rose, Skybox Cabins offers a different experience in each of its five Pinterest-perfect accommodations. There’s the super popular Nest (called “the cabin of dreams” by Southern Living) featuring an outdoor observatory made of Texas cedar wood. There’s the Birdhouse, a treehouse-inspired abode with a second floor entry via a bridge from a tree-top platform; and the Hive, an A-frame house with a wraparound porch in the trees. La Tour is a French rustic-inspired multilevel cabin, and The Glamp is a luxury tent retreat for glamping (yes, it has A/C). They all have fully-stocked private bathrooms, kitchenettes, mini-fridges, and charcoal grills.

Skybox Cabins, established in 2017 by a young family who live on property, sit on 50 country acres filled with native live oaks and cedars and a creek that feeds into the Paluxy River. Hiking, biking, paddle boarding, fly fishing, wildflower-watching, and horseback riding are outside the door, as are Dinosaur Valley State Park, Fossil Rim Wildlife Safari, and the shops and restaurants of Glen Rose. The owners plan to open a fifth cabin next year and are working on properties in town. The existing accommodations — now booking through December 31 — are mostly full for the next three months, but they announce occasional last-minute openings on their website and Facebook page.
Details: Ages 18 and up; rates from $209, with two-night minimum; skyboxcabins.com.

You can schedule private outdoor treatments at La Cantera's dreamy Loma de Vida Spa.

Photo courtesy of La Cantera

You can schedule private outdoor treatments at La Cantera's dreamy Loma de Vida Spa.

vacation hotels texas luxury

all the way

Historic Houston hotel glows after top to bottom renovations

Photo by Laura Dante

The lobby offers seating options for groups of all sizes.

As downtown Houston street construction smothers locals ahead of the FIFA World Cup, one Lamar High School alum has quietly restored a Federalist-style landmark hotel to its former glory. When the Sam Houston Hotel opened in 1924, a room could be booked for two dollars—two-fifty with a private bath. The charming update is a wink to that bygone era, yet willfully restrains itself from being tied to a theme.

The hotel was entered into the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. Twenty years later, Rick Singleton, principal of Scenic Capital Advisors, purchased the historic property and had it listed under the Hilton Hotels Tapestry Collection banner.

Ensconced in downtown Houston’s Historic District, the Sam Houston Hotel — colloquially known as “The Sam” — sits within one of the city’s most vibrant and walkable neighborhoods. Just steps from Market Square Park, the lush community hub on the site of Houston’s original City Hall serves as the heart of downtown’s urban resurgence where guests can explore the more historical side of downtown on their own or even join one of the popular walking tours.

Local residents may recognize “The Sam” as the site of two enormous murals that exist as part of the city’s larger public art project. Works by artists “Smug” and Victor Ash, titled “Assiduity” and “Human Rights,” respectively, are difficult to miss, as both extend nearly the entire 10-story height of the building.

Recognizing a disconnect between the building’s stately Federalist-style exterior and its previously-undefined interior, Singleton set out to reunite the two with a period-appropriate interior aesthetic infused with modern comfort and continuity. The interiors feature rich, tactile fabrics, warm wood floors, and detailed paneling and moldings that replace colder industrial materials. The result is a design that feels historic yet contemporary, timeless yet inviting — a true reflection of Houston’s architectural vernacular.

“It’s a beautiful, Federalist-style building. Then you walk in, and it’s chic — that was the goal,” Singleton tells CultureMap. The remodel was top-to-bottom, with guest room revitalizations beginning in June of 2024. One-hundred total guest rooms span five layouts, providing something for everyone.

Since the building had been updated prior to the current acquisition, Hilton didn’t require a full renovation — Singleton did it anyhow: “If we don’t do everything, we are just wasting money. It was just disjointed. We needed to go all the way here, and Hilton was really happy about that. We did double the amount of work that was required here.”

Guest room designs were all handled in-house by Singleton and his wife Laura, a retired interior designer. The rooms have clean lines and sleek furnishings (all made by local trades), while the accent decor lends itself more to the timeless, beloved boutique hotel aesthetic.

“We wanted hotel rooms that felt collected, and not overly refined, like a lot of hotel rooms tend to feel,” explains [Rick] Singleton. “We wanted lived-in, collected, and even cluttered a little bit. We wanted them full.”

Houston favorite Gin Design Group handled the original conceptual design and drawings for the lobby space, with Laura taking over procurement and sourcing from there. “I could have never imagined or come up with the look that she did,” says Singleton of Gin Braverman. “She’s super creative, and we are really happy with the work she did.”

The lobby is very chic indeed, but not in a nouveau riche sort of way; it’s elegant, yet comfortable. Moody greens, chestnut browns, and golds in textures spanning velvets to tweeds beckon guests to settle in and enjoy libations from the hotel’s new Pearl Bar and Restaurant. Just off the lobby, an enclosed billiards room — that doesn’t require a reservation — draws those looking for a place to wait out rush hour traffic or host a small gathering.

The Instagram-worthy lobby, billiards suite, and gorgeous events terrace beg for photo-ops — in fact, it’s encouraged. General manager Lauren Beiten was plucked straight from Austin’s very vibey Hotel Van Zandt and loves that visitors of “The Sam” bring that same type of energy and enthusiasm to the hotel. In an unintentional nod to Hilton, there is a whimsical tapestry in the lobby that functions as a perfect backdrop.

From a full wall of intimate, carved-out nooks, to large sectional seating and low-slung cocktail tables for two, there is a spot to accommodate groups large and small. Having a solo coffee break? Disappear into one — or many — of the interesting coffee table books artfully stacked throughout the space.

Overall, Singleton is thrilled with how his almost completely in-house project has turned out. While his hands-on approach may have taken longer than traditional turnkey design projects, “The Sam” was clearly worth the effort:

“It’s easy to spend a lot of money to find stuff, but what’s hard is to find something nice for a reasonable dollar — but it does take time.”

The Historic Sam Houston Hotel is located at 1117 Prairie Street. Room rates start at $186 per night.

Photo by Laura Dante

The lobby offers seating options for groups of all sizes.

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