coolest pools

Top 10 Houston hotel pools for a family-friendly splash this summer

Houston has plenty of hot patio bars and parks, but locals know one of the best ways to beat the scorching summer is by hitting up a cool pool. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite hotel spots to take a dip — some of which you can jump in without being a hotel guest. Expect poolside cocktails, movie screenings, plus summer deals, promos, and more. (Don’t forget your shades, sunscreen, and wide-brimmed hats).

Marriott Marquis Houston
It’s the Texas-shaped lazy river in H-Town that we all want to navigate. This rooftop pool is perched 110 feet in the air and surrounded by Houston’s soaring downtown skyline. The Marriott Marquis Houston’s amenity deck features a full-service poolside bar and grill. Check this off as arguably the most Instagram-worthy pool in all of Houston.

Family-friendly: Yes

Cabanas: Yes

What to drink: The Refresh: a delicious cocktail perfect for poolside featuring Effen Cucumber vodka, lime, simple syrup, and soda.

How to access: Hotel customers only (registered hotel guests are given wristbands at check-in). But: book a minimum 50-minute spa treatment at the in-house Pure Spa (excluding salon treatments) and voila — access granted.

Post Oak Hotel
The Post Oak Hotel is owned by Houston’s favorite billionaire, Tilman Fertitta, so you know the pool is out of this world, like everything else on the property. (The white-and-black-accent decor truly sets this stylish and luxurious pool apart.) Our favorite feature: Order anything to eat or drink from anywhere on property — you can even order sunscreen— and it will be delivered to your poolside chair (or cabana).

Family-friendly: Yes

Cabanas: Yes

What to drink: The Post Oak Margarita: tequila, fresh lime juice, Hibiscus cordial

How to access: Hotel customers only

Hotel ZaZa Museum District
Representative of the city’s big-Texas style, the event dubbed Poolside at ZaZa is a place to see and be seen among outdoor bars and pools in Houston. With indulgent specialty cocktails and a boutique-like atmosphere, Poolside at ZaZa provides a luxurious pool retreat among H-Town’s scenesters.

Family-friendly: Yes

Cabanas: Yes (and villas)

What do drink: Splurge for bottle service (or indulge in their daily offering of adult popsicles).

How to access: Other than being a hotel guest, a day pass to use Hotel ZaZa’s pool is available for a $150 service (minimum), one hour before and three hours after any spa treatment at ZaSpa.

Four Seasons Hotel Houston
Lounge poolside at one of Houstons most old-guard, resort-style pools. Refreshing cocktails and tasty snacks are available to order at the pool deck café and due to its brand popularity, you may even find yourself lounging poolside next to a celeb or two. The saltwater pool is truly an oasis in the heart of downtown Houston and is a five-star experience across the board.

Family-friendly: Yes. Four Seasons even offers Family Movies by the Pool on Saturday nights with fresh popcorn, candy, and a veritable Willy Wonka-style buffet to keep kids entertained.

Cabanas: Yes

What to drink: Try the Strawberry Sales ($12): grapefruit vodka, strawberry, lemonade or the Cucumber Cooler ($8): cucumber, rosemary, lemonade

How to access: Hotel guests only — unless you book a 50-minute treatment at Hotel Spa, where you’ll be granted access to the pool/fitness areas

Hotel Sorella
West Houston’s Hotel Sorella (in CityCentre) reigns supreme when it comes to the westside, and boasts a rooftop, infinity pool that creates an instant oasis of relaxation. With some clever planning, you may find that you have the place all to yourself — except for the friendly bartender who’s ready to serve you.

Family-friendly: Yes

Cabanas: Yes

What to drink: Beat the heat with a Cosmologic pop tail: citrus vodka, triple sec, lime and cranberry juice served with a house-made cranberry/orange/lime popsicle.

How to access: Hotel guests only

Hotel Granduca
Book a stay at Hotel Granduca to experience the pool at this true Italian-style getaway. Hotel Granduca’s saltwater pool — which is always set to a perfect temperature of 78 degrees — offers a picturesque escape right in the heart of Uptown. (Granduca is Houston’s only hotel to make TripAdvisor’s 2018 list of top 25 luxury hotels in America.) Nestled amidst a collection of lush greenery, the intimate and serene venue is enhanced with ornate Italian-style cabanas. Enjoy poolside dining at the hotel’s restaurant, Il Giardino.

Family-friendly: Yes

Cabanas: Yes

What to drink: The Granduca Spritz: a mix of Elderflower liqueur, lemon, and prosecco.

How to access: Hotel guests only

Hotel Alessandra
Get ready for this intimate and sophisticated rooftop getaway with one-of-a-kind panoramic downtown views. Alessandra offers a dedicated food and drink menu at the pool, making this is one of Houston’s newest and most raved-about spots.

Family-friendly: Kids are welcome, however the pool caters more to adults.

Cabanas: No

What to drink: Try the Poolside Peach poptail for ultimate refreshment.

How to Access: If you’re not a guest of the hotel, you can book a spa treatment, which provides all day access to the pool.

SPLASH at Hotel Derek
Offering everything you could want or need when it comes to luxury and poolside amenities in the Galleria area, Hotel Derek has opened their Splash Pool and Movie Wall to locals for a little “float and flick.” Revolve Kitchen + Bar’s summer menu, fruity cocktails, and local craft beers are available to attendees.

Family-friendly: Yes

Cabanas: No

What to drink: Tap & Pour is a pop-up craft beer bar serving more than 20 rotating Texas craft beers on tap, such as a locally brewed 8th Wonder seasonal beer.

How to access: Hotel customers only, except for the summertime series Float & Flick, which is open to public for $20 per person (July 6, August 3, and September 7).

The Woodlands Resort
Travelers seeking a lush, green oasis this summer will find it, and then some, in this family-friendly escape. The resort offers the spectacular Forest Oasis: Lazy River & Waterpark, which is perfect for kids (and adults) of all ages. The ideal place to spend a hot afternoon, it features a 30-foot Tower with a double-helix waterslide, as well as a 1,005-foot lazy river that weaves through the forest.

Family-Friendly: Yes

Cabanas: Yes: four new luxury cabanas are available to rent, offering guests their own personal lap of luxury. Each cabana provides shaded seating for up to six in roomy, chic and private space with contemporary interiors complemented by modern conveniences, like cable TV and complimentary Wi-Fi.

What to drink: Try the Frozé All Day: Elk Cove Vineyards rosé, fresh lemon, and strawberry puree, topped with a New Amsterdam Red Berry floater

How to access: Resort guests only

Market Square Tower
When it opened, Market Square Tower’s pool quickly went viral with its heart-stopping views. Get ready to be the envy of all your Instagram followers by taking a dip in this luxury downtown Houston apartment’s clear-bottom pool that hangs 500-feet above downtown Houston.

Family-friendly: Yes

How to access: Locals need to move in or become besties with a resident — as only residents and their guests get to enjoy this stunning beauty.

The Italian-themed Hotel Granduca pool.

Courtesy photo

The Italian-themed Hotel Granduca pool.

hotels vacation

bowled over

Houston artist dishes on Food Bank fundraiser happening this weekend

Picture of several artists at a table with a bunch of handmade ceramic bowls.

Photo courtesy Paula Murphy

Ceramics professor Cori Cryer and her students from Lone Star College Kingwood and the bowls they donated to the 20th Empty Bowls fundraiser

On Saturday, May 16, shoppers have an opportunity to feed those in need by purchasing unique, handcrafted items. The 20th Empty Bowls event takes place at Silver Street Studios at Sawyer Yards from 10 am to 3 pm. A preview party takes place on Friday, May 15 from 6-8 pm (buy tickets here).

The fundraiser is a collaboration between Houston-area ceramists, woodturners, and artists working in all media and Silver Street Studios.

Shoppers can purchase one-of-a-kind bowls for $25 each (larger bowls are priced accordingly). A simple lunch from Salata, a sweet treat from Ben & Jerry’s, and iced coffee from Katz Coffee is served until it runs out. Every dollar of the purchases goes to the Houston Food Bank, which estimates that for every dollar donated, it’s able to provide three meals to Houstonians in need. Since its inception, Empty Bowls Houston has raised $1,208,959 for the Houston Food Bank, which equates to more than 3.6 million meals.

The event also includes live music and art demos. More than 2,000 bowls will be available for purchase, donated by area artists.

Empty Bowls began as a grassroots effort started many years ago at a high school in Michigan and is now held all over the world. Nearly everything for Empty Bowls events, from the food served to the venues hosting events and the bowls for sale are donated.

Cori Cryer, a professor of ceramics at Lone Star College Kingwood, is one of those who, along with her students, donated bowls for the fundraiser. She’s been involved with the effort for all of its 20 years in Houston, and before that in other cities.

“When I started donating, I didn't have a whole lot of money,” Cryer tells CultureMap. “I was a graduate student, and so this was a way for me to give back to the local community. And I think my students today kind of recognize that same feel. You know, they may not have money to send a check off to someone, [but this is] an easy way for them to be able to contribute to the community.”

Cryer teaches Ceramics I and Ceramics II to a variety of dual-credit high school students, college students, and continuing education students. Those in her Ceramics II classes are required to create five bowls to donate to Empty Bowls. But her students in her introductory class often end up donating as well. This year, she and her students provided approximately 150 bowls for the event.

Cryer said that the style of bowls for sale range from something as small as a condiment bowl to much larger serving bowls As each bowl is an individual work, they represent a variety of styles and themes. One of her students this year designed a glazed, ceramic leaf-shaped bowl with ceramic insects on it.

“There's a ladybug and a caterpillar and a spider,” she says, each created out of clay and positioned around the bowl.

Cryer loves seeing how the artists use their imaginations and abilities.

“Most of my students do throw their bowls on the pottery wheel, but that's not required,” she says. “They can hand-build them. It’s completely up to them what kind of construction technique they use.”

Cryer loves knowing that this event is a way for students to see that their artistic efforts can have lasting impact on the community around them. In addition to being able to support the Houston Food Bank, the bowls her class donates, she knows, take on special meaning for those who purchase them.

“I tell my students there is a pot for every person and a person for every pot,” she says.

In fact, one of her personal favorite bowls is one she purchased from an Empty Bowls sale.

“It's a very small bowl, maybe like three inches in diameter, and two inches tall, and it's a little pink pig that I think an elementary student made,” she said. “He has no tail, and he has no ears, but he has a snout, and it is definitely a pig. And I love that little bowl. I have it sitting on my desk at home.”

Cryer knows shoppers attending the Empty Bowls sale will find similar, soon-to-be-beloved items.

The Saturday event is free. Those wishing to attend the preview party on Friday, May 15 from 6-8 pm, which offers light bites, beer and wine, and the first chance to purchase bowls, can purchase a $50 ticket online. In addition, Archway Gallery is hosting an exhibition of 30 one-of-a-kind bowls that can be purchased as part of the Empty Bowls fundraiser. The exhibit runs through May 30.

coolest pools

Top 10 Houston hotel pools for a family-friendly splash this summer

The Italian-themed Hotel Granduca pool.

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