home for the holidays

Houston's best hotels book the perfect staycation holiday getaway

Busy Houstonians who long for a chance to get away — but not drive too far or negotiate swarmed airports — can stay home for the holidays while escaping home — thanks to some of our best hotels.

From exclusive packages, super suites — including a must-see/must-stay honoring President George H. W. Bush — to beachy escapes, these top-tier hotels and resorts pamper weary staycationers and offer a new way to view explore the city.

Book quickly — these rooms are moving fast.

C. Baldwin Hotel
Head downtown to ring in 2023 at one of Houston's hottest hotels. A special New Year’s Eve package offers10 percent off the best available rate and a $100 food and beverage credit, which guests can use at Chris Cosentino’s Rosalie Italian Soul, Good 2 Go, or the chic Lobby Bar. Book online.

City Place Marriott
Spend the holiday season in Spring with the Home for the Holidays package. Book a consecutive stay of two nights or more from December 23 through January 1 and use the special booking code Z88 for 15 percent off. Book the You and Me in 2023 package for stays between December 30 and January 1 and receive welcome bottle of champagne or non-alcoholic beverage, a half-dozen chocolate-dipped strawberries, $100 food and beverage credit for the hotel’s SwitcHouse Plates & Pours restaurant and bar, and late check-out at 2 p.m. based on availability. Use code EVE at booking.

Four Seasons Hotel Houston
The chic downtown destination treats revelers to a New Year Celebration Package, which offers 30 percent off the published room rate, a 2 pm late check-out, and savings on valet parking. Reservations of two or more nights receive a complimentary upgrade to the next room category (dates are December 30 and 31, 2022, and January 1, 2023).

Christmas diners can also indulge in a bountiful Christmas brunch buffet at the acclaimed, in-house Toro Toro. The feast features an omelet station and housemade pastries, lobster bisque with caviar, double rack of pork, bone-in country ham, beef tenderloin, roasted leg of lamb, seafood station, dessert display, and a kid’s selection. Prices run $145 for adults and $65 for children ages 12 and under; reservations are required.

Hilton Americas-Houston Hotel
The sophisticated downtown address allows guests to take advantage of everything the city center has to offer. Book the ‘Tis the Season package and get a daily breakfast buffet, one complimentary ticket for ice skating at Discovery Green, basic in-room WiFi, and holiday cookies upon arrival. The deal is good through January 28, 2023. Book online.

Hotel ZaZa
Book the NYE 2023 package and ring in the new year at this boutique hotel in the heart of the Museum District. The rate includes accommodates, two tickets to ZaZa's new year's eve party, and New Year's Day brunch for two. The epic end-of-year celebration features a DJ, wine, beer, cocktails, bites, entertaining activations, and more. Book online.

Houstonian Hotel, Club and Spa
The newly renovated Houston icon is offering a Unwind & Dine Staycation package. Guests can stroll outdoor trails, take a dip in three temperature-controlled pools, sip complimentary cocktails, book an indulgence at Trellis Spa, and sleep in — always a favorite. More perks include a special hotel rate, two complimentary cocktails, a $50 food and beverage credit per night, self-parking, latte check out, and access to the exclusive Houstonian Club with no resort fees.

For a truly Houston staycay — and over-the-top New Year's Eve/New Year's Day stay — a new 2-room suite christened the “Bush Suite” is available for $1,200 per night. Named in tribute to President and Mrs. George H. W. Bush, resided at The Houstonian during his presidency, the suite offers adjoining rooms, luxe accommodations, and photos and memorabilia from George H. W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum. An especially poignant photo depicts then-President Bush calling President-elect Bill Clinton to concede the election.

La Colombe D'Or
Book a new year's eve package at this upscale Montrose address and receive champagne and cake on arrival, breakfast for two in-room or at the hotel's Tonight or Tomorrow restaurant, and a late 4 p.m. check out. Book online.

The Post Oak Hotel
Tilman Fertitta's 5-star palace welcomes locals with the Renew & Revive package, which includes 15 percent off the best available rate, a $200 spa credit and a $50 food and beverage credit.

For some extra private pampering, families, friends, and companies can now reserve the entire Spa, including both locker rooms, steam rooms, tranquility pools, sauna, heated stone lounges and the Quiet Lounge. Stella’s Wine Bar offers will become a holiday chalet, while The Cellar, the hotel's opulent, expansive wine collection housing over 30,000 bottles with more than$5 million of the world’s finest wines, can be rented out for intimate dining experiences.

San Luis Resort
Get away to Galveston this holiday season to stroll along the seawall and relax to the sound of waves. The luxury resort offers a Bed and Breakfast package that includes breakfast in Blake's Bistro for each adult on the reservation. That's a perfect way to ease into your day of exploring this charming city by the sea.

The Westin at the Woodlands
This Woodlands retreat offers a New Year's Eve package that includes New Year's Day brunch for $429 per room. Guests can also take advantage of being able to make early reservations for the hotel's New Year's Eve bash, which includes music, champagne and more. The rate includes late check out on January 1, 2023.

Photo courtesy of The Post Oak Hotel

The Post Oak Hotel is a Forbes fave.

You're Grounded

Southwest and American airlines ban humanoid robots as passengers

Photo by Andrea DeSantis/ Pexels

Sorry fella, it's straight to the cargo hold.

Texas' two major airlines are drawing a hard line between human and humanoid: American Airlines and Southwest Airlines won’t permit human-like or animal-like robots to board flights as passengers.

Fort Worth-based American and Dallas-based Southwest recently adopted bans on robotic passengers after two incidents in which human-like robots joined flesh-and-blood passengers on Southwest flights.

In May, Aaron Mehdizadeh, owner of The Robot Studio rental company in Dallas, was heading from Las Vegas to Dallas Love Field with 3.5-foot-tall Stewie, according to CBS News Texas. Rather than shipping Stewie as cargo, Mehdizadeh bought the robot its own seat using a type of ticket often purchased for fragile items such as wedding dresses and equipment.

But because Stewie was technically a carry-on item, the robot wasn’t supposed to occupy a seat, according to eWeek. Crew members wound up disconnecting Stewie’s battery and relocating the robot to a window seat before takeoff.

Mehdizadeh pushed back on Southwest’s stance regarding the battery, telling CBS News Texas that Stewie’s power supply is a standard battery that’s similar to one for a laptop.

Stewie isn’t the only robot making mischief in the skies. In May, a 70-pound, human-like robot named Bebop caused a stir on a Southwest flight from Oakland, California, to San Diego.

The robot prompted a nearly one-hour flight delay after crew members realized it violated restrictions on large carry-ons and raised concerns about the battery, San Francisco TV station KGO reported. Dallas-based Elite Event Robotics owns Bebop.

Southwest seized Bebop’s lithium-ion battery, but the airline did let Bebop take the San Diego-bound flight.

Southwest’s new robot policy prohibits human-like or animal-like robots from riding in an airplane cabin or as checked baggage, no matter their size or purpose. All other robots, including toys, must fit in a carry-on size bag and comply with battery restrictions, the airline says.

In a statement sent to CultureMap, a Southwest spokeswoman says the airline “has taken a strong stance on this issue and has led the U.S. airline industry with our battery policy.”

“The robot policy is a further evolution of a [safety] journey we have been on for several months. This move was not in response to any single incident,” the spokeswoman adds. “To eliminate confusion, the policy applies to all similar devices, regardless of size.”

Lithium-ion batteries can overheat, catch on fire, or explode on airplanes.

American’s new robot policy, which took effect Monday, August 17, is similar to Southwest’s. The policy prohibits human-like and animal-like robots from sitting in a purchased seat, being stored in an overhead bin or traveling as checked baggage. The ban applies to U.S., international, and regional flights.

“While there have been no known events involving this type of robot on any American flight, this policy was developed following a comprehensive review of safety risks associated with these devices, including the large lithium-ion batteries that power them,” the airline said in an internal memo obtained by the View From the Wing travel blog.

American gate agents have been told not to allow a passenger accompanied by a robot to board a plane or to let a robot travel as a checked item, the memo says.

If a robot is discovered after check-in, American employees are supposed to follow the Federal Aviation Administration’s “undeclared dangerous goods” procedures. These procedures cover hazardous shipments like lithium-ion batteries, explosives, flammable liquids, and compressed gases that lack required warning labels or shipping documents.

southwest airlines american airlines robots technology airlines