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    home for the holidays

    Houston's best hotels book the perfect staycation holiday getaway

    Holly Beretto
    Dec 16, 2022 | 6:00 am

    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.

    Houston hotel pools Hotel ZaZa
    Courtesy photo
    Scenesters flock to the Hotel ZaZa pool.
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    REVIVING THE ALAMO

    Texas landmark the Alamo reclaims historic cannon from private ownership

    Brandon Watson
    Jan 19, 2026 | 2:00 pm
    The Alamo
    Photo by Gower Brown/ Unsplash
    A 90-pound cannon used in the Battle of the Alamo is returning to its San Antonio home.

    It turns out the Alamo's original 1836 cannons are good for more than just defense — they also make a sturdy birdbath. After serving as a garden ornament for Samuel Maverick’s descendants, an authentic piece of San Antonio history is finally returning home to the revered mission.

    According to an Alamo announcement, the swivel cannon weighs 90 pounds and is approximately three feet long. The relic was originally found in 1852 when Maverick built a home near the northwest corner of the battle’s site.

    The lawyer and land baron was saved from death when he was urged by William Barret Travis to ride to the Texas Declaration of Independence convention in Washington-on-the-Brazos to send reinforcements. Returning to the Alamo’s grounds, he found a cache of cannons buried where the Hotel Gibbs sits today.

    From there, the cannon wound up at the Maverick family’s Sunshine Ranch on the Northwest Side, where it was eventually incorporated into the garden DIY project. In 1955, the cannon was removed from the ranch, and the current location remained a mystery until the Alamo received a call from a Maverick relative in Corpus Christi.

    Alamo cannon This Alamo artifact gives an idea of what the cannon will look like once restoration is complete.Photo courtesy of the Alamo.

    “The relative graciously donated the cannon to the Alamo,” wrote a rep from the mission. “Alamo Senior Researcher and Historian Kolby Lanham and Head Conservator Pam Jary Rosser drove down the very next day to take this piece of history home to the Alamo.”

    Although the artillery is mostly intact, it is missing its trunnions (the pivot-point protrusions on the sides of the barrel) and cascabel (the knob and neck assembly at the rear of historic muzzle-loading cannons). The parts were removed by the Mexican army to make the cannon inoperable.

    Once preservation is complete, this cannon and the Alamo Collection’s other battle cannons will make their way to the upcoming Visitor Center and Museum, where they will be joined by rocker Phil Collins' collection of Alamo artifacts. The Alamo is in the midst of a $550 million preservation project, which includes conserving the Alamo Church, Long Barrack, and the mission’s original footprint. The museum is on track to debut in late 2027.

    historymuseumsartifactstexas historythe alamo
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