January 20th, 2005 at 9:56 pm
Wrapping up a two-week stay at the Omni Westside in Houston, TX, I get next week “off”. Normally $120 a night, I got a corporate rate of $47, a rate that only appears once in a while.
The bed is very comfortable, more so than any hotel bed in a long time. Because I signed up for the Select Guest program, the turndown service leaves two chocolate mint squares and a door hanger where I can choose two breakfast drinks and a newspaper to be delivered free in the morning. The ice bucket was refreshed every evening. I choose two bottled waters so I can take them to work. The wireless Internet is free and only asks to verify the access every couple of days. TV channel selection is limited; I was disappointed when I couldn’t watch Battlestar Galactica on the SciFi channel. The room has a mini bar with a refrigerator just full enough to where I couldn’t store leftovers from restaurants or room service. There is no microwave.
Laundry service was delivered to my room; much better than most hotels that make me pick it up at the front desk. The exercise room was small but with an elliptical machine, now my favorite exercise machine. It doesn’t compress my knees and ankles like the treadmill, and the resistance is easier to control than on a Stairmaster. The exercise room was sorely in need of an adjustable thermostat; I prefer to work out in the mid 60s and avoid the sweat. The one time I tried the restaurant the service never seated me, and I ended up leaving. The room service was fast; a full plate of nachos were delivered in 10 minutes. The bar is long and narrow, with a sawdust shuffleboard table that cuts the standing room in half. While 80’s music plays, the 19-inch televisions play sports with closed captions. The drinks were pricey, ranging from $6 for a hurricane made with Southern Comfort (their signature drink) to $10 for a chocolate martini. All of the staff was very courteous.
Parking is partly covered. Construction on the main access road made it difficult to get in and out, with heavy rush hour traffic in the morning. The nearest trivia place was actually another hotel one mile to the west on I-10, but the best place to play trivia on the west side is the Buffalo Wild Wings on Westheimer.
The Select Guest program sadly does not allow the accumulation and redemption of points, save for 500 airlines miles per stay. Continental/Northwest/Delta was not a participant; I had to save those miles to my American Airlines account. Select Guest does make for some good perks while in the hotel.
At the corporate rate, the Omni, a former Hyatt property, is hard to beat for its value. The blue-pigmented pools with large fish that occupy the middle of the first floor is reflected in the glass elevators and five stories of windows built into the northern wall.
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