Four Seasons, Houston

Houston’s Four Seasons delivers all the sublime comfort, service, and dining that are trademarks of this hotel group. Guest rooms are generously scaled, ranging from 378 to 1,935 square feet, and are remarkably quiet for a downtown hotel, thanks to triple-paned windows, heavy drapery, and extra insulation between common walls. The all-beige décor might be a bit predictable, but the location, halfway between Main Street and the new Discovery Green park, more than makes up for it. It’s worth leaving the cocoon of your room for a drink in the romantic grottolike lobby bar, with its low ceilings and extremely low lighting, where Gilbert Sedeno plays jazz piano and standards when he’s not touring with Willie Nelson.
Room to Book: Those ending in 09 on the 10th floor and above, which have bay windows looking west, toward the heart of downtown Houston’s impressive skyline. Included in the view are two close-ups of architectural landmarks by Philip Johnson: Pennzoil Place, the last of his great International Style structures, and Republic Bank, the first of his Neoclassical experiments.

Tip: Quattro, the sleek restaurant on the third floor, garners consistent raves; book a table near the glassed-in kitchen and watch chef Andrea Ossola in action.