Dynamic Variation:
Luxury in Houston
Fashion designer Carolina Herrera once said, "Luxury will always be there, no matter what happens in the world." What has certainly been changing in recent decades is the perception of luxury itself. While it is true that historically, when talking about luxury, the emphasis was basically on monetary value, without many aesthetic implications, today, the notions of quality, attention to detail, originality, good taste, freedom, and comfort have been integrated into our perception of luxury. And you don't necessarily have to be a millionaire to access certain luxuries. In Houston, you will find several luxurious places where you can enjoy yourself, even if you don't have unlimited financial resources. We invite you to check them out!
With James Beard's award-winning restaurants, world-class arts and culture, luxury hotels, and high-end shopping, Houston has everything you need to experience modern luxury to the fullest. Start exploring!
Where to Stay
The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston, inaugurated in 2018, is the only Texas Forbes Five-Star Hotel and Spa. With a five-diamond AAA rating, it is the epitome of luxury and Houston class. The hotel boasts 250 ultra-modern guestrooms and suites, the largest ballroom in the Uptown Houston area, signature dining, and sophisticated amenities embracing every desire of savvy business and leisure travelers alike. With its own helicopter pad on the top of the 38-story tower, the Rolls-Royce showroom, and Houston's first and only Bugatti dealership on the ground floor, you will be immersed in luxury from head to toe.
Enjoy the unmatched culinary excellence of Mastro's Steakhouse or any of the hotel's eight other restaurants, cafés and bars. Feel pampered with unique treatments at the spa, including a couple's suite. Commemorate your stay with Champagne and a private Helicopter Sunset Tour of the Houston skyline departing directly from the hotel's helipad. Those who are looking for an elevated experience can tour the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico in Galveston, Texas. Don't miss exploring The Cellar, the hotel's expansive wine collection valued at $5 million with over 35,000 bottles, which offers guests and restaurant patrons access to the world's finest wines, including vintages dating back to the 1800s.
Indulge in unparalleled shopping experiences at The Galleria and River Oaks District, located a short distance from the hotel.
Opened in February 2024, this architectural marvel sets a stylish scene for influential locals, seasoned globetrotters, and cultural tastemakers to meet and connect, luxuriate, and celebrate. The guest journey begins upon arrival at the property’s stunning glass-and-steel facade. A refined, mid-century modern aesthetic finds a contemporary voice in the seventh-floor lobby, befitted with sumptuous leather seating, breathtaking modern works of art, and a fascinating view of downtown. This luxury boutique hotel features 172 guestrooms, including 34 suites, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a residential feel designed to evoke the spirit of old Texas, with entirely custom-made furnishings and spacious bathrooms with marble vanities and custom wall treatments and tiling.
Throughout the property, sophisticated features abound. A sanctuary-inspired spa and wellness floor restore guests to their prime. One of Houston’s most extensive pool decks stands alone as the city’s hottest spot to sip a cocktail and soak in the sun. At the same time, a diverse array of epicurean offerings finds a welcome home in the culinary capital of the South. A private heliport provides the ultimate way to make an entrance for the most discerning of guests. Thompson Houston is conveniently located near world-class shopping at the Galleria, the stately River Oaks neighborhood, downtown Houston, the Museum District, professional sports venues Minute Maid Park, and Shell Energy Stadium, and it is just a 25-minute drive from George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William Hobby Airport.
CHECK OUT THESE AMAZING HOTELS IN HOUSTON
Fine Dining in Houston
Brennan’s of Houston, called by many “the crown jewel of Texas Creole cuisine and Southern hospitality”, has been Bayou City’s eminent Creole dining destination since 1967, when it opened as a sister restaurant to the world-famous Commander’s Palace in New Orleans. Incorporating the freshest local ingredients, they offer exceptional dining, including many original creations of their award-winning cuisine.
Rub elbows with the social set at Tony’s, where the see-and-be-seen crowd gathers for power lunches, anniversaries and after-party revelry. At Tony Vallone’s Greenway-area namesake, regulars find scratch-made Italian that wows in everything from squash-filled pasta and pappardelle Bolognese to the truffled mac and cheese and salt-crusted snapper. Don’t think about leaving before having the chocolate soufflé.
Katami, a new Japanese restaurant opened in November 2023 by four-time James Beard Award-nominated chef Manabu Horiuchi and partners Yun Cheng and Ryan Snyder, wants to take you to the future of Japanese cuisine in America. This is a unique experience in Texas, and many fall in love with Katami on their first visit. Building on the success of the classics of the sister establishment Kata Robata, opened in 2009 and adored by Houstonians, chef Manabu Horiuchi, best known as Chef Hori, offers his newer takes on sushi and special preparations of wagyu. Here, you’ll find plenty of sakes too, many of them rare, available by the bottle and glass.
Turner's is an exclusive dining and social establishment with old-world charm and first-class service. It offers a blend of timeless American and continental dishes by award-winning Executive Chef Robert Del Grande. This restaurant is famous for its caviar service, including its branded Turner's Reserve Caviar. Enjoy live entertainment every night, and if you prefer al fresco dining, reserve one of their luxurious outdoor dining bungalows.
Houston Restaurants with MICHELIN Stars
In November 2024, 30 Houston restaurants debuted in different categories of the MICHELIN Guide, solidifying Houston's position as an outstanding gastronomic destination in the U.S. Six restaurants received one MICHELIN Star: BCN Taste & Tradition, Corkscrew BBQ, Le Jardinier, MARCH, Musaafer, and Tatemó. One MICHELIN Star is awarded to restaurants using top-quality ingredients, where dishes with distinct flavors are prepared to a consistently high standard. Check them out!
High-End Shopping in Houston
When it comes to Houston’s shopping mecca, it’s hard to beat The Galleria, where 400 designer stores and restaurants live alongside two high-rise hotels and three office towers. Anchor stores like Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom draw a faithful following, along with high-end favorites such as Yves Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, and Prada. Don’t miss the Jewel Box—a 14,000-square-foot building on the property’s west end that’s home to The Webster.
If you have time to spare, you would be smart to carve out a few hours to wander Kuhl-Linscomb, the largest privately owned design and lifestyle shop in the city. The curated department store unfolds in an 80,000-square-foot expanse along West Alabama. Five separate buildings contain a masterful mix of home, beauty, jewelry gifts, and stationery goods. Be sure to grab a store map early on to help navigate each of the showrooms.
Just inside The Loop, the 14-acre River Oaks District brings together luxury retailers, restaurants, and entertainment, making the expanse Houston’s answer to Rodeo Drive. Luxury designers, including Chopard, Dior, Cavalli, and Tom Ford, are just a handful that call the sleek shopping center home. After perusing, stop in for a movie at iPic Theaters, where plush leather seats, pillows, and blankets make the cinema a standout, coupled with push-button food and drink delivery.
Looking for the perfect party dress, clutch, or designer shoes? Head to Tootsies. The West Ave. store is a mainstay among Houston’s most fashionable, stocking head-turning gowns by Dolce & Gabbana, Missoni and Hervé Léger, and accessories by Alexander McQueen, Mansur Gavriel, and Chloe. For a VIP experience, reserve the store’s private party room, which has space for your 30 nearest and dearest to revel in dreamy designer fashion.
Modeled after a European-style shopping center, Uptown Park serves up a mix of restaurants and boutiques, many of which are locally owned, all in a pedestrian-friendly outdoor space. Find luxury fashion for men at M Penner and high-end linens at Longoria Collection. At Dear Paris, explore a curated selection of renowned French and European brands for women, meticulously chosen to transport you to the heart of Paris, where effortless style reigns. Elizabeth Anthony, a renowned specialty, offers an exceptional selection of designer apparel for social events, career, lifestyle, and glamorous evenings. The venerable boutique features well-known and exclusive American and European designers whose styles range from timeless to the vanguard.
Experiences You'll Love
Want an inside look at the real world of NASA? Go behind the scenes in exclusive NASA VIP Tours. Only 10 guests are allowed on each tour, which includes a three-hour exploration showcasing the areas astronauts train, the historic Apollo Mission Control Center, and ISS Mission Control. The tours are offered Monday through Friday. Reservations must be made in advance. Tours are departing at 9 a.m. and at 1 p.m. The morning and afternoon tours visit different locations, so review and select the correct tour when making reservations.
If you like baseball, on your visit to Houston, the first thing you will want to do is, without a doubt, attend a Houston Astros ball game at Daikin Park. Not only will you be able to delight in world-class baseball - which in itself is an exciting experience - but also learn many details about Daikin Park, be inspired by the iconic architecture of the stadium, taste delicious dishes, take a tour that includes the dugout and the bullpen, and get unique collectibles in the Astros store. If you want a luxurious experience, book your ticket to the Diamond Club, where you will enjoy the game with other VIPs.
The Houston Polo Club is the largest polo club in the US and the world regarding the number of players. The club is private but accessible to the public on Sundays. Located on 26 beautiful acres in the heart of Houston, the club has showcased the best in polo since 1928. Nestled just inside the 610 Loop at Memorial Drive, the private area includes two well-manicured polo fields, a covered lesson arena, and much more. Each Sunday during spring and fall polo seasons, tickets are available to watch and enjoy a world-class polo match in a unique outdoor setting. View the schedule here.
Get rejuvenated and energized at Trellis Spa, the largest luxury spa in Texas. Located at The Houstonian Hotel, it offers 26,500 square feet of relaxation and pleasure. From the outside, it resembles a magnificent European Villa with statuesque architecture and luscious gardens. Soothing, nature-inspired hues on the inside complement a grand, light-filled reception and hallway, leading to all-new, redesigned, sophisticated interiors. The Garden area highlights private cabanas available for rent and several meditative spaces.
If you are a wine enthusiast visiting Houston, prepare for countless unique experiences tasting the best local and world wines. Houston’s most alluring wine destination for both casual wine enthusiasts and serious oenophiles is Stella’s Wine Bar, tucked away in the southeast corner of The Post Oak Hotel in Uptown. Offering over 30 wine-producing regions through various flights and close to 60 wines by the glass, Stella’s Wine Bar provides a unique journey of tastes from around the world. Guided by a team of highly skilled yet incredibly approachable sommeliers, here you can learn and explore both the new and the familiar wines in a social, convivial atmosphere and even access the wines from The Cellar, The Post Oak Hotel’s wine collection, one of the deepest and well-rounded in the country.
If you want to taste wines at the most awarded winery in Texas, visit Messina Hof Harvest Green Winery & Kitchen in southwest Houston. This is the fourth location of Messina Hof Winery, which was founded in 1977 and has become one of Houston's most popular food and wine destinations. Messina Hof Winery combines decades of winemaking experience with its passion for sumptuous cuisine and world-class hospitality. In Downtown Houston, stop by Pur Noire Urban Wineries, which has a wine portfolio that includes nearly ten premium, award-winning wines with grapes sourced from Napa, Clarksburg, and Lodi, California. Enjoy a beautiful and intimate urban oasis in the city's heart at this local family-owned gem.
Are you dreaming of sailing the seas in style? Don’t miss Catamaran Sailing Charter experiences from Yachtcations in Kemah (Houston Bay Area). This catamaran training center offers a 3- or 6-hour charter sailing the Clear Lake/Galveston Bay area. The charter will be catered to you and your wants! If you would like to anchor and take a swim during a charter, they can accommodate that request. Custom itineraries are also available.
While in Houston, don't miss out on our exclusive and unique experiences.
