Thompson Houston by Hyatt [In-Depth Hotel Review]

I visited the brand-new Thompson Houston with my husband in March 2024, and we fell in love with this fabulous hotel. Thompson Houston is the brand’s fourth property in Texas, following locations in Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin.

Houston is my home, and I was thrilled to enjoy a staycation at this luxury high-rise hotel on Allen Parkway, just steps from Buffalo Bayou Park. From a glittering rooftop pool to swanky dining, soaring ballrooms, and a helipad, there are numerous head-turning details at Thompson Houston.

Let’s look at what we enjoyed about this hotel, from the parkside location on Allen Parkway to the amenities, dining, and impeccable service.

Booking

A friend with World of Hyatt Globalist status generously booked my stay at Thompson Hyatt. He used 23,000 World of Hyatt points and a Guest of Honor award to book a night with his My Hyatt Concierge (a benefit of earning 60 elite nights or 100,000 base points).

The booking was a great value, considering the room went for $512 per night for members. The skyline view room we were upgraded to had a $560 member rate. We value World of Hyatt points at about 1.5 cents per point, but this redemption was worth about 2.4 cents per point.

The 23,000-point booking amused me because we often stay at Hilton hotels where 35,000 to 40,000 points is a reasonable rate for a night at a (clean and comfortable but not luxurious) Hampton Inn — and here we were getting spoiled at a luxury high-rise hotel for close to the equivalent of a Chase Freedom Unlimited^® welcome offer. You could stay for nearly 3 nights at this rate if you earn the full welcome offer for The World of Hyatt Credit Card.

Location

Thompson Houston’s location couldn’t be better. Downtown Houston hotels may get a lot of attention, but I’d take this bayou-adjacent refuge among the trees any day. It’s parkside along Allen Parkway and overlooks downtown Houston and Buffalo Bayou Park. Downtown is less than a mile away, so you’re still so close to major attractions but in a much greener setting — and the skyline view is impressive.

I especially enjoyed being right in front of Buffalo Bayou Park, one of the best parks in Houston, featuring endless trails and activities. There are multiple parks within Buffalo Bayou Park’s greenbelts, including Eleanor Tinsley Park, a quarter mile from Thompson Houston. At Eleanor Tinsley, you can find festivals, events, concerts, or, on a regular day, just a bunch of people playing sports like we encountered.

There’s even Houston’s own love lock bridge right next to Eleanor Tinsley — a fenced pedestrian walkway over Allen Parkway where you can take in skyline views and attach your own lock.

Thompson Houston is at the corner of Gillette and Allen Parkway, in the same parking lot as the Allen Lifestyle Pavilion. The pavilion is mostly a gym — EoS Fitness — but has a few restaurants under construction. On the other side of Gillette is an Allen Parkway landmark: the Federal Reserve Bank Houston branch, the country’s second-largest currency vault.

Hot Tip:

I joked that I’d be moving into this hotel, and it turns out you can. Thompson Houston shares a building with the Residences at the Allen, and residents can access Thompson Houston’s amenities, including the rooftop pool, fitness center, spa, dining, room service, and even the helipad.

Getting to Thompson Houston

With an Allen Parkway location, it’s easy to get to the hotel from anywhere in the Houston area. The freeways were backed up, so our route took us through the posh River Oaks neighborhood — not a bad way to arrive.

You have 2 options if you’re flying in. William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) is the closest at about 11 miles, and you can expect to reach the hotel in 20 minutes or less by car unless you’re in heavy traffic hours. However, most people fly into the larger George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), which is about 22 miles and around 30 minutes away — though it can take much longer if you run into traffic.

Prefer to fly past the traffic? Thompson Houston has a heliport available to guests. One of the benefits of the hotel’s destination fee is preferred pricing on helicopter transfer services to and from local airports (with 24-hour notice).

Checking In

We arrived around 5 p.m. and were immediately greeted by the valets, then Omar (the bellman), and Eduardo (the tastemaker/concierge) in the first-floor tastemaker lobby. This lobby was where we entered and exited the hotel and arranged to use amenities, including the house car and electric bicycles.

We were directed to the elevators past the concierge desk with instructions to head to the seventh-floor lobby. In no time, we were warmly greeted at the front desk, where an agent checked us in, explained the amenities and how to use them, and handed us reusable metal water bottles that we could refill using water stations on the guest floors.

Hot Tip:

Thompson Houston is cash-free and only accepts credit cards, debit cards, and other contactless payment forms at the front desk, restaurants, and spa. However, you can tip staff in cash.

Destination Fee Benefits

Thompson Houston charges a $28 nightly destination fee, which was waived for us on a Guest of Honor award stay. The destination fee provides the following benefits:

• 10% discount on Color Factory Houston tickets
• 10% off at Thompson Spa, including services and retail
• EoS fitness access (this wasn’t offered to us, but there’s an on-site fitness center)
• Guest floor hydration stations with still and sparkling water, fresh fruit, and periodicals
• House car service dropoff within 3 miles
• Local and long-distance calls
• Preferred access and pricing for outdoor pool cabanas
• Preferred pricing on helicopter transfers to and from local airports and the Thompson Houston heliport
• Premium guest internet
• Thompson wellness programming
• Use of house bicycles

Guest of Honor Benefits

On top of the destination fee benefits, I received Guest of Honor benefits, including:

• Complimentary upgrade to a standard suite
• Elite check-in
• 4 p.m. late checkout
• Complimentary breakfast and club lounge access
• Waived resort fees and parking fees

We didn’t need elite check-in because we walked right up to the front desk, but I didn’t see a separate area for World of Hyatt elites.

Our room was upgraded from a standard room to a skyline view, and we didn’t have to pay for our fabulous breakfast, the destination fee, or the $55 per night valet parking fee. There wasn’t a club lounge.

We requested a late checkout, and I joked we could stay all day when they asked how late we’d like to check out. We were instantly granted a 4 p.m. late checkout, which was excellent for enjoying a leisurely breakfast at Sol7 and taking the house bikes out for a nice long ride along the bayou trails.

Hot Tip:

Guest of Honor awards allow Hyatt Globalist members to gift their elite status privileges to another traveler.

Lobby

The lobby was beautiful, with high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a lounge area we dubbed the reading room. Like a lot of the rest of the hotel, the lobby struck me as very museum-like, with large, open wall spaces accented by colorful abstract art.

The highlight of the lobby was the view. The floor-to-ceiling windows perfectly framed the skyline view right behind the front desk. Enhanced by the blue frosted glass at the bottom of the windows, it was stunning to walk off the elevators and see the view.

The lounge area to the left of the front desk was equally inviting. I loved the plush seating and accent lighting, and my husband tested and approved all the chairs and sofas.

The bookshelves mainly seemed for decoration and lighting, as all the books were wrapped in white. We didn’t investigate further, but several coffee table books were available to guests. Had we stayed another night, I definitely could have curled up with a notepad and the “1,000 Places to See Before You Die” book.

From the reading room, we could see the elevators and into the lobby-adjacent restaurant, Sol7, which led to the rooftop deck, lawn, and pool. There was also an artful stone fireplace.

Amenities

We spent some time checking out the amenities available at Thompson Houston, and I was impressed. The pool wasn’t open at the time of this writing, but it looked promising, and we had a great time using the house car and bikes. I enjoyed exploring the expansive event and meeting room floor, which had an excellent view, just like the lobby and pool.

Rooftop Pool

When we visited, the pool was still under construction, but it’s expected to open on April 5, 2024.

We could go out into the rooftop lawn and around the pool area, but the pool was neither filled with water nor operational. It had some water, but I’m guessing that was just from the rain.

Marriott Marquis Houston’s Altitude Rooftop & Pool gets a lot of attention in downtown Houston. Its reputation is well deserved, with a Texas-shaped lazy river and underwater window that peeks out over Discovery Green Park. But it has great competition in the Thompson Houston’s rooftop pool. While it’s tough to beat a Texas-shaped lazy river in the Houston heat, I was impressed that the Thompson rooftop pool has a bayou and skyline view, along with a large open lawn and plenty of lounge space whether you get a cabana or not.

The rooftop deck had a nice walkway to the pool and was lit at night.

Next to the pool and walkway was a lawn area.

The lawn looked especially cool when lit up at night.

The pool was surrounded by cabanas, each with bright yellow, green, and orange seating with privacy curtains and TVs.

Seating extended beyond the cabanas with some poolside poufs.

This rooftop pool was very sunny, but there were spots to catch some shade.

There was also plenty of shaded seating in the patio area for Sol7.

Then there was the view, which was great in the daytime and at night.

Parking

Thompson Houston offers valet parking for $55 per night. That’s the only option, though you could try your chances on the surface lot of the Allen Pavilion. I wouldn’t recommend it, and signs indicated you might get towed. When we arrived, the parking lot was full and busy — and Thompson Houston suggested our vehicle would be safest valeted with the hotel.

When you arrive, you’ll see small valet signs showing you where to go — turn left into the valet entrance around the corner from the front door.

Underneath the building, we got to the valet station, where the valets greeted us and took care of our vehicle.

House Car

Once we got to Thompson Houston, we didn’t need our vehicle again until we left. It was easy — and fun — to get around with the house car service and bikes.

Thompson Houston offers a house car service with a BMW X7 and BMW iX upon request. The service is for drop-off only, so we caught a ride-share back, but the driver, Charles, said he’s also working on adding a pick-up service.

The house car could drop us off within a 3-mile radius between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. and was available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The rides were complimentary, but tips are appreciated.

A 3-mile radius doesn’t sound like much until you think about Thompson Houston’s location perched on Buffalo Bayou just west of downtown Houston. There’s so much you can get to within 3 miles. These are just some highlights:

• All of downtown Houston
• Art Car Museum and The Orange Show
• Houston Theater District
• George R. Brown Convention Center
• The Menil Collection museum
• Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros
• River Oaks high-end shopping and dining
• Saint Arnold Brewing and numerous other breweries in the Fifth Ward and EaDo
• Sawyer Yards
• Shell Energy Stadium, home of the Houston Dynamo and Houston Dash
• Toyota Center, home of the Houston Rockets
• Washington Avenue bars and dining
• Waugh Drive Bat Colony

Just barely outside the 3-mile radius is the Houston Museum District, with destinations including the Houston Museum of Natural Science, Houston Zoo, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, and Hermann Park featuring Hermann Park Golf Course and free shows at Miller Outdoor Theater. You could get dropped off at The Menil Collection to enjoy the artwork and then catch a quick ride-share to additional museums.

For our visit, we took a house car — the BMW X7 — to the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts just under a mile from Thompson Houston.

We headed downstairs and informed the concierge, Eduardo, that we wanted a ride. He alerted the driver, Charles, who plugged in the theater’s address and got us on our way. It took less than 5 minutes to reach the theater, where we had a great night seeing Beetlejuice The Musical, a Broadway show on tour in Houston.

Bluejay House Bikes

I love biking the trails of Houston and beyond, so I was delighted to see Bluejay electric cruiser bicycles sitting outside when we arrived. I only saw 2 bikes, but that was enough because it seemed no one else was using them during our stay.

The Bluejay bikes were so smooth and fun to ride. The bike I rode only had about 20 miles on it before I took it for a spin! 

These particular bikes — electric cruisers with pedal assist — are a great choice for exploring Buffalo Bayou trails. The only thing I didn’t like was the bike basket because it had large openings that items (like our Thompson water bottles) could easily fall out of. We just grabbed a bag to place there to keep items secure. The racks on the back were similarly less-than-functional because they lacked a bungee cord or some other way to attach items.

On the electric bikes, we felt like we were actively riding, but if we needed help getting up a hill, the pedal assist was there to help. It was easy to get around on these bikes and a fun experience to pedal through some of my favorite spots along the bayou. 

All we had to do was ask to use the bikes. Thompson Houston’s tastemaker/concierge Eduardo excitedly got us waivers, helmets, and bike locks before sending us on our way. There wasn’t a time limit; he just jokingly put on a “dad voice” and told us to “be home before dark!”

The Spa at Thompson and Fitness Center

The entire sixth floor of Thompson Houston is the spa and fitness center.

There wasn’t much to this floor besides the spa and fitness center, but I liked this small seating area near the stairs.

We took a left at the kimono to go down the hallway leading to the fitness center and Thompson Spa. Too busy riding bikes, I didn’t visit the spa or squeeze in a workout, but we peeked in at the fitness center.

The restrooms were just outside the fitness center entrance.

Water fountains were outside the fitness center entrance, though water bottles were also inside.

Inside, the fitness center was fairly large, and the ceiling had the same wood paneling featured throughout the hotel.

We saw numerous weight machines.

There were also adjustable free weights, a weight rack, and multiple weight benches.

Next to those weights were more benches, weights, medicine balls, and resistance bands.

In the middle, there was a small refrigerator with the same reusable metal water bottles we received at check-in.

There were also some treadmills and ellipticals, a spin bike, and a rowing machine.

A corner cabinet contained plenty of towels.

Water Station

We received reusable water bottles at check-in and were told they could be refilled at the water stations on guest floors. These stations had apples and a tap for chilled still and sparkling water. In the morning, there were periodicals we could take.

Sparkling water on tap is a great amenity — my favorite taco shop is my favorite mostly because it has an extra-bubbly sparkling water fountain (though the tacos are great, too).

Also, the reusable water bottles worked great at this tap. I’ve tried to fill other water bottles with sparkling water before, only to have them leak out from the pressure, but these bottles held up fine.

Meeting and Event Space

The fifth floor was interesting to explore. Devoted entirely to meeting and event space, it had soaring ceilings, huge art, posh seating, and great views.

Peeking inside the ballroom, we found an expansive space with statement chandeliers and spaces for bars. This was technically up to 3 ballrooms, as I could see notches for dividers in the ceiling, but there were no dividers up when we visited.

Across the hallway from the ballroom was the balcony, which yet again highlighted skyline views.

Numerous seating areas were dotted throughout the hallway, with a couple of nooks for lounging or meeting. A seating area under the stairs offered a nicely framed skyline view just over the treetops. There was also a small buffet area behind the gold doors, so you could host a small reception in this space.

Elevators

We always had to take 2 elevators to get to our room. Arriving at the first-floor tastemaker lobby, we’d take an elevator to get to the fifth, sixth, or seventh floor, then transfer to the guestroom elevators that could access all guest floors except the first floor.

I noticed each of the elevator lobbies had a unique look. The elevator lobbies on the guestroom floors had just 1 wall of elevators and were smaller and less grand than those on the amenity floors.

The seventh-floor elevator lobby had wood paneling mimicking that of the front desk just steps away. All amenity floor elevator areas had large doors leading to service areas.

Mats in the elevators were changed depending on the time of day, greeting us with “good morning,” “good afternoon,” or “good evening.”

Heliport

There’s the pool, and then there’s another impressive rooftop amenity: the heliport. Thompson Houston offers a heliport where you can use helicopter transfer services to get to and from local airports. Guests get preferred pricing on helicopter transfer services, though you’ll need to give at least 24 hours’ notice to take advantage of this amenity. Next time, I’m tempted to ask if we can check it out just to take a look — though I’ll probably just drive in from home.

Pet Friendly

Thompson Houston is pet-friendly for up to 2 pets per room weighing 50 pounds or less. Pets must stay in your guest room, and you can’t leave them unattended. The website doesn’t mention an additional nightly charge for pets. Pet restrictions, such as weight limits and where animals can and can’t go, don’t apply to service animals.

Johnny Steele Dog Park within Buffalo Bayou Park is less than a mile away along the trails and is a 2-acre bark park with a pond and water stations.

The Room

We booked a standard king room but got upgraded to a king room with a skyline view. A lesser upgrade would have been a park view overlooking the bayou, though we got bayou views in this room, too.

Our room, 1123, was in a corner on the 11th floor. The hallways were dark, but the room was full of natural light.

The room wasn’t particularly large, but it was comfortable and well-appointed.

Bedroom

Entering the room, the bathroom was immediately to the left, and a full-length mirror was right across from it. Beyond that was the closet, then the main bedroom area with the desk, bar, and bed.

Across from the bed was the desk, which featured a large, open workspace with a leather pad, lamp, power outlets, and a plush velvet chair.

Above the desk was the TV, which was off when we arrived but had my name on the screen when we turned it on. So many other hotels have the TV on to greet us, which is a nice gesture, but it makes me cringe thinking of how wasteful it is to leave the TV on in a room no one’s occupying.

The TV was easy to use and had access to numerous local and movie channels. We also had the option to use Chromecast or sign in to streaming services.

With a velvet chair and leather-topped work area, this desk had nice tactile features.

At the back of the desk was a power strip accessible by touching a button. It had 2 regular power outlets, 2 USB-A outlets, and 1 USB-C outlet.

On the desk, we found a room service menu for the lobby restaurant Sol7 and a minibar menu. The room service menu was almost identical to the menu we saw in the restaurant.

We were totally comfortable on the king bed, and it was at this very spot that I finally got around to ordering down pillows for home because they were impossibly fluffy and a total dream to sink into.

Behind the king bed was a wall-mounted headboard with patterned leather and wood paneling. Nightstands and lamps were attached on either side.

It took me a minute to figure out how to use the bedside lamps. I needed to press a button on the power strip to turn it on, then the knobs worked to turn on the spotlight lamp. There was also a small concentrated reading lamp. Both lamp heads were adjustable.

The nightstand had a power strip with 2 regular outlets, 1 USB-A outlet, and 1 USB-C outlet. Next to those was a button that turned on the power to the outlets and the lamp above. The green light indicated it was on.

There was also a phone, a notepad with a pen, and a remote for the TV.

The nightstand also featured a drawer, which I always appreciate.

On the other nightstand was a radio speaker from Tivoli Audio. It had a sticker on top explaining how to use it.

In between the bed and bathroom was the closet. I didn’t expect to be impressed by a hotel room closet, but this one had a lot of nice touches. One of the features I liked was the lighting, which turned on only when we opened either of the doors.

Inside was a high shelf, a hanging rack with numerous hangers, one of the room’s robes, an umbrella, and a small set of 2 drawers.

A clipped bag and menu on the side offered laundry and shoe-shining services.

The top drawer contained a laptop-sized safe.

Usually, I’m disappointed when hotel rooms don’t have a dresser with real drawers. If we stay more than a night, I want to unpack so I don’t have to live out of my bag. This room only had a desk, not a dresser. However, in this room with occupancy for 2, the closet worked fine for our needs overnight, and it had a large drawer underneath the hanging rack that would be good enough for a few nights.

The drawer contained a few sets of slippers and a garment steamer in lieu of an ironing board and iron. If we needed the drawer space, we could have moved these items to an open space in the closet next to this drawer.

A flashlight was just behind one of the closet doors, which I’d never seen in a hotel room before. Of course, I wanted to fiddle with it and discovered that its mounting rack was also a charger. As soon as I took the flashlight off its mount, it turned on.

Next to the desk was the bar, which contained a minibar, a small fridge filled with minibar items, a Nespresso coffee machine, and some storage shelves.

In the main bar compartment, we found various glassware, a selection of wines and Champagne with an ice bucket and wine opener, snacks and other minibar items on a top shelf, and a Nespresso machine with pods and coffee mugs.

The wine selection featured Meiomi cabernet sauvignon, Veuve Clicquot Champagne, Whispering Angel rosé, and Cakebread Cellars chardonnay.

We usually skip in-room coffee, but when it’s espresso with real mugs and Copper Cow latte creamer, I’m using every pod.

The top shelf of the minibar had mostly snacks for purchase. There was also a phone charging kit and a couple of adult items.

Below, a drawer opened to reveal the minibar fridge filled with various drinks and a little room for additional items. The selection was great, ranging from sodas and coconut water to local beer and liquor. One of the beers featured in the minibar from Saint Arnold Brewing is made less than 3 miles away.

Next to the refrigerator drawer were a couple of small shelves behind a cabinet door.

Bathroom

The luxurious bathroom had gray stone walls, a vanity nook with a backlit mirror, and a huge shower.

The sink area featured a large circular mirror, amenities, a couple of deep drawers, towels, a rubberized shower mat, and extra toilet paper.

All the fixtures had a brassy gold tone that looked nice with the subtle gold veining in the stone walls.

The sink’s amenities included a shower cap, cotton rounds, a few packets of cotton swabs, and Bowmakers soap. This tray doubled as a soap tray.

Below the sink were the towels and extra toilet paper. I thought the shower mat was a nice touch, though the small circular tiles were grippy enough that we didn’t need it.

In one of the drawers was the hair dryer. This wasn’t your average hotel hairdryer, but a Paul Mitchell Neuro, perfect for blowouts.

Just inside the bathroom door to the left was another one of the oversized hooded jersey robes and a vanity nook. It had a heavy wood and metal stool, tray and bowl with Bowmakers lotion, and — my favorite part — a mirror that lit up with a touch.

What all of this did was beyond me — I thought maybe the bowl and tray were shaving-related. There was also a black towel for makeup removal and a small Bowmakers lotion with a fresh citrus and perfumey scent.

The shower was huge. It seemed slightly larger than the shower I loved at The Troubadour Hotel in New Orleans.

I was a little confused by the seemingly dual fixtures, but I quickly figured it out. The handle on the right turned on the shower and adjusted the temperature. This was a nice feature at the door to get the water going before stepping inside the shower.

To the left, the fixtures controlled the water pressure and switched the water flow from the showerhead to the handheld shower wand. This part didn’t work so well — the water didn’t really come out of the wand, and all we could get it to do was turn the showerhead on or off.

Still, the shower worked where it mattered, with readily available hot water and good pressure from the showerhead.

A narrow shelf spanned the length of the shower, so there was plenty of room for toiletry items. The shower featured Bowmakers shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. There was a washcloth rolled up on the shelf, too.

The View

We were upgraded to a room with a skyline view, and it delivered. Looking out over the tree-filled neighborhood and onto the downtown Houston skyline was lovely.

Other rooms may have a park view instead of a skyline view, but we just had to look to the left to see the winding bayou next to us.

The skyline view from our room was equally impressive at night.

Food and Beverage

During our visit, we had 2 options for food and beverage within the hotel: room service or restaurant service, both from Sol7. Breakfast was complimentary with my Guest of Honor benefit.

The hotel has other dining options in development, but only Sol7 was open during our stay.

Room Service

A room service menu on the desk in our room offered breakfast from 7 to 11 a.m. and an all-day menu from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. The menu was almost identical to the in-restaurant menu at Sol7.

Sol7

Sol7 is the lobby bar and restaurant and also serves the rooftop pool. It’s open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

There’s an inside bar and table seating, but we liked the patio seats the best.

I liked the couches and long tables under the overhang just outside the bar. From this spot, we could enjoy the rooftop with its night lights.

During the day, the glass doors were opened to connect the indoor bar with the outdoor patio.

For breakfast, we chose a table on the patio.

Breakfast menu highlights included eggs, Belgian waffles (with optional Southern-fried chicken tenders), avocado toast, bagels and lox, and steak and eggs.

Not one to pass up an opportunity for smoked salmon, I got the bagel and lox, which was delicious. A layer of smoked salmon filled the plate and had hardboiled egg crumbles, capers, dill, and pickled red onions. Under the everything bagel was a generous portion of cream cheese.

With the bagel on top of the cream cheese, there was cream cheese on the bottom of the bagel, which was kind of a mess. But that meant more room for salmon, so I just scraped the cream cheese off the bottom and went right back to piling on heaps of smoked fish.

My husband was super hungry and was happy to see steak and eggs on the menu. He got 2 eggs of his choice — fried — and the steak came topped with chimichurri sauce and a lightly roasted tomato on the side.

The steak was tasty, but my husband thought it was a little chewy.

He also ordered a side of bacon, which had 6 pieces perfectly cooked — not too crispy, not too chewy.

His steak and eggs came with smashed roasted potatoes, which were addictive. Soft on the inside, crispy on the outside, and dusted with Cajun spices, I probably swiped about half of them from his plate.

With coffees, 2 entrées, and a side of bacon, we left Sol7 stuffed. Our total came to a little over $80 with tax and tip. It was covered entirely by the Guest of Honor benefit.

Dining Options Coming Soon

Sol7 was the only dining option available during our visit, but Thompson Houston has other restaurants opening soon:

• Buck 40 Supper Club
• Chardon French brasserie
• Maven Coffee Co.
• Meduza Mediterrania
• Toco Madera Mexican steakhouse

Biking at Thompson Houston

Thompson Houston is a bike lover’s dream. Gillette Street, bordering Thompson Houston, has a crosswalk right into the Buffalo Bayou trail, which could not be more convenient.

A BCycle station was almost across the street from Thompson Houston, which would be helpful if other guests were using the bikes or if you needed more bikes than the hotel had available.

Thompson Houston has an excellent location for taking full advantage of the bike amenity. Riding the Buffalo Bayou trails into downtown and throughout the park was a fantastic way to explore downtown Houston and points nearby.

A highlight of our journey was a lunch stop at POST Houston — an old USPS headquarters that’s now a mixed-use space — to enjoy the international food hall and rooftop garden.

The food hall has multiple bars and numerous small restaurants. We visited a few stalls and got boba tea, ceviche sushi, and tandoori carrots with roti.

We were treated to yet another rooftop view on the POST Houston Skylawn, which has dining spaces.

Service

Service at Thompson Houston was outstanding, from greetings downstairs at the tastemaker lobby and valet to the warm welcome at check-in and excellent breakfast service at Sol7.

My request for late checkout was honored without hesitation, and the staff at Sol7 was happy to seat us on the patio even though it seemed other breakfast guests were dining indoors. I got the sense that any reasonable request would be met with impeccable service and professionalism.

But more importantly, the staff at Thompson Houston were exceptionally friendly. We were greeted by name and always with genuine care and excitement.

The driver, Charles, seemed to delight in getting to take the house BMW downtown for our ride to the Hobby Center. It was an all-hands-on-deck situation downstairs at the tastemaker lobby as Eduardo got us set up to ride the house bikes around town, and the valets chatted with us about electric bike features. It was a lot like the great service I experienced at The Driskill Austin, another beautiful Hyatt Texas property.

Final Thoughts

Thompson Houston was the first Thompson property I’ve stayed at, but it won’t be the last. I’d recommend it to out-of-towners wanting to stay close to downtown but next to the park. It’s also an excellent staycation choice for Houstonians seeking a rooftop pool, skyline views, and a complimentary BMW ride downtown.

I’d love to visit again if we’re planning to hit the theater district or want to enjoy another bayou bike ride adventure, and I’m looking forward to our upcoming Thompson Austin visit.