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| Houston's Heart of Hospitality |
The ZaSpa at Hotel ZaZa offers pampering to perfection with sensory experiences that unite the body, mind and soul. Pairing holistic and modern healing techniques, ZaSpa offers a range of treatments—from salon services and massages to body wraps and exfoliations—in 10 tranquil rooms as well as revitalizing private oxygen dens, steam rooms, deep soaking tubs and a relaxing poolside lounge. Signature treatments at ZaSpa include the Bella Vita facial, The Morning After scrub and wrap, the Fatal Charm body cocoon and The Warwick pedicure. ZaSpa also offers the Relax. Reward. Repeat. rewards program that provides exclusive hotel privileges for repeat guests.
The Mediterranean-style Trellis spa at The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa is a sanctuary celebrating the healing, soothing and rejuvenating powers of water with a collection of treatments in a tranquil setting. Located on the hotel’s 18-acre property, the 17,000-square-foot spa surrounds a courtyard that offers a beautiful, natural garden environment for viewing pleasure. The spa has 21 treatment rooms for massages, body treatments, facials and tanning as well as one couple’s room, which has a couple’s shower and tub. Trellis also features hairstyling, manicure and pedicure stations; locker rooms with a Jacuzzi and steam room; an indoor float pool; and a comfortable upstairs lounge with a fireplace. As a full-service spa, Trellis also offers custom packages for bridal parties, business groups, birthdays, anniversaries or baby showers.
The Omni Hotel Houston invites guests to soothe their senses at Mokara Spa, nestled on a knoll overlooking the 12-acre property. The spa offers a full menu of services that rejuvenate and invigorate the senses. The 7,100-square-foot Mokara Spa has a full fitness center and views of the hotel’s famed pool area and swan pond. Inside, the spa has a couple’s treatment room, wet treatment room and additional rooms for all kinds of services. The spa’s signature offerings include the Mokara Massage that can be customized to energize, detoxify or relax with a combination of techniques, specialty oils and lotions; and the multistep Mokara Facial, which includes a thorough skin analysis then customized deep cleansing, exfoliation, aromatic steam, massage and a nutrient-rich mask.
The Spa at The St. Regis Houston hotel offers distinctive treatments, such as Ayurvedic Rituals, Shirodhara and unique massage, skin care and salon offerings. Try the Energizing Spirulina Experience or Ginger Renewal to awaken the senses or be calmed into tranquility with the Lavender Dreams Ultimate Experience. With a philosophy of wellness and holistic therapies, the spa helps guests relax, rejuvenate and renew. In-room and after-hours services for hotel guests also are available for an additional charge, and the facility also has dry saunas and a pool.
With all these ways to relax and renew, Houston visitors of all kinds certainly can complement their business trie or vacation with the ultimate in relaxing pleasure.
hotel debate: boutique vs. chain
Leisure and business travelers come down on both sides of the debate when it comes to whether they prefer staying at a boutique hotel property or a nationally recognized chain. Often, the style of hotel depends on the purpose of the trip. For a romantic getaway, guests may want a smaller, more personalized experience, but for a nightlife weekend or business trip, all you might want is somewhere to crash in a comfortable bed. Houston has both kinds of hotels in abundance, so take a look at what experts say are the positives of both.
— Boutique Benefits
Boutique hotels have many advantages over typical national chains. Most overtly, they offer the complete opposite of the basic and bland normality that comes with hundreds of identical rooms and impersonal service. Instead, boutique properties usually have a low number of rooms on which the owners have spent— and continue to spend—time, money and energy to make guests feel comfortable and like personally honored visitors.
True, boutique properties are geared to travelers who are willing to pay a little more for accommodations, but that is because they want a space that has a distinct design and is an integral part of their stay experience. Reducing the number of rooms and fashioning public areas that guests want to use, boutique hotels create a uniquely appealing atmosphere where guests can spend a leisurely morning drinking coffee and reading in public areas or relaxing by the pool without jockeying for space.
Plus, the smaller the number of guests, the better the service can be. In this regard, the boutique industry strives to ensure that standards of service are exceptional. Any contact the guest has with a staff member will be positive and, in many cases, staff members are trained to anticipate guests’ needs and ensure they are comfortable asking for help with anything in the hotel or even around the city. Other common perks include providing everything from customized breakfasts to free laundry services.
Boutique hotels often are located in older buildings where larger rooms have been created internally while the design has held onto the architectural integrity and authentic character of the original structure. By keeping original windows yet modernizing the bathrooms, for instance, clever design can create elegant interior luxury while preserving the essential features of the building. Boutique interior designers also take care to coordinate furniture, wallpaper, artwork and other elements to create an inviting, homey experience.
The Mediterranean-style Trellis spa at The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa is a sanctuary celebrating the healing, soothing and rejuvenating powers of water with a collection of treatments in a tranquil setting. Located on the hotel’s 18-acre property, the 17,000-square-foot spa surrounds a courtyard that offers a beautiful, natural garden environment for viewing pleasure. The spa has 21 treatment rooms for massages, body treatments, facials and tanning as well as one couple’s room, which has a couple’s shower and tub. Trellis also features hairstyling, manicure and pedicure stations; locker rooms with a Jacuzzi and steam room; an indoor float pool; and a comfortable upstairs lounge with a fireplace. As a full-service spa, Trellis also offers custom packages for bridal parties, business groups, birthdays, anniversaries or baby showers.
The Omni Hotel Houston invites guests to soothe their senses at Mokara Spa, nestled on a knoll overlooking the 12-acre property. The spa offers a full menu of services that rejuvenate and invigorate the senses. The 7,100-square-foot Mokara Spa has a full fitness center and views of the hotel’s famed pool area and swan pond. Inside, the spa has a couple’s treatment room, wet treatment room and additional rooms for all kinds of services. The spa’s signature offerings include the Mokara Massage that can be customized to energize, detoxify or relax with a combination of techniques, specialty oils and lotions; and the multistep Mokara Facial, which includes a thorough skin analysis then customized deep cleansing, exfoliation, aromatic steam, massage and a nutrient-rich mask.
The Spa at The St. Regis Houston hotel offers distinctive treatments, such as Ayurvedic Rituals, Shirodhara and unique massage, skin care and salon offerings. Try the Energizing Spirulina Experience or Ginger Renewal to awaken the senses or be calmed into tranquility with the Lavender Dreams Ultimate Experience. With a philosophy of wellness and holistic therapies, the spa helps guests relax, rejuvenate and renew. In-room and after-hours services for hotel guests also are available for an additional charge, and the facility also has dry saunas and a pool.
With all these ways to relax and renew, Houston visitors of all kinds certainly can complement their business trie or vacation with the ultimate in relaxing pleasure.
hotel debate: boutique vs. chain
Leisure and business travelers come down on both sides of the debate when it comes to whether they prefer staying at a boutique hotel property or a nationally recognized chain. Often, the style of hotel depends on the purpose of the trip. For a romantic getaway, guests may want a smaller, more personalized experience, but for a nightlife weekend or business trip, all you might want is somewhere to crash in a comfortable bed. Houston has both kinds of hotels in abundance, so take a look at what experts say are the positives of both.
— Boutique Benefits
Boutique hotels have many advantages over typical national chains. Most overtly, they offer the complete opposite of the basic and bland normality that comes with hundreds of identical rooms and impersonal service. Instead, boutique properties usually have a low number of rooms on which the owners have spent— and continue to spend—time, money and energy to make guests feel comfortable and like personally honored visitors.
True, boutique properties are geared to travelers who are willing to pay a little more for accommodations, but that is because they want a space that has a distinct design and is an integral part of their stay experience. Reducing the number of rooms and fashioning public areas that guests want to use, boutique hotels create a uniquely appealing atmosphere where guests can spend a leisurely morning drinking coffee and reading in public areas or relaxing by the pool without jockeying for space.
Plus, the smaller the number of guests, the better the service can be. In this regard, the boutique industry strives to ensure that standards of service are exceptional. Any contact the guest has with a staff member will be positive and, in many cases, staff members are trained to anticipate guests’ needs and ensure they are comfortable asking for help with anything in the hotel or even around the city. Other common perks include providing everything from customized breakfasts to free laundry services.
Boutique hotels often are located in older buildings where larger rooms have been created internally while the design has held onto the architectural integrity and authentic character of the original structure. By keeping original windows yet modernizing the bathrooms, for instance, clever design can create elegant interior luxury while preserving the essential features of the building. Boutique interior designers also take care to coordinate furniture, wallpaper, artwork and other elements to create an inviting, homey experience.
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If accepted, your submission will be edited for length and clarity. There is no monetary payment if your item is used; instead, you can publicize yourself through a five-line biography with your contact information that will appear at the end of the article.
Send submissions to
editorial@MeetingPlannerResources.org. We will contact you if your submission is chosen.