Hotel ZaZa Museum District

In Texas everything really is a little bit bigger, a little bit bolder. And the boutique hotels are no exception. Downtown Houston’s Hotel ZaZa, the second from the Dallas-based group, puts decadence first, and you won’t confuse it for a business chain anytime soon.

Standard rooms are deluxe, but not as overtly hedonistic as the Magnificent Seven, the eight—yes, eight—luxury suites, each featuring an entirely different theme, played out in the fabrics, furniture, extras, and amenities like whirlpool hot tubs and plasma screens. Smaller “concept” suites range from Geisha House, lavishly decorated in shades of red, to Houston We Have a Problem, whose gathering, eating, and sleeping areas have been tricked out in NASA-friendly blues, grays, and whites, telescope included.

This is no shrinking violet of a hotel; public and semi-public spaces are emphasized accordingly. On-staff planners help organize events in the hotel’s gigantic ballrooms and meeting areas. Choices include a room with its very own peephole or more clandestine enclosures decorated with drapery, mirrors, chandeliers, and zebra- or leopard-print carpet. Monarch, the onsite lounge and restaurant, pleases Houstonites and travelers alike with its take on new and classic American fare (think steak, short ribs, and sushi).