Recently I did a press trip to Houston sponsored through the GoHouston! Travel Campaign hosted by New Creative Writing and Social Media Marketing. As always all opinions are my own.
Here is a rare one! A post written by my hubby! Check it out!
As many of you know my wife and I have been married for over 11 years now and we have 2 amazing kids. Our marriage has its usual ups and downs. And as we both work at home you can imagine some friction and tension exists now and then. Ever since we've been married we've had the good fortune to spend so much time together because I've always worked from home. Once we had kids this was both a challenge and a blessing. Some days I love that I don't miss out on anything and some days I wish I could escape. But this is life after 11+ years.
Our first honeymoon, if you could call it that, was 1 night at a B&B close to home. We came home as newlyweds to our first apartment which wasn't ready yet and from that point on we've been on a constant bearing headed toward the future. We always thought about travelling more and taking that "real" honeymoon we never had. Life always gets in the way, the car breaks down, rent is due, medical bills and then comes kids. All couples have been there.
When I got the "memo" that we were headed to Houston and we weren't taking the kids, the first thing I thought was, "this is what we had been waiting for..." It was finally time to have that second honeymoon, after over 11 years it's not the same as when you are young, it's more important. It's a time to recharge, to become closer, become a better husband, wife, and parent.
(View from our hotel window)
Where you stay has a profound effect on how you feel, enter Hotel Icon Houston. It's a fantastic contemporary luxury hotel right in downtown Houston. As soon as I drove up, I knew this would be an integral part of our whole trip. The valet service is fantastic. They are very friendly, prompt and take excellent care of your vehicle. I'm a bit of a control freak and perfectionist, as my wife will tell you, so it's hard for me to hand over any of that to someone I don't know, but these guys are the best. They even have a shuttle service to anywhere in the downtown area within a certain radius for free! You just tell them where you want to go and you'll be there. My wife even left our camera in the shuttle and the excellent staff made sure we got it back. This is how you recharge.
The hotel itself was once a bank, and I loved the architecture. Great 1911 influences you can really feel they tried to maintain as much of that look and feel as possible. The lobby was a massive spacious area with sitting area, bar and the Line & Lariat restaurant. Heather dealt with the great check-in staff while I just sat in an amazingly comfortable chair and soaked it all in. All the while in my head, "Finally, it took all these years, but we are here. And this is an awesome place to be." They had fresh iced tea right there waiting for you at the front desk, and in the heat of that day it was the perfect drink.
Her experience at check-in was what you always want. Friendly engaging staff. We have a difficult last name and they kept practicing it until they could pronounce it correctly. And every time we passed through the lobby they greeted us with it. Other staff was friendly and upbeat, they really loved their job. In the evening before we went out, I sat in the lobby waiting for Heather and watched the bartender. He was great, there were people around the bar, couples, business men and women all enjoying each other's company and he was the glue making it all happen. This is the kind of atmosphere you just can't describe, but you know it when you are there.
The rooms themselves are a rich and inviting combination of classical early 20th century architecture and modern touches. WiFi, mini fridge, large flat screen TV, and coffee maker are just a few of the modern conveniences that greeted us combined with the colors and spectacular views of a building that is in a prime location. Their bedding was plush and the mattress was comfortable. Large separate shower, large tub, long bathroom counter (very important for couples as we all know since women always unpack everything onto it) made this room perfect.
At night you want to be in downtown, nuff said. There are so many clubs and hotspots in downtown Houston, the Hotel Icon is in the perfect place to take advantage of all of it. Right on Main Street, you can hop on the rail or just do what we did and walk down the street holding hand soaking it all in.
I'm an avid cyclist, I usually ride 20+ miles a day if I can, so even on vacation for me riding is important. Their exercise facilities were excellent. State of the art machines, nicely air conditioned, and locker rooms with showers. For those like my wife, a spa, by appointment. Relaxation and recreation is something they definitely have.
As our time was nearing an end, we reflected on everything, our lives, our future, the kids, family and friends. We also thought about our wedding, the reception was in a nice venue, but the staff was terrible. If we had our wedding here, it would have taken so much of the time and hassle out of the experience. From my experience the staff would make sure of it. It would have been elegant, maybe one day, for my daughter.
Our last farewell present was the breakfast at the Line & Lariat. Once again, unbelievably friendly and helpful staff. Great food, and an ambiance you don't get anywhere else. They have daily specials for dinner and the bar so always be sure to check those out even if you don't stay at the hotel it's a great place to come to eat. Best breakfast I've ever had before setting out on a 24 hour road trip back home.
As we left Hotel Icon Houston and the city itself both of us felt we got just what we needed from this trip. We had become closer, remembered what it was like to be young, carefree, and more importantly in love.
For all those out there who were like us, remember, this is a great place with great people to start your own journey together.
