Guest Relations Manager
Hyatt Regency Houston
Houston, TX
What are your group restaurant recommendations?
With over 5,000 restaurants, groups can enjoy cuisine from around the world. Just a few blocks from our hotel is The Downtown Aquarium, an entertainment and dining complex that features a 500,000-gallon aquarium, a white tiger exhibit and a carnival midway. Other recommendations include Shula’s Steak House, where guests who finish the 48-ounce porterhouse become a member of Shula’s 48 oz. Club. Or, there is Post Oak Grill for New American cuisine and a great wine list.
What are your bar or nightclub recommendations?
There’s as much variety in our nightclub scene as our restaurant scene. Howl at the Moon features a “dueling pianos” entertainment concept; the Lounge Next Door at Ibiza offers an upscale atmosphere for martinis, champagne and wine; and The Treehouse (within walking distance from the Hyatt) is a roof-deck bar overlooking Discovery Green Park. There are also several wine bars to choose from, such as the Tasting Room, 13 Celsius or La Carafe.
Can you recommend a good place to take a stroll?
Located beneath downtown is a seven-mile network of underground tunnels. This air-conditioned system links offices and hotels to retail stores, restaurants, beauty salons, and a variety of other service-related businesses. There is direct access to the tunnel from the hotel’s lobby. Or, just four blocks away is Main Street, with water fountains, unique landscaping, shopping, dining, and public art.
Are there any unique places we should check out?
The Houston Heights is a historic community with antiques, unique restaurants, beautiful Victorian-style homes, and plenty of year-round events for visitors to experience. One of the city’s hidden gems is the Byzantine Fresco Chapel Museum, which houses two 13th century Byzantine frescoes—the only intact Byzantine frescoes in the Western Hemisphere. Or, visit the historic Glenwood Cemetery, the final resting place of Hollywood big-wig Howard Hughes.
What should we definitely check out nearby?
Discovery Green is Houston’s version of Central Park. This new 12-acre park offers a little bit of something for everyone. There’s a lake, children’s playground, fountains, public art, two dog runs, and a jogging trail. Visitors can play a variety of games such as bocce, shuffleboard, horseshoes, and chess, or a putting green. There are two restaurants at Discovery Green: The Grove and The Lake House.
A delegate has one hour to spend exploring the city. What would you suggest?
The Museum District, just a short ride on Houston’s MetroRail system, provides visitors with 17 museums to choose from, all within walking distance of one another. In addition to the Houston Museum of Natural Science and the Museum of Fine Arts, other facilities include the Holocaust Museum, the Houston Center for Photography and The Menil Collection, a privately assembled collection of over 15,000 paintings, sculptures, drawings, and books.
What’s a unique event that takes place at your property?
Hyatt Regency Houston is known for its annual New Year’s Eve Celebration, which typically takes up four floors of the hotel. There are live bands, drinks and lots of dancing. At midnight, over 50,000 balloons cascade down the center of the hotel’s 30-story atrium onto the crowds below. It’s the most exciting event in the city.
What has been an unusual request from a group?
Most recently, we hosted a group that scheduled a magic act for the closing reception. Unfortunately, the performer flew into town without his white rabbit. We had just a few hours to locate a pet store that had an all-white rabbit for his show. Luckily, we found one and the show went on without a hitch.