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Proposed W Hotel In Uptown


W Hotel  

147 members have voted

  1. 1. What Development will Land the "W" in Houston?

    • BLVD Place
      48
    • Westcreek - Whatever it's called
      15
    • Highland Village
      17
    • Somewhere else
      31
    • Don't kid yourself. Houston can't support a "W"
      20
    • Downtown (Even though it would be financial suicide
      30


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That is hilarious! I'm sorry it just sounds so bizarre. "looking for some lonely out of town guests".

Sounds just like scene out of "Looking for Mr Goodbar" or "Barfly". I can just see a Mrs Robinson type hanging out with a cig in her mouth, dry martini in hand. "Benjamin, I'm only trying to seduce you". Sharon Stone in "Basic Instinct" joins in too.

Now that everyone knows the Black Swan will get more popular now!

It is a little bizarre. But it's well known as that kind of place. I'm not sure Jerry Hall is cozyed up to the bar, but the Mrs. Robinson profile actually fits the type I was referring to.

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the market street hotel and the waterway square hotel are two different developments. i had not heard the name "avia" yet, but it has been mentioned that an announcement would come about this year.

did you read the article about increased hotel occupancy in the woodlands? i can't find it.

i've found part of the article. the entire article is no longer available at chron.com.

May 24, 2007, 9:57AM

Hotel business strong in Town Center area

Local facilities stay booked up with mix of travel and conventions

By BETH KUHLES

Chronicle Correspondent

The hotel business is booming in The Woodlands, and it is getting harder and harder to find a room for visitors during weekdays. From the full-service to smaller, limited-service offerings, rooms are filling up.

"It's hard to find a room here, you often can't stay here," said Oak Ridge North Mayor Fred O'Connor, a member of the Town Center Improvement District board. "We had people come in and we had to put them up in Conroe."

While many think of the mega-sized space in The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center or The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center as the big winners in the community, it is actually the smaller hotels ringing Town Center that are leading the growth this year.

"Clearly, The Woodlands Town Center is becoming a regional destination for corporate meetings, conventions and leisure travel," said Frank W. Robinson, president of Town Center Improvement District.

"The strong corporate economy, coupled with the emergence of the destination appeal, have made The Woodlands Town Center an attraction for overnight visits. The full-service hotels meet the demands of certain segments of business and Town Center is fortunate to have upscale limited-service properties that attract leisure and business visits as well as corporate and convention groups."

Between January and April, hotel taxes collected in Town Center grew 14.7 percent over the same period in 2006. The biggest increases were seen in smaller, limited-service hotels, which have been able to raise rates because of the demand.

.........

Room for more

Another element that may be leading to the overall success in Town Center is cooperation among the hotels. Instead of undercutting prices, the hotels are providing overflow for major conventions or groups that come to the area.

At least two more hotels are in the pipeline for Town Center. Market Street is negotiating for a 70-room boutique hotel, which it hopes to announce by the end of the year, said Harold Dull, general manager of the shopping and office district.

A 10-story hotel with 150 to 200 rooms was on the drawing boards by The Woodlands Development Co. near Waterway Square.

it is the 10 story hotel that was rumored to be a "w".

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It is a little bizarre. But it's well known as that kind of place. I'm not sure Jerry Hall is cozyed up to the bar, but the Mrs. Robinson profile actually fits the type I was referring to.

The Black Swan is a great place. They never checked ID and if they did, slip em a $20 and that would be the end of that.

I personally think the W is a great chain. I have do not think it is as trendy as it used to be, many people now see it as another great chain. I think of trendy as being The Mondrian in LA or The Hudson or Gavensport in NYC. Out of those 3, I was a little dissapointed in The Mondrian. Too loud, dark hallways, and slow bar service at the pool.

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i've found part of the article. the entire article is no longer available at chron.com.

it is the 10 story hotel that was rumored to be a "w".

That staement is incorrect. That is not a W Hotel. As I stated before, the W hotel is already in the works and the land is being aquired as we speak, and the land is not inthe woodlands. Due to a confidentiality clause that is all that can be said by those involved.

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That staement is incorrect. That is not a W Hotel. As I stated before, the W hotel is already in the works and the land is being aquired as we speak, and the land is not inthe woodlands. Due to a confidentiality clause that is all that can be said by those involved.

yes, rumors are frequently wrong. thanks for the input. now, if i said there was a rumor that a "w" hotel was going in at blvd. place, how would you respond? ;)

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lol at all the comments about the ladies of the night. This is no lie - I was awoken at 2am one night in my hotel room at the W in Dallas by a prostitute at my door. She was looking for "Jim" - which is not my name. I told her that she had the wrong room, and I shut the door. She then called who I assumed to be her pimp, and from the ensuing conversation I found out that she went to the wrong hotel - she was looking for my room number, but she was supposed to be at the Westin, not the W. Hilarious. Had she been better looking, maybe she would have gotten an invite inside my room....lol... The best hotels for sloots are Mandalay Bay in Vegas (check out the "Island Bar" around 3am...) and the W in Atlanta just north of the Perimeter. Teeming with 'em

In terms of Houston's W, I think it would do exceptionally well downtown. Downtown Houston has a huge, gaping hole in that it doesn't have a Starwood property. As I've said before, business people care about this stuff due to the points program they have. I'd put the hotel right near the new Discovery Green park, and the hotel would be full every night, with the Hilton taking a blow.

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Speaking of downtown, I was wondering why 'downtown' wasn't an option on the poll. Those with inside info must think it's out of the running, too bad.

The hotels downtown are really struggling right now. All of downtown is. The Icon is in deep trouble. They sold the Whiskey and Bank sucks. I spoke to a former manager from there last night as a matter of fact. I hear Morton's is in trouble too. They're stupid for opening down there anyway, and even more stupid for not opening for lunch. They're way down at McKinney, away from everything. Not smart. W would do much better in the Galleria.

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The hotels downtown are really struggling right now. All of downtown is. The Icon is in deep trouble. They sold the Whiskey and Bank sucks. I spoke to a former manager from there last night as a matter of fact. I hear Morton's is in trouble too. They're stupid for opening down there anyway, and even more stupid for not opening for lunch. They're way down at McKinney, away from everything. Not smart. W would do much better in the Galleria.

Just wait until the next raquetball tournament...

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Funny thing is, PKF Consulting stated that 2006 was one of the best year's in HISTORY for Houston hotels. Occupancy was up across the board and room rates and RevPar were higher than ever.

PKF is also forecasting that the Houston area will see occupancy levels of around 71% in 2007 and that from Jan 06 to Jan 07, Houston area hotels brought in on average over $100 per room for the first time EVER in a full year's time. 71% occupancy is around 4-5% higher than the national average.

PKF also has access to future bookings through large conventions and they state from those facts that the future looks even brighter down the road.

Additionally, when you look at the occupancy levels for 2006 (69.7%) compared to 2003 (60.8%) and then revenue per room ($69.51 in 2006 and $50.07 in 2002) and then factor in how many more rooms there are now compared to then, you'd be rather foolish to think Houston hotels are hurting. That doesn't meant that some individual hotels aren't suffering, but across the board, the hotel market in Houston is quite vibrant.

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Funny thing is, PKF Consulting stated that 2006 was one of the best year's in HISTORY for Houston hotels. Occupancy was up across the board and room rates and RevPar were higher than ever.

PKF is also forecasting that the Houston area will see occupancy levels of around 71% in 2007 and that from Jan 06 to Jan 07, Houston area hotels brought in on average over $100 per room for the first time EVER in a full year's time. 71% occupancy is around 4-5% higher than the national average.

PKF also has access to future bookings through large conventions and they state from those facts that the future looks even brighter down the road.

Additionally, when you look at the occupancy levels for 2006 (69.7%) compared to 2003 (60.8%) and then revenue per room ($69.51 in 2006 and $50.07 in 2002) and then factor in how many more rooms there are now compared to then, you'd be rather foolish to think Houston hotels are hurting. That doesn't meant that some individual hotels aren't suffering, but across the board, the hotel market in Houston is quite vibrant.

I agree. But I can guarantee you the Magnolia, the Icon, and the Lancaster aren't seeing those numbers.

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Evidence? Source?

I'm in the industry for one. I have a friend who is the catering director at the Lancaster. My other friend recently left his position as a manager at the Icon because he said its falling apart. Its empty and the managment is screwed up and now Whiskey is gone. Go check it out, there's no one there. I also know a girl who does marketing for the Alden, who also says numbers are down. I am on a committee of a networking group and all of these hotels are dieing to work with us for business. My friend came in town and stayed at the Magnolia last week in fact and it was also very quiet. They were already in trouble from the start from what I hear, that's why it took so long to open. The only thing at capacity and is doing well downtown is office building space. It's unfortunate. Hopefully they can wait it out like many of the establishments tried to do when they started tearing up the roads, street by street, starting with the rail on Main. So many places have closed and lots of the buildings down Main have For Lease signs on them. It was kind of eerie (sp?) when I walked down Main a few weeks ago. The old days were fun.

The Hilton and the 4 Seasons are obviously large chains with meeting space, etc, so naturally they are in a better position.

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I'm in the industry for one. I have a friend who is the catering director at the Lancaster. My other friend recently left his position as a manager at the Icon because he said its falling apart.

Yes, but aside from that.... :lol:

I agree completely with the above. A slight bit back on topic, any W Hotel (and the numbers are only more severe if you discuss Ritz, Mandarin, etc..., must get $300+ in ADR to keep its head above water. No hotel, that is 0/none/zip, in Houston currently gets that on a yearly ADR.

Generally the highest in the city has been the Houstonian and it is only mid $200's....

That is why the condos are so important to the equation....

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I'm in the industry for one. I have a friend who is the catering director at the Lancaster. My other friend recently left his position as a manager at the Icon because he said its falling apart. Its empty and the managment is screwed up and now Whiskey is gone. Go check it out, there's no one there. I also know a girl who does marketing for the Alden, who also says numbers are down. I am on a committee of a networking group and all of these hotels are dieing to work with us for business. My friend came in town and stayed at the Magnolia last week in fact and it was also very quiet. They were already in trouble from the start from what I hear, that's why it took so long to open. The only thing at capacity and is doing well downtown is office building space. It's unfortunate. Hopefully they can wait it out like many of the establishments tried to do when they started tearing up the roads, street by street, starting with the rail on Main. So many places have closed and lots of the buildings down Main have For Lease signs on them. It was kind of eerie (sp?) when I walked down Main a few weeks ago. The old days were fun.

The Hilton and the 4 Seasons are obviously large chains with meeting space, etc, so naturally they are in a better position.

The Doubletree in the Allen Center seems to do just fine. I have a business partner in Dallas, and he can never get a room there when he comes in town.

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The Doubletree in the Allen Center seems to do just fine. I have a business partner in Dallas, and he can never get a room there when he comes in town.

Right. Sorry, I didn't include that and the Marriott Crowne and Hyatt. Like I said, the chains do fine. Those are also not as high end as the ones I mentioned earlier. Good point in stating that you're business partner comes here for meetings and stays at the Double Tree. Kind of goes to show that the business clientele are staying in the chains such as this and the Hilton, etc. The boutique hotels struggle downtown.

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I'm in the industry for one. I have a friend who is the catering director at the Lancaster. My other friend recently left his position as a manager at the Icon because he said its falling apart. Its empty and the managment is screwed up and now Whiskey is gone. Go check it out, there's no one there. I also know a girl who does marketing for the Alden, who also says numbers are down. I am on a committee of a networking group and all of these hotels are dieing to work with us for business. My friend came in town and stayed at the Magnolia last week in fact and it was also very quiet. They were already in trouble from the start from what I hear, that's why it took so long to open. The only thing at capacity and is doing well downtown is office building space. It's unfortunate. Hopefully they can wait it out like many of the establishments tried to do when they started tearing up the roads, street by street, starting with the rail on Main. So many places have closed and lots of the buildings down Main have For Lease signs on them. It was kind of eerie (sp?) when I walked down Main a few weeks ago. The old days were fun.

The Hilton and the 4 Seasons are obviously large chains with meeting space, etc, so naturally they are in a better position.

Gosh, for some reason I thought you worked for an architecture firm. In any event, the anecdotes you've provided are interesting, but less then compelling. A quick attempt to book rooms during the business week suggests that things aren't quite as gloomy for these establishments as you are portraying (including finding a few weeks where no rooms are available at certain hotels.)

From what I have seen, it does appear numbers are done from last year, but at least part of last year had an unnatural bump from Katrina/Rita evacuees. Further, I believe it's safe to say summer is always among the slower times of year.

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Yes, but aside from that.... :lol:

I agree completely with the above. A slight bit back on topic, any W Hotel (and the numbers are only more severe if you discuss Ritz, Mandarin, etc..., must get $300+ in ADR to keep its head above water. No hotel, that is 0/none/zip, in Houston currently gets that on a yearly ADR.

Generally the highest in the city has been the Houstonian and it is only mid $200's....

That is why the condos are so important to the equation....

I think it's fair to point out that, according to you, a good number of the downtown hotels were supposed to have gone under by now. But, amazingly, not a one has closed.

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The W in New Orleans is great with pets. I took my dog with my once and they walked her twice a day.

She even ate a chair leg, and besides not returing my 100 dollar pet deposit, they said "no problem"

The Woodlands is actually getting a new luxury concept hotel called Avia. Check out www.aviahotels.com. This is a new concept boutique hotel opening in Napa Valley, CA Savannah, GA and Long Beach, CA. I work in Corporate Sales for a downtown Houston hotel, trust me Houston can support a W Hotel and then some.

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Gosh, for some reason I thought you worked for an architecture firm. In any event, the anecdotes you've provided are interesting, but less then compelling. A quick attempt to book rooms during the business week suggests that things aren't quite as gloomy for these establishments as you are portraying (including finding a few weeks where no rooms are available at certain hotels.)

From what I have seen, it does appear numbers are done from last year, but at least part of last year had an unnatural bump from Katrina/Rita evacuees. Further, I believe it's safe to say summer is always among the slower times of year.

I do work for an architecture firm and also in the hospitality industry. I do several other things and I consider myself abreast of what's going on in Houston. Certain events and conventions sell out the boutiques once the other guys are booked. My point is, downtown is depressed right now as far as hospitality goes and it's obvious. Not day time business; like I said office space is at capacity and at a premiuim according to the HBJ. As a result, several new buildings are under way or awaiting construction to begin. Hopefully the Pavillions will help change things and make downtown more of a destination for travelers, leisure, shopping etc.

I also agree with Paulanthony that Houston can support a W, just not downtown. Galleria area would be the better choice.

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