monarch

^^^ X-HOUSTON is aiming to become a phenomenal, remarkable, magnificent, state-of-the-art residential venue for houstonians.  this venue is not only going to be absolutely gorgeous, it's going to become a fun-filled residential venue for patrons that love life.  "X" marks the spot...

^^^ when it comes to vision, construction, and overall design, these people simply do not play games.  AMAZING!

1 minute ago, phillip_white said:

 

 

^^^ THANK U @phillip_white  somehow, i missed this illustration.  however, this monumental project just seems soooooo much more than the aforementioned sum.  WOW!

^^^ one can only just imagine, that the upper management of this BLOSSOM HOTEL development must be constantly LICKING THEIR RESPECTIVE CHOPS... at their genius move of constructing their hotel at this particular site.  pretty soon, this place is going to become a bonafide/certified gold mine... 

^^^ does anyone harbor any information regarding the overall budget for this entire stunning project?  (i do not recall referencing any cost details thus far) this looks like something that should be bordering on or about ($650mm+)  upon referencing the entire scope and scale of this extraordinary development, this has to be MAJOR expensive.  sooooo very happy that we have it here in H-TOWN...

^^^ uuuuuhhm, @hindesky my cool pal, i think that construction is hereby completed here.  however, i thank you for your undying faith and for keeping hope alive... 😉😉😉

^^^ mighty congratulations to all of the HAIF UH COUGARS upon this remarkable forum!  may your journey into the BIG XII CONFERENCE be filled with joy... love... happiness... and as many victories as you can fathom.  although, this will be our last season (TEXAS LONGHORNS) within the BIG XII, as we confidently approach the magnificent SEC CONFERENCE (2024) we shall undoubtedly harbor many many many glorious memories.  therefore, WE SALUTE YOU.  have big fun...  

^^^ my gosh, those tower terrace/roof trees seem to be really blooming up there...

^^^ what an absolutely gorgeous/stately/professional structure.  we are so proud.  mooooooooo... HOOK'EM!

5 hours ago, mattyt36 said:

^^there is NO ONE more disappointed than I that @monarch has not written an ode to the tacochickenhut as an underappreciated gem of luxury while somehow weaving in the LONGHORNS, W HOTELS, dubai, U.A.E., and DeBarge.

you SIR, pal, my friend are the ONLY one that can do it.

^^YOUR TIME HAS COME!!!!!!!!!!!

@mattyt36 dude, my pal, my lad... IT'S YOUR TIME.  please do not forget to drop the mike...

19 hours ago, mattyt36 said:

@monarch, buddy, there is no contradiction whatsoever between these two points:

1. Another convention center hotel is good, whatever the brand is.  W, Loews, St Regis, Ritz Carlton, Fairmont, whatevs.

2. I, for one, and others in this thread have said that we don't feel the same way about the W brand as you (i.e., as if it is commensurate with the second coming of Christ).  It is my OPINION, just like you have your OPINION.

It's like saying, "Yeah, I think it's great that Houston has a women's soccer team, even when I don't pay them much attention."

This will be a fully private development, just like the Marquis (but unlike the Hilton Americas).  I guess HoustonFirst can specify certain minimum standards as to numbers of room, height (don't collapse the building!), amenities (read: "must have a full service restaurant"), but I highly doubt that's going to affect the quality of the development as they're not paying for it.  Marriott brand standards will likely have a much larger impact.  Nothing is stopping them from breaking ground tomorrow, and this State bill does nothing to advance the project as far as I can see.  The fact that it is not featured on the Horizon website is telling.

^^^ @mattyt36 dude, my buddy, my pal... please give this MAGNIFICENT song... "TIME WILL REVEAL" a try.  DeBarge is a wonderful/talented group with beautiful and inspiring music.  just venture forth into YOUTUBE, turn it on, and lose yourself into the sumptuous sounds of love, life, and vitality...

i mean, i just do not know what else to say.  THE GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP just had a rebranding and is now called... HOUSTON FIRST.  maybe, the HORIZON CO., is awaiting for HOUSTON FIRST to get their collective house in order... before moving forward with their prospective W enterprise?  astros owner JIM CRANE has hereby stated that "the newest forthcoming development shall include a FOUR STAR HOTEL BRAND".  (maybe jim has snagged the W brand for himself since he is a supposed billionaire and he can basically construct whatever he so chooses.  along, with the fact that the W HOTEL brand very often includes RESIDENCES within their developments and jim crane would certainly harbor the room to include this very lucrative addition)  maybe, the W HOTEL BRAND shall be included within the TMC-HELIX PARK development... and two hotels exhibiting the same luxury brand in such close proximity is not at all feasible.

WHO KNOWS?  however, all that i do know is that... TIME WILL REVEAL 🎵🎵🎵

20 minutes ago, HOUCAJUN said:

I agree but this person you're replying to always seems to be very condescending. There must be a shortage of Seroquel... btw,  do you think the W or the hotel Jim Crane has proposed ground breaks first?

^^^ if we were hereby allowed more pertinent information regarding the crane development, i would be a bit more forthcoming regarding my personal thoughts/opinions.  however, since the crane development is very often shrouded in secrecy and behind the scenes negotiations etc.., i simply do not harbor any form of related information.   i guess that i am performing any and all, to be patient, all the while praying that this forthcoming development shall hit it out of the ballpark... (no pun intended)

nonetheless, i'm under the mindset that the W HOTEL development is a bit more prepared and ready to go at this all important point.  i'm just more than ready to reference their most current concepts/renderings moving forward.  we shall see...  

4 hours ago, mattyt36 said:

Hey, don't get me wrong, I'm all for another convention hotel of any label.

What I don't get is this fetish with W Hotels as if it is the end all, be all.  Whatever cachet it had 10-15 years ago is gone as far as I can tell, which is to be expected with anything that is "over-designed" from day 1.  Tastes change and brands need to be refreshed.  I can't see that such has happened with the W chain--you step into some W lobbies these days and they look totally cheap and almost comical.  Maybe it's just a U.S. thing, and the foreign locations are "keeping up."

This ownership group doesn't really give off a "leading edge" vibe either:

Home | Horizon (hgiusa.com)

As far as I can see, they run two hotels, namely the Hyatt Place downtown and the Hilton Garden Inn Pearland!  "Our time has come?!"  Yeah, I just don't see a flagship Dubai-like property here.  Hip by Hyatt Place and Pearland standards, sure.

^^^ dude, why on earth are you constantly contradicting yourself?  (do you harbor some strange "fetish" of being the naysayer?)  now, you are hereby stating "i'm all for another convention hotel of any label".  really?  well, what if it's a ritz carlton brand... a st. regis brand... a hotel kempinski brand... a fairmont hotel brand... a loews hotel brand?  none of these aforementioned brands are BRAND NEW TOTALLY HYBRID BRANDS/CONCEPTS... right?  therefore, whatever brand is going to be constructed per se, it is going to be a modern/contemporary and state-of-the-art brand that we are all aware of.  (just like the W HOTEL brand)  

as i have stated in a prior post, "maybe, you can take your argument to HOUSTON FIRST".  it's not about harboring a "fetish" for a W brand, it's about keeping up with all of the other selected cities throughout this country that now already have this brand, or getting ready to construct this W brand (san antonio, tx).  personally, i have visited/resided at many many W HOTEL brands throughout the world, and they have all been extremely qualitative, elegant, vibrant, cool, state-of-the-art properties.  I WOULD LOVE TO SEE ONE CONSTRUCTED IN DOWNTOWN HOUSTON. 

however, since it is being planned to be constructed on top of the HOUSTON FIRST TOWER, i am most certain that HOUSTON FIRST shall have a big say in it's overall design... right?  just as they did with the MARRIOTT MARQUIS and the convention related HILTON AMERICAS.  they shall need/require for the hotel to be one of the best and successful in downtown houston to hereby market it as a convention center property to out of state guest.  i highly doubt that this new convention center brand shall resemble anything constructed in "pearland, tx".  

i think that i shall stand with the convention professionals at HOUSTON FIRST...

23 minutes ago, mattyt36 said:

Our Time . . . 15 years ago.

W Hotels are not what they were.  But whatever floats your boat.  I suppose the 1990s are on the verge of becoming hip again.

^^^ maybe, you can direct your argument to ^^^^^.  (it's not about me personally)  it's certainly not my fault that houston has had to wait basically a complete decade to finally land a W HOTEL.  however, i'm just very happy that they finally have.  at the very least... it's something... right?  the very first MARRIOTT MARQUIS hotel was hereby constructed in circa (1985 - atlanta)... decades ago... right?  however, when the MARRIOTT MARQUIS was constructed in downtown houston circa (2016)... it was, and still is one of the most popular and successful hotel brands located downtown houston.  therefore, i am most certain that no-matter the age of the W HOTEL brand per se, this newest downtown houston W... will be just as popular and successful as any throughout the united states of america.  IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME...  

^^^ my goodness, what an AMAZING amount of cranes performing their duties throughout downtown austin, tx.  I JUST LOVE ME SOME AUSTIN, TX.  HOOK'EM!

2 hours ago, 004n063 said:

Gonna throw out a possibly unpopular opinion, but here goes:

Non-native palm trees are dumb, and going out of your way to plant more shadeless trees is a telltale sign of landscape architects who have zero intention of using the space they're window-dressing.

^^^ uhhmm , dude, i'm not at all sure of what is going on in your world, but after fighting the HEAVY/HORRIFIC/CHAOTIC traffic on lower westheimer... driving up to the BEAUTIFUL/STATELY/GRACEFUL/ELEGANT palm trees located at highland village... ALWAYS presents me with an instant calming effect.  i absolutely LOVE the way that they look... standing so very TALL/MAJESTIC/STATELY.  imo, they make the entire area around them seem so very posh and elegant.  heck, i wish we had even MORE OF THEM...

^^^ my goodness, looks as though the GRAFFITI ARTIST are having a field day with this development...

^^^ upon referencing the aforementioned illustration, this development looks like something designed for the early eighties.  surely, they will re-approach this design... right?  i just cannot see this aging very well... my goodness.

 ^^^ as i have stated beforehand, this is going to be a BIG MAGNIFICENT development.  WOW!

^^^ such an AMAZING development...

^^^ @hindesky superb illustrations!

^^^ this particular development is going to become a POWERHOUSE.  X always marks the spot...

40 minutes ago, 004n063 said:

Does anyone know if that final lot on the upper right will be part of this project?

Also, any sense of what kind of treatment the street crossings will get? Would be awesome to have crossing tables at a continuous grade that asserted pedestrian priority.

Anyways, great photos, CL!

^^^ one would assume that the lot in question, shall be the forthcoming hotel and condo development...