Here's a look at new Houston eateries, drinking spots, hotels, conference areas, private rooms, and other spaces to open for events this summer. The new and renovated Houston venues are available for corporate parties, weddings, fund-raisers, outdoor functions, business dinners, teambuilding activities, conferences, meetings, and more.
Four Seasons Hotel Houston completed its multimillion dollar renovation in January. New additions to the hotel include a bourbon bar lobby concept Bayou & Bottle, a Topgolf-branded simulator called the Topgolf Swing Suite, and Buttonhook, a men's boutique from Maris Collective. Design boutique Meyer Davis led the redesign of the property's exterior and lobby area, adding natural light from the three floors above the ground floor. The 468-room hotel offers 16,500 square feet of renovated meeting and event space, with 12 rooms on the second and third floors. The 4,816-square-foot Four Seasons Ballroom, which is the largest event space, seats as many as 475 theater-style.
Designed to be a neighborhood hangout, FM Kitchen and Bar opened in the Washington-Shepherd corridor in May. The restaurant, helmed by chef Ryan Hildebrand, offers American fare made with local ingredients. The venue, which features graffiti from street artist Daniel Anguilu, has a 2,560-square-foot interior and a 6,000-square-foot outdoor patio. The space is available for private events, accommodating as many as 250 reception-style.
160ft Beerworks, a nanobrewery that specializes in small-batch craft beer, opened in East End in April. Run by founder and C.E.O. Michael Olenick, the venue offers beer brewed in-house and has four beers on tap at a time. The 2,000-square-foot space can seat as many as 35 and is available for private events.
Residence Inn Houston Tomball opened in February. The four-floor hotel has 103 suites, offers free breakfast, and welcomes small pets. For meetings, the hotel has a 650-square-foot meeting room that seats as many as 40 theater-style and holds 32 for receptions.
Hiatus Spa and Retreat opened its fifth Texas location in Houston in May. The day spa, designed by Karen Kopicki of Kopicki Design, features original artwork by local artist Jan Heaton. The 5,100-square-foot space has 14 treatment rooms and a "nail therapy lounge" with four zero-gravity chairs. The venue can be rented for spa parties for as many as 40 guests reception-style, accommodating 18 services at once.
Star Fish, one of the newest restaurants from Cherry Pie Hospitality, opened in Houston Heights in April. The seafood eatery offers a menu helmed by executive chef Armando Ramirez, with dishes including a locally inspired Texas shrimp roll and a raw bar with a variety of platters. Designed by Lee Ellis and the Austin-based Design Hound, the restaurant features white-tile walls, dark banquettes, and nautical-inspired artwork. For meetings and events, the venue has a private room that seats 14.
Jon Deal and Todd Johnson, the owners of local spot Beaver’s Ice House, debuted Beaver’s Houston—Westheimer in January. Located in the former Texadelphia space, the American restaurant and microbrewery is more than three times the size of the first location and serves fare focused on Gulf seafood and barbecue. Designed to resemble a hunting lodge, the venue has a variety of spaces, including an adults-only whiskey bar called the Beaver Den, a special events space called the Barn, and a courtyard patio that includes a fire pit. The venue can hold as many as 260 guests reception-style.Â
Staybridge Suites Houston—Medical Center opened in April. The five-floor hotel, located just west of N.R.G. Stadium, has 120 guest suites with kitchens and flexible work spaces. For meetings, the hotel offers an onsite meeting professional and a 700-square-foot meeting room that seats as many as 40 theater-style. The meeting room offers free Wi-Fi and a variety of audiovisual equipment, including an LCD projector and television.
Courtyard Houston Sugar Land/Lake Pointe is slated to open in August. Located 20 miles from downtown Houston, the five-floor hotel has 127 guest rooms and eight suites. A complimentary shuttle to shopping complex Sugar Land Town Square and Smart Financial Centre, a performance venue, is available. The hotel has a 1,305-square-foot event space that holds as many as 75 for receptions and seats 60 for banquets.
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Houston East—Beltway 8 opened in March. Located 20 minutes from George Bush Intercontinental Airport, the four-floor hotel has 96 rooms and amenities that include free breakfast and Wi-Fi. The hotel’s 346-square-foot meeting room, which has a flip chart and a LCD projector, seats 30 classroom-style and 40 theater-style. An onsite meeting professional also is available.
