cheap motel on light rail?

I%26#39;m planning a trip to Houston on government business. My employer won%26#39;t pay more than $95/night and won%26#39;t pay for a car, so basically I%26#39;m looking for help figuring out which of the cheap chain properties in the TMC/Astrodome/Reliant area are closest to the Fannin light rail line. I know the area somewhat, but moved away before light rail came to town. Thanks for any tips you can offer!

cheap motel on light rail?

cheap hotels in the reliant area are much less than desirable. Try somewhere in the Med Center.

cheap motel on light rail?

texas7, thanks, i know what the contrast between the neighborhoods and properties is like, but my maximum is $95/night.

You might take a look at some of the previous Houston posts where people are looking for reasonable but decent and safe lodging near the med center. There have been some very affordable suggestions made on those reviews. I can%26#39;t think of the names or locations but some of those posts were quite specific.

You might be able to find a room in a nicer area for that price. There is both a Marriott Residence Inn and Courtyard downtown about a block from the rail line. There is a Crowne Plaza downtown about five blocks from the rail. My employer has a contract with them for visiting people at a rate of $85 per night. Your $95 is higher than the current State of Texas government rate so I would ask all of those place about their government rates. The Magnolia downtown often has specials so you can try them as well. If you move towards the Medical Center you can try the Holiday Inn and the Marriott. Whatever you do, do not stay near Reliant. It is definitely not safe at night. Many of the smaller hotels there are nothing but fronts for prostitution.

thanks, houston1836! will check those out.

Westin Park Central

Traveling to Dallas in early November on business. I will be staying at the Westin Park Central for three nights. Does anyone have any suggestions on places to eat or things to do during the evening hours that are in the area. Also, what is the weather typically like in early November.

Thanks for your help.

Westin Park Central

I stay in this hotel when I am in Dallas on business as well. The hotel is perfectly adequate, but there isn%26#39;t much in the surrounding area of interest. You%26#39;ll probably need to drive down to Uptown Village, the Knox/Henderson area, or Deep Ellum to find some interesting restaurants, shopping and nightlife. What sorts of things do you like to do? Dallas has just about everything if you know where to look.

I would recommend sampling some of the the local tex-mex. Dallas does tex-mex better than anywhere else. Mi Cocina is one restaurant that comes to mind. There are multiple locations around the metropolitan area.

The weather in early November should be very nice. I would guess average highs that time of year are in the upper 60%26#39;s or low 70%26#39;s. It will likely be sunny as well.

Westin Park Central

I agree that you should try MiCocina. I absolutely love the food and the atmosphere. You can%26#39;t go wrong. Be sure to order a MaboTaxi beverage!!

lip gloss

Romantic night in Waco

What is something romantic to do in waco for dinner and for the night? maybe a park or something like that.

Romantic night in Waco

Well, I guess you didn%26#39;t like the suggestions I had in your first thread. :-)

Can you give more information about yourself and what you%26#39;re wanting? College student/ retiree? First date/ Pop the question/ wedding anniversary? Everyone has different ideas of ';romantic';, what%26#39;s yours? Some like jacuzzis, others like a blanket under the stars. Champagne or beer or no alcohol? What%26#39;s your budget? When you say ';night'; do you mean ';overnight'; or just ';after dinner';? Do you live in Waco or are you just coming in for a particular evening?

There used to be horse drawn carriage rides from the Hilton, but they don%26#39;t do those anymore. Cameron Park is nice, and you could have a picnic there. I wouldn%26#39;t feel all that comfortable there after dark, but that may just be me. I think the Suspension Bridge is nice, and it%26#39;s close to bars and restaurants.

What time of year?

web development

River Parade & Lighting Ceremony

We will be in San Antonio for Thanksgiving. Staying at the Marriott but will most likely not have a room with a balcony. I guess I should buy tickets for the river parade (?) I like the idea of reserved seating for something like this, since it sounds like there are going to be a lot of folks there. Anyone have suggestions regarding where to try to sit?

River Parade %26amp; Lighting Ceremony

I can%26#39;t recommend a seating location, but I would not wait too long to purchase your tickets. Call 210-227-4262 for tickets and ask them for a recommendation. They might be able to assist you in finding a good location.

River Parade %26amp; Lighting Ceremony

I%26#39;ve always liked somewhere along the river extension, particularly around the split directly in front of the Riverwalk Marriott (between the entrance to Rivercenter Mall and the Turning Basin at the Convention Center). If you get seats where the extension forks at this point, you%26#39;ll get to see each float three times (once when it comes up the extension and turns into Rivercenter, once when it returns and goes into the Convention Center turning Basin, and once when it returns from the basin and heads back down the extension). Anywhere else along the river extension will give you two chances to see each float. Anywhere else along the route and you only see the floats once as they pass by.

Also, the bathrooms (and food court) at Rivercenter are easily accessible from this point and there is ample parking available within a short walk if you get there early. Another plus for this location is that it lies fairly early in the route, so many of the upstream viewers will still be waiting for floats when the end of the parade passes you, meaning the traffic getting out will be a bit better for you.

Heed the previous post%26#39;s warning about getting tickets as soon as possible, the most desirable front row seats go really fast.

Hobby to Galleria

Hey guys...is there any other (cheaper) way to get from Hobby to the Galleria area hotels then a cab? I thought there might be a cheaper shuttle bus service.

Also, are there any places within walking distance of the Galleria that are worth seeing/eating at? I can only do food court stuff so long!

Hobby to Galleria

There are lots of restaurants around the Galleria area, other than fast food. You will be happy with what you find!

Hobby to Galleria

There are a couple of airport shuttle companies that drop you off at the Galleria. I can%26#39;t remember their names though, I think one is called Texas Super Shuttle or something like that. (Sorry...). Although I don%26#39;t think they%26#39;re much cheaper than getting a cab.

There are lots of things to see/do in the Galleria area. Lots of shops, restaurants, hang out places. You can also walk to the Williams fountain (used to be the Transco fountain). There is a food court inside the Galleria but why eat there when there are lots of other choices nearby.

Renting a car will be cheaper.

Can%26#39;t go wrong eating in the Galleria area, some of my favorites are

Piatto Ristorante(Post Oak @ Alabama)Contemporary Italian

Grande Lux Cafe (Post Oak @ Westheimer) Canyon Cafe

Kenny and Ziggy%26#39;s New York Deli , Kona Grill to name a few. I would steer clear of Morton%26#39;s Steakhouse sorta pricey and food just so so . Hope this helps. Call your hotel maybe they can suggest or have a shuttle.

Hotels near U of Houston?

I might be going to Houston for the UCF @ UH FB game on Oct. 28. I%26#39;ve never been to Houston before-- What is the best area for hotels that would be convenient to get to and from the game?

Looking at a map, it looks like UH is pretty cloe to downtown? How far is the Medical Center area or Galleria district from the school?

I would be flying on Southwest so I would be coming in at Hobby. Thanks.

Hotels near U of Houston?

Are you going to have a car?

There%26#39;s one hotel on campus which is run by the Hotel Management students. It%26#39;s extremely nice, but also extremely expensive.

The area around UH is pretty awful. But football games aren%26#39;t really that popular in town, and UH has plenty of parking, so you should have no issue staying off campus.

Downtown is a good idea but relatively expensive and will probably not have free parking. The Galleria area would probably be your best bet if you don%26#39;t mind a slightly longer drive to campus (maybe another 5 minutes from Downtown on the freeway), although the rush hour traffic there is awful.

The Medical Center area is very nice as well. The neighborhood itself shuts down at night, but Rice Village is close (and safe) enough to walk to and is much more active. Make sure you check the map on any ';Medical Center'; hotels though as the area gets a little sketchy south of Braeswood (not really ';Medical Center'; but many hotels still say that). A lot of the nastier motels on South Main have been shut down and/or demolished over the past few years, but there are still a few.

Hotels near U of Houston?

I think there is a residence inn in WEst University that might be nice. What price range are you looking for?

We%26#39;ve had season tickets to the Uof H games for 20 yrs, my husband is a alum. U of H is in a rough part of town so don%26#39;t stay too close.

Actually Hobby airport is closer to campus than the Galleria and I know the Hobby Hilton Hotel is okay.You%26#39;ll save a little money by staying closer to Hobby than Galleria or Med center.Remember it%26#39;s a 2:30pm kickoff ..........GO COOGS.

4 day cruise in November

Anyone have advice about planning a cruise in November, short 4 day cruise on Carnival Ecstasy going to Cozumel and back. What kind of weather should we expect....and will we be able to go snorkeling or para-sailing? Thanks for your tips and advice

4 day cruise in November

Good news is that you should be outside of the window for hurricanes.

4 day cruise in November

Thanks, that helps. Sounds like the weather is around 80 year round. Any tips to prepare ourselves for the cruise....which I now believe will be 5 days. Thanks!

We have been on several cruises out of Galveston. Normally, the sail day out and back in is cool and cloudy. Once you get closer to Cozumel, its very warm and nice. On the last cruise, howver, the sail day in to port was warm and sunny for the first half of the day. Enjoy and try to get on as early as possible, we loved ea ship we were on!

OK, since it sounds like we won%26#39;t be in our room much, we%26#39;re leaning toward an interior room on the Riviera deck. I%26#39;d rather spend my money on excursions and shopping. Is this a good idea?

Thanks for your help.

I agree with using the savings for other things on the trip!

You may want to look at www.travelzoo.com for cruising specials, they also have last minute deals if you ever do a last minute getaway.

I have friends who took an interior room and wished they had gotten a windowed room. After their advice I got a windowed room and have to admit I did like knowing I could wake up in the a.m. and see out the window and know what the weather was like. Also it%26#39;s nice if you are in your cabin for a bit to be able to enjoy a view as the cabins are quite small

IF YOU GET TO COZUMEL, yes, you can go snorkeling and parasailing. I just returned from a cruise on the Ecstasy and were supposed to go to Cozumel (4 night cruise from Galveston). At check-in, the rep told us we weren%26#39;t going to Cozumel because the ship had a propulsion problem. That we were going to Progresso. I thought, where the heck is that? Oh man!! Progresso was bad. Nothing to do. The water was murky. Beach had lots of seaweed. It was sad! It would have been better to shop right after you get off the ship, then return to the ship and swim in the pool. Carnival gave each of us a nice $50 credit! That%26#39;s it! I am very dissatisfied with them. They could have at least given us the option of cruising at a later date when the ship was fixed and going to Cozumel or they could have offered maybe 75-80% of our money back. I wrote a letter, but haven%26#39;t heard from them. If you want a trip to remember, I would travel with Royal Caribbean!!!! I haven%26#39;t heard of them having problems with older ships like Carnival.

Carnival is cheap! If you want to have a cheap vacation, go far it! But if you don%26#39;t get to Cozumel, don%26#39;t be surprised!

You might want to check the reviews on cruise critic for this ship and this itinerary. I think Carnival has had many problems with these older ships. It may not be the cruise experience you are looking for. If you live near enough to drive to the port and get a really good deal on the cruise, and your expectations aren%26#39;t high then this cruise is ok. If this is your first cruise and want a good experience, you might want to rethink.

If it doesn%26#39;t cost too much more I would go with a window of some sort. I was really glad we got one and a couple of friend who each got windowless rooms both said that they loved their cruises but if they had it to do over again - they would get windows.

Have fun----should be a great time of the year to visit Mexico.