Thompson Houston Review: A Modern Urban Sanctuary With Personalized Texan Hospitality
Thompson Houston is a 36-story urban sanctuary in Houston’s scenic Buffalo Bayou Park. Courtesy of Thompson Houston
Houston is a sprawling city but a stay at the conveniently located Thompson Houston is a fantastic launching pad for all things Houston.
The hotel is a peaceful oasis with a gorgeous spa with easy access to food, art, music, and the NRG Stadium that’ll host the FIFA World Cup in the Summer of 2026.
From the rooftop restaurant, pool, spa, and many of the rooms in the hotel, guests can see magnificent skyline views of Houston’s skyscrapers.
The hotel’s infinity-edge rooftop swimming pool offers sweeping views of the downtown Houston skyline. Courtesy of Thompson Houston
A Hyatt property, the Thompson Houston is a modern hotel with mid-century accents, art sculptures, and 172 boutique rooms.
The hotel has valet parking with elevators that take you to the seventh-floor lobby.
The hotel’s check-in desk is located in the seventh-floor lobby and looks out onto views of Houston’s skyline. Courtesy of Thompson Houston
You start your escape by landing at a welcoming check-in area.
On one side is an expansive lobby lounge area that looks straight out of a midcentury living room, and on the other side is a rooftop restaurant, Sol 7, that opens up to the rooftop pool with views of Houston’s skyline.
On the ground floor is Chardon, a French bistro, if you’re looking for more refined dining.
On one side of the hotel reception is a midcentury-inspired lobby lounge. Courtesy of Thompson Houston
In-room dining is one way to relax. If it’s an option, I love to incorporate room service with our stays because I don’t eat breakfast in bed at home where crumbs mean more laundry.
The menu didn’t disappoint. In addition to healthy options like yogurt with granola and avocado toast, I could try Southern favorites like shrimp on grits and short ribs. We also tried a charcuterie board with cheeses, prosciuttos, and fruit on a Texas-shaped board.
We arrived to our room and looked out to views of the city through floor-to-ceiling windows. The room was cozy with plush bedding, bathrobes, and a closet with tinted windows where we could stow our luggage.
Rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows that showcase city views. Pictured: Panoramic Suite. Courtesy of Thompson Houston
The Thompson Spa is divine. When I checked in at the spa, I saw greenery below the skyscrapers, reminding me that we were in the city but far enough away to find refuge from the city’s busyness. In the locker room is a dry sauna with a bucket of water to steam up the coals as you like.
After changing, guests enter the Grounding Room to begin the ritual of slowing down. Plush lounge chairs look out at the Buffalo Bayou Park through large floor-to-ceiling windows. Through one door is an outdoor terrace when the temperatures cooperates.
The spa’s Grounding Room has plush lounge chairs that overlook Buffalo Bayou Park. Courtesy of Thompson Houston
The J’enwey Tea Co. provides a range of drink selections for the Thompson Houston Tea Bar.
I tried the Champagne and Berries, made with white pai mu tan, and hibiscus flowers, and the Thompson Signature Black Tea, made with a seasonal blend of Chinese black leaves.
A sand timer with three different colors to match the tea, indicating how long to steep each tea type, helps guests make the perfect cuppa.
The treatment rooms at the spa are decorated in light, tranquil colors. Courtesy of Thompson Houston
The spa rooms are decorated in light neutral colors. I tried the facial treatment that involved seven stages of Naturapathica products. The spa bed with plush bedding was adjusted so I lay back comfortably but wasn’t completely horizontal.
Using rich botanical extracts, like manuka honey and microalgae, my face felt fresh and polished. Initially, my therapist asked me if I wanted step-by-step explanations, which I thought I wanted.
By step two, I was so relaxed that I fell asleep and dreamt about the perfect facial treatment that I was actually experiencing.
The entrance to Thompson Spa at Thompson Houston. Courtesy of Thompson Houston
Other treatments include facials, massages, and specialty treatments like Valentine’s Day couple massages with rose petals, showers, and music.
Available for private reservation only throughout the month of February, Club Blanc includes champagne and skyline views, while Club Noir showcases a more sensual experience with candles and rituals to foster intimacy.
Rodeo Recovery Spa specials are also on the menu, which range from the Cowgirl Comfort Facial and Rancher’s Recovery Facial to the Rodeo Revival Deep Tissue Massage.
For the FIFA World Cup in Houston, taking place from June 14 to July 4, 2026, look out for more spa specials that’ll focus on sports and rejuvenation.
The spa’s check-in desk and retail area also feature floor-to-ceiling views of the city. Courtesy of Thompson Houston
The hotel is close to Buffalo Bayou Park, a huge urban park with an underground Cistern that’s been renovated. It hosts sound baths, art installations, and historical tours. At sunset, there’s a bat flight at the Waugh Bat Bridge.
Thompson Houston is also minutes away from POST Houston, the former depot for the Houston and Texas Central Railroad and postal headquarters.
In 2021, the building was converted to an international food hall, 713 Music Hall, ART CLUB – HTX, and a five-acre urban rooftop garden, the largest one in the state of Texas. Nationally recognized restaurants like ChopnBlok, an elevated West African street food eatery, have outposts in POST Houston.
I also tried Return to Sender craft cocktails in the food hall. The Thompson Houston Hotel offers a complimentary car service within a 3-mile radius so we hopped into a BMW to take us to POST Houston.
Sol 7 is the hotel’s elevated rooftop culinary oasis featuring global flavors and contemporary cuisine with views of the Houston skyline. Photo by Michael Anthony
We also explored the 8-mile-long Chinatown, where we tried Crawfish and Noodles among other incredible Viet-Cajun dishes; and explored Meow Wolf, an immersive art museum with hidden doors and Cowboix Hevvven speakeasy for an all-ages dive bar experience, sharing the restaurant with alien-like creatures.
One of only Meow Wolf locations in the country, the Houston spot is the only one with a speakeasy that’s fun to find.
Insider Tip: For guests traveling with pets, Thompson Houston is a pet-friendly getaway and doesn’t charge a pet fee. During their stay, furry guests receive luxurious in-room amenities to enjoy including custom dog beds, bowls, and toys.
Thompson Houston is a pet-friendly hotel and furry guests receive luxurious in-room amenities to enjoy during their stay including custom dog beds, bowls, and toys. Courtesy of Thompson Houston
For a modern urban sanctuary in Houston with easy access to food, art, and the FIFA World Cup, be sure to check out Thompson Houston.
For more information and to book a stay at Thompson Houston, visit their website or call (832) 701-1234. For special deals on your stay, click here. Follow on Instagram: @thompsonhoustonhotel
1717 Allen Parkway, Houston, TX 77019
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[Photos courtesy of Thompson Houston]
Helen I. Hwang is an award-winning journalist, author, and mechanical engineer. Her works have appeared in The New York Times for Kids, Eater San Diego, People Magazine, Parents.com, Trip Advisor, Huffington Post, Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel Magazine,TravelSavvy.com, and other publications. She has also written a book, titled All Grown Up: Please Touch Museum and Its Move to Memorial Hall, for the Please Touch Museum, a children's museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In addition, Helen worked as a researcher for the Peabody Award-winning NPR radio program, Fresh Air with Terry Gross. Over the years, she's lived on three continents and traveled to more than 40 countries. She currently lives in San Diego, CA, the 16th place she's called home. More about her can be found at helenihwang.com.