May

New Hotel Zaza Houston: Opening June 4, 2007

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I wish I could say that the Houston Chronicle was thinking of us when they labeled one of the sections in their article about the new Hotel Zaza Houston, “The Suite Life.” But that would be thinking very highly of ourselves. However, we will trumpet the fact that we included Hotel Zaza Houston in our Top US Hotels list even before it has officially opened - especially since I enjoyed the Hotel Zaza Dallas so much.

Here is an abstract from the article by David Kaplan from the Houston Chronicle: Warwick Hotel goes ZaZa in hip transformation

“The Warwick Hotel is going from quiet, Old World opulence to bold, sexy and ready to party. Hotel ZaZa Houston co-owner Charlie Givens, who took over the Warwick property, describes the new place as “Phantom of the Opera meets George Clooney meets Versace meets Alan Greenspan.”

Don’t laugh. People chuckled when the ZaZa opened in Dallas, but not anymore. Even though Givens had limited hotel experience and opened it during a big hotel slump in Dallas, the ZaZa was a smash hit. Months after a late-2002 debut, Conde Naste Traveler named it one of the hottest boutique hotels of 2003. Last year, the Dallas Morning News ran this headline: “The glitterati go gaga over … ZaZa.” But the hotel is more than just glitz.

But if ZaZa blows them away in Dallas, will it do the same in Houston when it opens June 4?

“I think Houston is such a powerful, broad-shouldered town with great style,” Givens said. “I think Houston will eat this up.”

Like its Dallas cousin, Hotel ZaZa Houston will have themed suites: For Your Eyes Only; Houston, We Have a Problem; and Love Shack, to name a few.

But the Houston ZaZa is not an exact replica of the Dallas model.

For the Bayou City, Givens has injected more of a business-hotel flavor while still making it a chic “celebration of fashion and celebrity.” Houston’s ZaZa has far more conference-room space, much of which is as playful as some of the concept suites.

Though rates for the themed rooms can run $2,500 a night, rooms are available for under $200. The average price is $260.”