coolest pools

10 Houston hotel pools for a splashy family vacation this summer

Houston has plenty of hot patio bars and parks, but savvy visitors know one of the best ways to beat the scorching summer is by hitting up a cool pool. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite hotel spots to take a dip. Expect poolside cocktails, movie screenings, plus summer deals, promos, and more. (Don’t forget your shades, sunscreen, and wide-brimmed hats).

Marriott Marquis Houston
It’s the Texas-shaped lazy river in H-Town that we all want to navigate. This rooftop pool is perched 110 feet in the air and surrounded by Houston’s soaring downtown skyline. The Marriott Marquis Houston’s amenity deck features a full-service poolside bar and grill. Check this off as arguably the most Instagram-worthy pool in all of Houston.

Family-friendly: Yes

Cabanas: Yes

What to drink: The Refresh: a delicious cocktail perfect for poolside featuring Effen Cucumber vodka, lime, simple syrup, and soda.

How to access: Hotel customers only (registered hotel guests are given wristbands at check-in). But: book a minimum 50-minute spa treatment at the in-house Pure Spa (excluding salon treatments) and voila — access granted.

Post Oak Hotel
The Post Oak Hotel is owned by Houston’s favorite billionaire, Tilman Fertitta, so you know the pool is out of this world, like everything else on the property. (The white-and-black-accent decor truly sets this stylish and luxurious pool apart.) Our favorite feature: Order anything to eat or drink from anywhere on property — you can even order sunscreen— and it will be delivered to your poolside chair (or cabana).

Family-friendly: Yes

Cabanas: Yes

What to drink: The Post Oak Margarita: tequila, fresh lime juice, Hibiscus cordial

How to access: Hotel customers only

Hotel ZaZa Museum District
Representative of the city’s big-Texas style, the event dubbed Poolside at ZaZa is a place to see and be seen among outdoor bars and pools in Houston. With indulgent specialty cocktails and a boutique-like atmosphere, Poolside at ZaZa provides a luxurious pool retreat among H-Town’s scenesters.

Family-friendly: Yes

Cabanas: Yes (and villas)

What do drink: Splurge for bottle service (or indulge in their daily offering of adult popsicles).

How to access: Other than being a hotel guest, a day pass to use Hotel ZaZa’s pool is available for a $150 service (minimum), one hour before and three hours after any spa treatment at ZaSpa.

Four Seasons Hotel Houston
Lounge poolside at one of Houstons most old-guard, resort-style pools. Refreshing cocktails and tasty snacks are available to order at the pool deck café and due to its brand popularity, you may even find yourself lounging poolside next to a celeb or two. The saltwater pool is truly an oasis in the heart of downtown Houston and is a five-star experience across the board.

Family-friendly: Yes. Four Seasons even offers Family Movies by the Pool on Saturday nights with fresh popcorn, candy, and a veritable Willy Wonka-style buffet to keep kids entertained.

Cabanas: Yes

What to drink: Try the Strawberry Sales ($12): grapefruit vodka, strawberry, lemonade or the Cucumber Cooler ($8): cucumber, rosemary, lemonade

How to access: Hotel guests only — unless you book a 50-minute treatment at Hotel Spa, where you’ll be granted access to the pool/fitness areas

Hotel Sorella
West Houston’s Hotel Sorella (in CityCentre) reigns supreme when it comes to the westside, and boasts a rooftop, infinity pool that creates an instant oasis of relaxation. With some clever planning, you may find that you have the place all to yourself — except for the friendly bartender who’s ready to serve you.

Family-friendly: Yes

Cabanas: Yes

What to drink: Beat the heat with a Cosmologic pop tail: citrus vodka, triple sec, lime and cranberry juice served with a house-made cranberry/orange/lime popsicle.

How to access: Hotel guests only

Hotel Granduca
Book a stay at Hotel Granduca to experience the pool at this true Italian-style getaway. Hotel Granduca’s saltwater pool — which is always set to a perfect temperature of 78 degrees — offers a picturesque escape right in the heart of Uptown. (Granduca is Houston’s only hotel to make TripAdvisor’s 2018 list of top 25 luxury hotels in America.) Nestled amidst a collection of lush greenery, the intimate and serene venue is enhanced with ornate Italian-style cabanas. Enjoy poolside dining at the hotel’s restaurant, Il Giardino.

Family-friendly: Yes

Cabanas: Yes

What to drink: The Granduca Spritz: a mix of Elderflower liqueur, lemon, and prosecco.

How to access: Hotel guests only

Hotel Alessandra
Get ready for this intimate and sophisticated rooftop getaway with one-of-a-kind panoramic downtown views. Alessandra offers a dedicated food and drink menu at the pool, making this is one of Houston’s newest and most raved-about spots.

Family-friendly: Kids are welcome, however the pool caters more to adults.

Cabanas: No

What to drink: Try the Poolside Peach poptail for ultimate refreshment.

How to Access: If you’re not a guest of the hotel, you can book a spa treatment, which provides all day access to the pool.

SPLASH at Hotel Derek
Offering everything you could want or need when it comes to luxury and poolside amenities in the Galleria area, Hotel Derek has opened their Splash Pool and Movie Wall to locals for a little “float and flick.” Revolve Kitchen + Bar’s summer menu, fruity cocktails, and local craft beers are available to attendees.

Family-friendly: Yes

Cabanas: No

What to drink: Tap & Pour is a pop-up craft beer bar serving more than 20 rotating Texas craft beers on tap, such as a locally brewed 8th Wonder seasonal beer.

How to access: Hotel customers only, except for the summertime series Float & Flick, which is open to public for $20 per person (July 6, August 3, and September 7).

The Woodlands Resort
Travelers seeking a lush, green oasis this summer will find it, and then some, in this family-friendly escape. The resort offers the spectacular Forest Oasis: Lazy River & Waterpark, which is perfect for kids (and adults) of all ages. The ideal place to spend a hot afternoon, it features a 30-foot Tower with a double-helix waterslide, as well as a 1,005-foot lazy river that weaves through the forest.

Family-Friendly: Yes

Cabanas: Yes: four new luxury cabanas are available to rent, offering guests their own personal lap of luxury. Each cabana provides shaded seating for up to six in roomy, chic and private space with contemporary interiors complemented by modern conveniences, like cable TV and complimentary Wi-Fi.

What to drink: Try the Frozé All Day: Elk Cove Vineyards rosé, fresh lemon, and strawberry puree, topped with a New Amsterdam Red Berry floater

How to access: Resort guests only

Market Square Tower
When it opened, Market Square Tower’s pool quickly went viral with its heart-stopping views. Get ready to be the envy of all your Instagram followers by taking a dip in this luxury downtown Houston apartment’s clear-bottom pool that hangs 500-feet above downtown Houston.

Family-friendly: Yes

How to access: Locals need to move in or become besties with a resident — as only residents and their guests get to enjoy this stunning beauty.

The Italian-themed Hotel Granduca pool.

Courtesy photo

The Italian-themed Hotel Granduca pool.

vacation hotels

Holiday Travel News

The busiest day at DFW Airport and more holiday travel tips

Photo courtesy of DFW Airport

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Thanksgiving holiday travel is about to get heavy and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is gearing up with an estimated 3 million customers flowing through the airport between November 20 and December 2.

According to a release, the peak travel time period will be on the evening of Sunday, November 30.

Busiest travel days
Large crowds are expected throughout the holiday period with four peak travel days anticipated for local departing and arriving customers.

The airport’s roads and terminal curbs are anticipated to be the busiest on the following days:

Friday, November 21
Wednesday, November 26
Saturday, November 29
Sunday, November 30

Sunday, November 30 is expected to be the single busiest day with an estimated 269,000 travelers passing through DFW as customers return from the long holiday weekend.

Customers departing or arriving any day of the holiday season should expect heavy traffic across the airport’s roadways, particularly approaching the terminals from the north, and along the terminal curbs. These areas are likely to see higher levels of congestion than usual.

Heavy traffic is also expected at Terminal C due to ongoing construction in that area. Customers flying American Airlines have the flexibility to check in at any terminal, and then get to their gate via the Skylink train, thereby avoiding the traffic jam at Terminal C.

How early to arrive
DFW always recommends arriving early but this holiday season, they are encouraging travelers to arrive extra early during the Thanksgiving travel period, with a recommended 60 to 90 minutes extra to their usual plans. At minimum, travelers should arrive at least two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight.

The extra time will provide flexibility for customers navigating traffic, construction areas, and parking availability, as well as check-in and security screening during peak times.

Getting to and from
Parking: Customers should book parking in advance using the DFW website or mobile app, and use public transit when possible. When entering or exiting through DFW’s parking plazas, dedicated TollTag lanes are the quickest option.

Public transportation:

DART’s New Silver Line: This new service, launched in October, originates in Plano and stops in several cities along the way to DFW’s Terminal B, including Richardson, Addison, Carrollton and Coppell – bypassing downtown Dallas for a faster northern route.
DART’s Orange Line: Service extends from Plano, through downtown Dallas and Irving, before arriving at Terminal A.
Trinity Metro’s TEXRail: Starts in downtown Fort Worth, passing through North Richland Hills and Grapevine to Terminal B – offering an easy west-side connection.
Trinity Railway Express (TRE): Connects Dallas and Fort Worth to the CentrePort/DFW Airport Station, with transfers via the TRE Link Shuttle.

Curbside protocol
Curbside areas are reserved for active loading and unloading only. Customers waiting to pick up passengers are encouraged to use the airport’s cell phone lots or one-hour parking located in the terminal parking garages at no additional charge.

New entrance into Terminal B and detours into Terminal A
DFW is currently entrenched in a complex construction project: transitioning access into Terminals A, B, and C to new right-hand exits from International Parkway, rather than the confusing left-hand exits it had previously. That's a currently ongoing thing and there are various detours underway to support the current phase of construction activity.

Terminal B: Customers flying out of Terminal B now access the terminal with new right-hand exits from International Parkway.

Terminal A: Customers departing out of Terminal A and arriving to the airport from the south will detour past the existing Terminal A entrance and take the left-hand U-turn before the North Exit Plaza to redirect to Terminal A’s southbound entrance. Signage along International Parkway will direct drivers through areas with adjusted traffic flow.

transportation holidays