Hotel at a Glance: Omni Houston Hotel at Westside

The 4-star Omni Houston Hotel at Westside is a peaceful retreat with easy access to downtown Houston. Head to the onsite Café on the Lake to enjoy wood-grilled salmon in an airy atrium with an indoor lake. Afterward, snuggle up in a comfy robe in your deluxe guest room; some rooms offer views of a lake or a water garden.

• Start the day right: Some of this Getaway’s options include daily breakfast for two.
• Something to sip: Have high tea in the lobby or craft cocktails at Black Gold Bar.
• Unwind with a dip in the outdoor whirlpool or heated swimming pool.
• Work up a sweat: Use the 24-hour fitness center’s cardio and weightlifting equipment, or have one of the hotel’s Get Fit Kits delivered to your room.

Houston, Texas: Space History, Museums, and World-Class Dining in Nation’s Fourth-Largest City

As the nation’s fourth-largest city by population, Houston has established itself as one of the Gulf Coast’s most thriving cultural hubs. The city has 19 museums covering everything from history to art to science. For art lovers, the Menil Collection—which Frommer’s calls “one of the world’s great private collections”—is a must-see. Here, you’ll browse a wide array of 20th-century art from Jasper Johns, René Magritte, and Andy Warhol, as well as artifacts from Africa and the Pacific Islands.

You could also spend an entire day exploring Houston’s science institutions. When Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell famously stated, “Houston, we have a problem,” he was talking to mission control at Space Center Houston. Here, visitors can tour the historic mission-control room and get a behind-the-scenes look at astronauts training for the International Space Station. Along Houston’s Hermann Park, The Health Museum exhibits a large-scale human body that you can enter to learn about how your organs operate.

For shopping, visit Uptown Park, an outdoor mall that brings to mind an Italian piazza through Romanesque columns, stone fountains, and open-air bistros with strings of twinkling lights. According to a Zagat survey, Houstonians dine out more than anyone else in the country, and this mall offers some of the city’s best eats, from sushi to Spanish tapas to creamy cupcakes.

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