HOUSTON — American Liberty Hospitality (ALH) recently opened the dual-brand hotel Holiday Inn Express Houston and Staybridge Suites Houston – Galleria Area. The new property offers two distinct lodging experiences under one roof and includes 319 keys with 2,600 square feet of shared, flexible meeting and event space. Both brands are franchises of InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG).
“We believe that the timing of this opening coincides perfectly with the return of business and leisure travel nationwide,” said Nick Massad, CEO of ALH.
The 14-story property is near the tree-lined promenade Post Oak Boulevard in Houston’s Uptown District—one of largest centralized business zones in the United States with 26 million square feet of commercial office space. The location is inside Houston’s 610 Loop, which is home to shopping, dining, and entertainment destinations, including River Oaks District, Highland Village, and the Galleria. The 1,500-acre Memorial Park is also nearby and currently undergoing a $200 million transformation, offering recreational activities including a redesigned golf course, kayaking on the bayou, an arboretum, and a 10-mile network of hike and bike trails.
“The Holiday Inn Express and Staybridge Suites will give value-oriented business and leisure travelers an elevated experience like never before. I’m confident our guests will enjoy the newest smartest hotel in the heart of the highly sought-after Galleria-area,” said Andrew Mirsky, director of sales.
Setting the stage for a locally sourced project, the Houston office of Arch-Con Corporation served as the general contractor and MCS Architects created its design. Construction financing was provided by Plains Capital Bank and Artemis Real Estate Partners.
Cascading quartz drapes the front desk in the lobby, which has high ceilings with light wood columns. Public spaces have a mixture of mid-century modern and Scandinavian-inspired furniture, and guestrooms include smart finishes and recognizable artwork inspired by iconic local landmarks.
The lobby bar pairs beer, wines, and craft cocktails with lite bites and a grab-and-go retail outlet goes beyond basic sundries to include a curated and evolving selection of unique-to-Houston gift items by local creatives, makers, and artisans.
The hotel also has the latest touchless technologies, a medical-grade air filtration system, and a keyless check-in process. American Liberty Hospitality’s commitment to safety and cleanliness will be on full display when the Houston Galleria Area property opens its doors.
“We’re excited to welcome this new-build hotel to the Houston hospitality landscape. The benefits that come from a beautiful new hotel at an approachable price point in a prime location are huge in an environment in which the top priorities for business and leisure travelers are cleanliness and location,” said Jorge Franz, senior vice president of tourism and industry relations at Houston First Corporation. He added, “We are starting to experience a jump in occupancy at other Houston hotels, and we are hopeful these numbers will continue to trend in that direction as we get further into the year.”
Additional shared offerings at the property include complimentary breakfast, an outdoor swimming pool on a spacious rooftop deck with skyline views, guestrooms with 9- to 11-foot ceilings, free high-speed Internet access, a 24-hour business center, an expansive fitness center, a dog run, a five-story parking garage, and onsite guest laundry.
All 150 rooms at Staybridge Suites include a full-size refrigerator with icemaker, microwave, toaster, coffee maker, dishwasher, and kitchenware as well as access to complimentary storage units for longer-term stays. The Holiday Inn Express has 169 rooms designed for business travelers and families who are looking for an affordable and comfortable stay.
