Queer travel expert Jack Kenworthy turns 250+ city adventures into your guide for safe, vibrant, and inclusively fabulous global journeys.
Welcome to Houston – the home of the famous Space Center, a welcoming international hub for people of all shapes, kinds, and sizes, and – most importantly – a hot gay travel spot just waiting to be discovered! Although the state of Texas may not be the first location on many peoples’ lists when they think of top-shelf queer travel with excellent gay hotels, it must be said that Houston stands out like a shining beacon in the setting it finds itself.
Many surveys pair the city and Austin as the most gay-friendly locations in all the country’s southern border states. The city hosts the fourth-largest pride parade in the entire region and has an amazing and varied amount of official queer events to its name.
Houston is far from being disappointing in general appeal, thanks to its many local eateries, its growing and interactive art scene, and its deep links to international and national culture. If you’re looking for something more queer-specific, however, you’ll be glad to learn that Houston has just the niche for you.
The beating heart and soul of Houston’s gay culture and its ties to the lives of both its queer inhabitants and international travelers is without a doubt the colorful Montrose district – a neighborhood known for its amazing range of exquisite eateries, art galleries, cultural hotspots, and – of course – its gay bars and clubs.
The city is even home to its very own Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, as well as a wide range of other queer-focused events all year round. No matter what kind of queer event interests you, you should check out the itineraries of local support institutions when planning your travel to ensure that you capitalize on any of the amazing get-togethers and festivals that the city serves as a yearly home to!
Although there is a lot to see and do in Houston that is targeted specifically towards queer people from both within the city and from without, it is always good to take the best of both worlds while traveling, and as such, we’d like to extend our usual disclaimer by way of encouraging variety and reaching out into the less-appreciated areas of Houston, it’s metropolitan culture, and its queer scene.
Things that appeal to gay travelers aren’t always necessarily marketed toward them. We know that, and therefore we’d like to note that the hotels on this list follow the same logic. Most of these wonderful hotels have been listed as accommodating and unjudgmental towards queer people in general and highly rated by previous guests and critics.
So, if you’re ready to discover what exactly makes Houston the shining, undiscovered gem of the US South that it is, get your sun lotion, your best summer city outfit, and get ready to indulge in the pride and wonder the top eight gay hotels in Houston and its queer lifestyle hotspots!
In this article we will cover...
The Royal Sonesta Houston Galleria
Our very first gay hotel in Houston is the Royal Sonesta Galleria – a four-stay luxury location that sets the bar for the rest of the sites on this list high with its comprehensive services, amazing place, and general polish.
The sense of luxury and the carefully-tailored holiday vibes that the Royal Sonesta holds about itself are undeniable, all the way from its rooms to its common areas, lobby, and massive pool with skyline views, and from the moment that guests walk in its clear why this hotel has been awarded a position as one of the top ten most luxurious hotels in the city time and time again.
If you’re looking for an amazing travel experience in Houston that puts you in touch with the bustle of the city without throwing you into the middle of it 24/7, this is the perfect gay hotel for you.
On top of all the hotel’s other varied benefits, the Royal Sonesta is very close to Houston’s gay district in the Montrose neighborhood, and this fact is only made more valuable by the merits of the hotel’s surroundings, including a wide range of eateries and the Eastern Glades Memorial Park.
Guests needn’t even go out if they’re looking for some fine dining, though, thanks to the fact that the Royal Sonesta is also home to the ARA restaurant, which is famous for its steakhouse function and its seasonal imports from countries all around the world.
There’s also a conference and event center if you’re looking to host a get-together like a birthday party or wedding while in the city, and a chic bar for relaxing and socializing if you don’t feel like leaving the hotel and going on the search for a quality location amongst the streets.
The Whitehall
Although the Royal Sonesta started off this list strongly, and although the Whitehall shares its count of four stars, there is simply something about this hotel that truly moves it away from the rest of the pack both when it comes to our list of hotels and the city’s accommodation options in general.
Rising gently above the nearby skyline in a polished, fittingly white tower, the Whitehall is home to a wide range of customizable suites, an amazing set of common areas, and several foods and drink establishments for hungry or thirsty guests.
Alongside the hotel’s free daily breakfast, the culinary offerings of the Whitehall are also marked as worthy of note thanks to its in-house Southern restaurant – highly rated and known for its mixture of Tex-Mex cuisine and classy drinks.
Room service and full laundry duty make staying in the Whitehall’s stylish, modern rooms easier than ever before, and the hotel adds to its list of benefits even further thanks to the fact that there is an outdoor pool and a fully-equipped fitness center on-site. The Whitehall is on-point, trendy, and well-positioned and has demonstrated its dedication to sound service and the protection of queer guests for the entire span of its life as an establishment.
Speaking of location, the Downtown district of the city that the Whitehall finds itself in is home to the vast majority of the tourist locations and general-appeal landmarks in Houston, so if you’re interested in diving deep into the culture of what makes Houston unique in the city, this is the place to do it.
Buildings such as the Museum of Fine Arts and the Houston Zoo are little more than a few minutes walk away, and that’s without mentioning the breathtaking environment that these central streets and their older buildings create.
Hilton Houston Post Oak by the Galleria
The Hilton Post Oak is certainly a gay hotel for the ages – the third hotel on this list and the third in a row to have four full stars of luxury and quality customer service to its name!
The Hilton Houston Post Oak is the only hotel on this list within just a few blocks of the Montrose district and its gay scene, and it doesn’t skimp out on quality in favor of location in the slightest. We know that we’ve complimented the rooms and common spaces of the Royal Sonesta and the Whitehall already, but when we say that the individual suites of the Hilton Post Oak are truly special and elegant, we mean it.
Almost no other hotel in the entirety of Houston has rooms as large as the Hilton Post Oak, and the hotel has a sound backbone in its staff to back it up with. There’s a pool and a parking lot to take away your ticket worries if you came to Houston by car or hired one along the way, and if that doesn’t apply to you, there’s also an airport to get you to and fro from the city’s international portals without having to worry about returning a vehicle.
The Hilton Post Oak moves a little away from the center of the city compared to the first two hotels on this list, and this places it soundly in the grasp of Houston’s Uptown district and its posh, all-needs-catered commercial district.
If malls and shopping are your things, or if casual daytime wandering through city streets is your preferred way to get to know a new place, then you will find the neighborhood surrounding the Hilton Post Oak to be the perfect place to let your hair down and enjoy yourself.
The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa
Now this is a truly special location that will make any holiday in Houston a stunning one. If having an amazing gay hotel isn’t enough for you, and if a safe accommodation environment isn’t all that you’re looking for while staying in Houston and soaking in the local atmosphere, then this might be the perfect place.
The Houstonian Hotel, Club, and Spa is an absolute jack-of-all-trades – pampering its guests to a level almost unseen outside of dedicated resorts.
The Houstonian is located a little further away from the Montrose district than some of the other hotels on this list, but that fact is remedied thanks to the fact that just about everything you could want – spa facilities to spend your days relaxing in, amazing food and a wide range of culinary variety, and – of course – a lively club to meet new faces – is all within reach of the guests here.
There are even hot tubs in some rooms for room parties or simply for relaxing alone and enjoying your time in wonderful Houston! If you have the wallet size and the spending mentality to match the Houstonian’s demands, you are in for the best accommodation experience out of any of the hotels on this list.
The individual rooms here may not be the best, as that title is, without a doubt, taken by the Hilton Post Oak that came before it. Its location may not be the best if you’re looking to branch out into the more queer-centric areas of the city. Still, the Houstonian’s combination of services and quality attention make it, without a doubt, the absolute highlight of this list for any gay traveler.
Hotel ICON, Autograph Collection
We’ve included a few Hotel ICONs and members of the Autograph Collection into our lists for other cities before, and – as was the case in those times – it is more than clear that these locations are among the very creme de la creme of gay-friendly accommodation. The Hotel ICON in Houston is built within the 1911-built skeleton of an old bank, and many aspects of its design and interior are retained originals from the aristocratic establishment that came before it.
That’s not to say that it isn’t as modern and on-point as the other hotels on this list, however, or that its service mentality is in any way stuck in the past. The staff of the Hotel ICON has received more than their share of special commendations from previous guests to the hotel, and this trend doesn’t seem to be displaying any signs of stopping or excluding queer guests in any way.
There’s a lot more to say about this lovely gay hotel than just the performance of its staff and the ICON’s location, however. The in-house Line and Lariat upper-class American Restaurant is an absolute highlight, and the included Beauty and Beyond spa facility allows guests to get an in-depth relaxation experience without having to walk a block.
There’s also a travel agency on-site if you want someone to talk to about extending your holiday throughout Houston or even onwards! The result of mixing all of these positive factors is a unique, compelling hotel that beckons guests in with assurance of quality, lack of worry, and safety, and this, coupled with its quite low room prices, makes the ICON one of the best middle-tier and generally appealing locations on this entire list.
Hyatt Regency Houston
Hyatt locations are nothing short of world-famous when it comes to providers of quality, luxury accommodation and distinct service, and as such, there should be no doubts about this hotel’s status as an absolute star of this list. When it comes to the Hyatt Regency’s position in Houston, however, there is still one question left to answer.
There are three separate Hyatt Regency locations in this wonderful city, but for this list of gay hotels, we’ll be talking specifically about the centrally located downtown location – just a few blocks away from Montrose and the heart of Houston’s gay culture.
While being centrally located and therefore close to the city’s hotspots and tourist destinations is certainly one of the most individually strong positive factors about this specific Regency, it must also be said that the Downtown district’s pull and hustle is a drawing factor of its own and a plus that truly sets this particular Hyatt above from its siblings in Houston.
Rising above the other buildings around it like an impressive monolith of aristocratic accommodation, the Hyatt Regency Downtown is home to its rooftop pool, a sound set of public spaces, and a positively amazing range of in-house culinary offerings.
The Regency Downtown’s restaurants include an Italian location called Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Italian Kitchen, Shula’s Steak House, and – perhaps most enticing of all – Bouray’s Pho and Grill Vietnamese restaurant. On top of that, there’s also a sandwich and bagel store for early-morning bites or a stack when you need one.
Overall, the Hyatt Regency Downtown is well-kept, luxurious, respectable, and tended to by caring, respectful staff that have single-handedly earned this location one of the city’s best reputations with queer guests in the past.
Hotel Derek
Although this hotel’s title defies naming conventions somewhat – especially for a location of its quality and size – the only other thing out of the ordinary about Hotel Derek is its attention to detail and colorful approach to accommodation. Reviews of the Hotel Derek focus on the quality of its atmosphere and public spaces, including its in-house cocktail bar and its open socialization room in general.
Suppose you’re looking for a place that brings you right to the center of Houston’s nightlife-rich suburbs and on the edge of the Montrose district, where the city’s queer heart can be found. In that case, this is one of the best bets on this list that you’ll have – perfectly balancing its own identity as an establishment with the unique culture and vibes of the neighborhoods it sits in and runs against.
The Hotel Derek prides itself upon the sheer range of activities and amenities that it has available on-site, including its very own golf course with city views, a fitness center for those looking to maintain their regimes and keep their body in top shape, and – most importantly for those looking to relax – a pool with a large sitting area.
Much like the Westin coming up next on this list, the Hotel Derek has event hire space, which could be the perfect location for your next get-together. If you’re looking for something a little more casual, however, there’s always the in-house bar and the wide range of eateries and hangout locations in the immediate area of the Hotel Derek.
The Galleria district commercial zone, malls, shops, and general daytime busy vibes are a few minutes’ walk away, and the hotel has easy highway access as well to allow you to easily reach every corner of the city.
The Westin Houston Downtown
Just as we began this list with a high-quality, top-shelf four-star hotel, it comes to an end with the exquisite establishment that is the Westin Houston Downtown. As this hotel’s title may imply, the Westin Houston Downtown is located right in the center of the city and its lively downtown, which puts it within an easy taxi ride of the Montrose District and its offerings of queer bars, gay hotspots, and easy socialization.
We’ve already talked so much about the merits and the strengths of hotels located in Houston’s Downtown so that we won’t repeat ourselves, but the fact remains a strong positive towards Westin’s image and contribution as a hotel. There is also a car hire facility just outside the hotel – wildly convenient if you are looking to range a little further than just through the nearby district.
Enough about location, however, and on to the inside of the hotel. It must be said that the Westin interior and style is an absolute masterwork – fusing aristocratic, aged tones perfectly with a modern, immaculately-maintained air that will take the breath of just about any new arrival.
The Westin Downtown Houston is home to an al fresco eatery named the Ballpark Café, and there is a wide range of foods and drinks available every morning as part of the hotel’s expansive breakfast. However, when it comes to common areas, the Westin starts pulling out aces.
This hotel has a fully equipped wellness center, a gym, wheelchair-accessible rooms for those with mobility requirements (which is quite rare in every city, especially Houston), and spaces available for event hire if you are interested in making Houston the host of your next get-together or important personal event.
Gay Hotel Map Of Houston
Feeling a bit lost while planning your journey to Houston? No worries, darling! Our detailed LGBTQ+ tailored map is here to guide you. We’ve pinpointed all the vibrant gay-friendly bars, exhilarating clubs, extravagant parties, cozy hotels, relaxing saunas, and soothing massage parlors to ensure you find the perfect spot.
And these aren’t just any spots; we’re talking about the creme de la creme of locations in the heart of the city’s vibrant gay scene. Think panoramic views, easy access to nightlife, and all the amenities to make your stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.
But hold on to your feather boas! These hot spots are fabulous; they vanish quicker than a drag queen’s five o’clock shadow. Don’t delay; book now to secure the best deals and locations. Remember, the early bird catches the best deals in Houston! So, pack your rainbow flag, and get ready to experience the ultimate gay-friendly holiday in Houston.
