Struggling With Galveston Area/Houston Hotel Night Before The Cruise

[Colorado Buffalo]

Galveston hotels are so dang expensive for Saturday May 25th which is night before our cruise.

 

If we don't stay in Galveston I'm looking for alternatives.

 

1) Stay near Hobby or IAH (still not sure which airport we are using but leaning Hobby) and use a hotel that has free shuttle from airport to hotel and then

    Uber to port the next morning.

 

2) Stay in a town close to Galveston (Webster, Texas City) Uber from airport and then Uber to port next morning.

 

What would you do ?  How safe is the area around Hobby?  Webster ? Texas City ?

Is there a hotel in walking distance to a mall or nice shopping experience? I see there's the Baybrook Mall in Webster.

 

Any other area I'm missing ?

[GJustice]

Pick a nice one in Galveston and start your vacation a night early. 🤪

[dan4182]

The hotels in Webster/Tx City/ League City will be cheaper than on the island. The restaurant scene will be better on the island amd you have to factor in 2 Uber rides,

Edited February 9 by dan4182
Correct typo

[dog]

What is your budget?

I searched several and the lowest I saw were a moody Gardens- Uber to ship.

chain hotels also  along the sea wall.

I signed up for AARP & got a good rate for a hotel near the Strand.

[loanshark]

Saturday May 25 - That is Memorial Day weekend.  Hotels on the island will be very expensive. 

 

As far as planning a stay at one of the airport hotels, I am looking at a similar situation for an October cruise, and will probably stay around the airport... just making sure that whatever hotel I end up picking has an airport shuttle and a decent restaurant for dinner, then plan on taking an uber directly from the hotel to the ship the next day.  No need to take the hotel shuttle back to the airport in the morning just to catch an uber to the ship.

 

[ssb]

Memorial Day weekend is a holiday weekend . All will have higher pricing in tourist destinations. 

[queen_kathy1]

I'm also going through the same decision making process for Sat April 20. Looked into Moody but its attractions are pricey and we likely won't be up for much on a travel day.  I like the idea of a hotel that shuttles from IAH and has a good mall/restaurant nearby then uber to port the next day. Hoping someone has a great recommendation!

[ssb]

3 minutes ago, queen_kathy1 said:

I'm also going through the same decision making process for Sat April 20. Looked into Moody but its attractions are pricey and we likely won't be up for much on a travel day.  I like the idea of a hotel that shuttles from IAH and has a good mall/restaurant nearby then uber to port the next day. Hoping someone has a great recommendation!

No hotel shuttles on their own from IAH to the Island . Try Galveston Saltwater Moms for private transfer . 

Edited February 10 by ssb

[dctravel]

For our late March cruise, we are flying to Hobby, staying at the Hilton Garden Inn (free airport shuttle), then returning to the airport the next morning to board a shared shuttle to Galveston. The only potential hitch here is the hotel shuttle back to Hobby in the morning. If there are a lot of cruise passengers returning to Hobby, I might have to spring for an Uber.

 

The area around Hobby is only ok, but for one night, at a hotel overlooking the airfield, as long as the hotel is clean and safe, I don't think you can go wrong.

[normandes]

The area around Hobby Airport is not safe at night and very few restaurants.

Webster has a lot of restaurants and is safe.

[dctravel]

3 hours ago, normandes said:

The area around Hobby Airport is not safe at night and very few restaurants.

Webster has a lot of restaurants and is safe.

You are, of course, correct. For us, we don’t land til after 9 pm, so straight to the hotel and then back to the airport for us. 

[buncosquad]

Not sure what the Tremont House goes for your weekend, but we've got three rooms for two nights prior to the cruise two weeks before you.

 

Family cruise with people coming into IAH from around the U.S.

 

Tremont House prices seem good for the location and proximity to walk to everything nearby. Their newly remodeled rooftop bar is set to open very soon, as well. Plus appears to be safe area.

 

We have all private door-to-door transfers via Galveston Limousine booked to avoid any madhouse on embarkation and debarkation.

 

Cost might be a bit more, but the zero stress is priceless.

Edited February 11 by buncosquad

[scubaslayer]

In the past we have found a cheaper hotel in Houston or south of Houston but before Galveston. However we drive the 12 hours from where we live to the port and have our own transportation. Last time we stayed near Hobby and had no issues with the area. Our hotel had 3 chain restaurants nearby (but we ate as we entered Houston to get a car break). Our upcoming cruise in June has Galveston hotel prices at almost $300 a night for lower end places. We managed to get a 2 bedroom rental house for 2 nights for the cost of 2 nights at one of the cheaper hotels. We lose out on having a pool but we save by having a kitchen, It really depends on how long you need a room for and your priorities. If it is just a place to sleep the night before, go for something cheap with airport shuttles but if you want to get vacation started and have a day, I would stay in Galveston, unless you want to go to NASA. Either way, you probably need to book soon. Prices are only going to go up as places reach capacity. We booked through VRBO but the place we chose was also on Trip Advisor and Booking websites. I checked reviews and policies on all of the sites.

[Colorado Buffalo]

Anyone ever stay at the Galleria and Uber in to Galveston the next day ?

How crazy is traffic coming into Galveston on a Sunday ? I suppose Labor Day Weekend 

could cause issues ?

[Galveston Cruiser]

1 hour ago, Colorado Buffalo said:

Anyone ever stay at the Galleria and Uber in to Galveston the next day ?

How crazy is traffic coming into Galveston on a Sunday ? I suppose Labor Day Weekend 

could cause issues ?

Traffic is negligible on Sunday before noon,  Will take about an hour from the Galleria area (50 miles to port).

[BallFour4]

Galveston Cruiser gives good advice. If it were me I would Uber to the Webster, Texas City or Pasadena area (77505) where there are many hotels five years old or less. Then the next morning it would be a short trip down. Out drive today from 45S and Beltway took under 30 min.
 Hotels off Beltway 8 and 45 South in Pasadena are very nice, lots of dining choices. Search Beltway and Crenshaw. A Home2, Residence Inn, Hampton Inn and others are close. Use your Hilton or Marriott points, less than the other in the city of Houston and fewer taxes.

.

Edited February 17 by BallFour4

[S.A.M.J.R.]

We are doing this in July.  Fly into Hobby, hotel shuttle to Hilton Garden Inn via hotel shuttle, then private transport from hotel to port the next day.  Our flight doesn't get in until 10:30p, and we're a group of 8.  I don't see any sense in going to Galveston the night before.  

[Galveston Cruiser]

2 hours ago, BallFour4 said:

 Use your Hilton or Marriott points, less than the other in the city of Houston and fewer taxes.

.

State Hotel Tax is 6%; City of Houston Hotel Tax is 7%, Galveston Hotel Tax is 9%. Total - Houston: 13%; Galveston:15%

Galveston's hotel tax pays to refurbish, clean beaches, provide life guards, support tourism through marketing and advertising and the convention center.

[BallFour4]

4 minutes ago, Galveston Cruiser said:

State Hotel Tax is 6%; City of Houston Hotel Tax is 7%, Galveston Hotel Tax is 9%. Total - Houston: 13%; Galveston:15%

Galveston's hotel tax pays to refurbish, clean beaches, provide life guards, support tourism through marketing and advertising and the convention center.

Agreed. Which is why I suggested if they weren’t going to do anything else on the island then stay outside of Houston.  
 It’s cold watching the jubilee today. We went back inside!