Arriving at Houston Intercontinental Airport the next before, Hotel Advice Needed

[conversationist]

My wife and I will be arriving in Houston at Intercontinental Airport about 9PM the night before our cruise. From there we are renting a car and driving to a Hotel. I am sure we will be keyed up that evening and will have a hard time falling asleep.

 

We thought first about driving to the Houston Galleria Area (20 miles SW of the Airport) and getting a Hotel there, but now are leaning for at getting something near the Intercontinental Airport.

 

Has anyone stayed near the IAH Airport the night before a cruise? It is really noisy with planes coming in and out all night? Or are the hotels nice away from the flight path. We are looking for a nice spot to relax and sleep the night before our cruise. Advice?

[Moeve]

If you are thinking of driving that kind of distance you might want to concider the area around NASA which is already directly on your way south to ward Galveston....It is almost all Interstate.

[clearlakecruisers]

Like Moeve, I'd suggest that you head south on I-45 about 35 miles/45 minutes from IAH and stay in this area (NASA/Clear Lake). There is one of almost every chain motel/hotel in this area and the next day will be any easy 30 minute drive down I-45 straight into Galveston

[Entley]

My wife and I will be arriving in Houston at Intercontinental Airport about 9PM the night before our cruise. From there we are renting a car and driving to a Hotel. I am sure we will be keyed up that evening and will have a hard time falling asleep.

 

We thought first about driving to the Houston Galleria Area (20 miles SW of the Airport) and getting a Hotel there, but now are leaning for at getting something near the Intercontinental Airport.

 

Has anyone stayed near the IAH Airport the night before a cruise? It is really noisy with planes coming in and out all night? Or are the hotels nice away from the flight path. We are looking for a nice spot to relax and sleep the night before our cruise. Advice?

 

We are coming a night previous to our cruise and are staying at the Sheraton at Bush Intercontinental. The airport area hotels are very attractively priced since they are geared towards business travelers during the week and their business dies off on the weekends. I've stayed at the Mariott at the airport previously and never heard a plane or any other disturbance.

All the airport hotels offer free shuttle; so if you like you can save a day of rental on the car; although I guess they all rent for 24 hours... so you probably won't save anything.

The only other pro I can think of is depending on what time you get in; an airport hotel might be a nice quick end to the day rather then going out and driving in traffic and trying to find your way. Sure the drive the next day will be just as long; but it'll be in the day light and the cruise ship is at the end of the journey; not just a hotel room.

Either way... have a great trip!!!

[MellowMel]

If you really want to stay near IAH, my DH suggests the Wyndham Greenspoint. He's stayed their a few times and doesn't recall any noise from airplanes. It's about 5 miles away from IAH. He says it's a business hotel so it's geared toward the business traveler, but it's nice and clean and has a bar and restaurants.

 

In my opinion, if you are going to drive to the Clear Lake area, you might as well finish the drive and head the extra 20 miles to Galveston.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[Heloguy]

I've stayed at the Wyndham Greenspoint several times and find it to be a very nice hotel. It's not so close to the airport that you hear airplanes taking off and landing but it's still convenient. The hotel is right across the street fromt the Greenspoint Mall. It's a nice mall ... but for some reason, my work associates in Houston call it the Gunpoint Mall. I don't know if there is any merit to this or not. Like I said, I actually like staying there and have never found any reason whatsoever to feel the least bit unsafe. It's nice, clean, and convenient to the interstates.

[Moeve]

Clearlake since this is your neck of the woods....and we have 3 days there in 4 weeks time anything I should not miss? We are on the Nasa level 9 tour so I guess we will be there at least 1 1/2 days..... but still have time for some others things... Any suggestions??

[clearlakecruisers]

Moeve,

 

In the Clear Lake area:

 

Don't miss the Kemah Boardwalk (www.kemahboardwalk.com) and small shops in Kemah.

 

Eat seafood downstairs at the Flying Dutchman on the Boardwalk, eat the best hamburgers ever at Tookies on Hwy 146 in Seabrook, eat BBQ at T-Bone Tom's on Hwy 146 in Kemah.

 

Visit Armand Bayou Park on Bay Area Blvd. to experience this area and its bayous before civilzation intruded.

 

Go to the San Jacinto Monument off Hwy 225. The monument itself is taller than the Washington Monument and the view, due to our flat topography, goes on "forever". There is also a museum and the Battleship Texas to tour if you have history buffs in your group. Also for the history buffs, Google Texas City, Texas, for background on the explosion there in 1947.

 

If anyone is in to shopping, Baybrook Mall at I-45 and Bay Area is a large mall.

 

I'm also going to attach parts of a previous response...

 

 

Let me add a few favorite restaurants...

Although now a chain, Ninfa's, a Mexican restaurant, is a Houston favorite. It was started many years ago by a Houston widow and has grown into a mostly local chain. Unless someone in your group really dislikes Mexican food, a margarita and a basket of chips with Ninfa's famous green sauce (tomitilla/avocado base) is a Houston tradition.

For Italian, Carrabas, just west of your hotel, is also a Houston favorite that has turned into a chain.

BJ's, a restaurant/microbrewery, is across the street from Carrabas. It, too, is part of a smaller chain but has a nice variety of food.

The Aquarium on the Kemah Boardwalk is certainly worth seeing (and you can walk in and go upstairs to see the LARGE fish tanks without eating there) but our favorite in that area is the downstairs area of The Flying Dutchman. They offer a seafood sampler appetizer platter that will serve at least four adults - and raise their cholesterol levels at the same time.

Sweet Mesquite, which was recommended by brn2crz, is good for an informal place with good food. They recently changed their name to Star Fire Grill (no other changes - go figure!!) and are located on Bay Area Blvd.

I also second the recommendation of Tookies (in Seabrook on Hwy 146 just south of NASA Parkway - on the way to Kemah Boardwalk). Their hamburgers (try a Stomps Icehouse Special if you like spicy or a Beanburger if you want unique) and fried onion rings constantly win awards for "best in Houston".

If you want to experience some of the city of Houston and don't want to drive, you can drive into the Astrodome/Reliant Center area (I-45 N to Loop 610 South at Kirby), park in the Metro lot and hop on the new light rail line. It takes you through the Texas Medical Center, the Museum District, Hermann Park, and into the middle of downtown. The round trip will bring you right back to your car and you will have had an inexpensive mini-tour of Houston.

Hope this is what you wanted. Any questions?