Looking to relax with your family but don’t want to go far for a vacation?
If you are in or near Houston, I just might have the answer for you.
Last weekend I was invited by the Hotel Sorella and CityCentre to staycation with my family and take in all they had to offer on the west side of town. We had an absolutely relaxing 24 hours together, eating, talking, playing, watching a movie and just being a family not distracted by chores at home.
Here’s a little bit about what we did during our 24-hour vacation…
We started our Houston staycation just before Noon on Saturday by dropping our bags at the hotel and wandering through CityCentre. A special event was wrapping up in the plaza, and we got word the CityCentre hosts a farmers market every Saturday morning… I guess we’ll have to go back!
The Tasting Room
We walked over to The Tasting Room for a leisurely lunch, tried a few new wines, nibbled on a meat and cheese plate, visited with the kids and just relaxed, caught up, and dreamed a few dreams together.
I’m a huge fan of The Tasting Room, as their menu can be as casual as we were and yet it also offers more substantial items, too. My favorite thing about it, though, is the offering of wines by the glass and the awesome staff. Every waiter there seems to know their stuff when it comes to wine and can offer suggestions without being intimidating. I love that!
But I also loved just kicking back with my family, too… Since our days are so often jam-packed, it was such a joy not to have any plans for several hours. (And then for those plans we did have to be just for fun, anyhow.)
After the meats and cheeses, we eventually we ordered a pepperoni and sausage pizza. It tasted so fresh and the thin crust had the perfect amount of crispiness thanks to the pizza oven on site… Even our 10-year-old raved about it.
Shopping
After lunch we explored more of CityCentre and both the kids and I were delighted to take part in Lululemon’s grand opening weekend… Free mini-cupcakes for them and an easy shopping trip to find a new yoga top for me!
Plaza
Across the way, the kids played soccer with new friends on the astroturf plaza while my husband and I watched. There were so many families enjoying the perfect weather and all the kids played beautifully together. I almost felt like I was in a fairy tale!
Hotel Sorella
My daughter and I checked us into the Hotel Sorella while the boys continued playing.
We were delighted to find that our bags had already been placed in our rooms for us. We stayed in adjoining rooms: one double and one junior suite.
The black and white decor was very hip, while still being comfortable… I especially liked relaxing on the couch in our junior suite with the super soft throw blankets and pillows.
Once the boys joined us in the hotel, I noticed all three kids were interested in the black and white patterns on the hallways, which were duplicated in the room with white on white in the entryway and on the headboards of the beds. Later my son found the pattern as black on black on the tile.
It’s nice to know that my kids can appreciate good design… and it was even better to know we would all be snoozing comfortably only a few steps beyond dinner!
but I digress…
Studio Movie Grill
After check in, we made our way to the Studio Movie Grill and took in a movie in comfy seats. I’m embarrassed to admit it, but we even snacked while we were there, too. The kids and I munched on fresh fruit baskets, but there were plenty of more filling options, had we not already eaten.
Ruggles Green
For dinner we visited Ruggles Green, a fast casual, and super green restaurant.
You order your meal at the counter and then your food is brought out to your table. You can ask that your food be brought out in courses and even push a button if you need anything else.
Aside from innovative customer service, Ruggles Green is also extremely environmentally friendly, certified as one of only two four-star certified green restaurants in the US.
“But what about the food?” you ask.
Ruggles Green offers delicious options for anyone, with gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan offerings, as well as traditional offerings. They have salads, appetizers, sandwiches, soups, pastas, burgers, heavier entrees and delectable desserts. The chef explained that his foods are exceptional because he starts from only high-quality ingredients and locally grown foods as often as possible.
I ordered a Kobe beef flank steak with pomegranate spatzle and could have just had the spatzle as my dessert, it was that good. One of my boys had the kids plain hamburger and he said it tasted much better than most burgers he had had. (I think that is saying a lot when it comes from a boy!!)
After dinner we went back to the hotel for a great night’s sleep (and we even got a bonus hour thanks to the time change. Cha-ching! Love those black out curtains!!)
Sunday morning my husband and daughter went exploring before the rest of us woke. They grabbed some orange juice at La Madeleine before coming back to join the rest of us for breakfast at Bistro Alex.
Breakfast
Hotel Sorella offers a complimentary continental breakfast to guests of the hotel.
We knew we had a full day ahead, so we opted to have brunch at Bistro Alex (although the breakfast did look pretty substantial in its own right.)
The brunch was scrumptious, my children even cleaned their plates, and we were pleasantly surprised to learn that Yvonne Washington, who sang at our wedding, was singing there, as she does every Sunday morning. And that made the food taste even better.
After breakfast we packed up and headed back to ‘real’ life. The trip home didn’t take long, but the effects of the staycation still linger.
Until this trip, I had no idea there was so much to do at Houston’s CityCentre! With so many stores and nearly 20 restaurants, there is something for almost anyone to enjoy there.
I love how the hotel is central to the shopping and restaurants and I was delighted to see so many families dining out and enjoying the plaza.
I know we will definitely be back to eat, shop, relax and stay overnight. There is plenty more for us to do the next time….
What about you? Do you staycation? And have you visited Houston’s City Centre and Hotel Sorella?
Disclosure: My hotel stay and meals were complimentary as a travel writer. I was under no obligation to review or give a positive review of the hotel or restaurants, however. My opinions, views and experiences reflected here are truthful.
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