Hotel Derek

The hotel is in a nice area but the rooms are old and over priced and the bar in it atracts a really bad crowed more

I am someone who spoiled myself by always staying in nice, trendy, and boutique hotels and living here in Houston I was intrigued by what I heard about Hotel Derek. My girlfriend and I decided one night to spend the evening out and made reservations to stay at the Hotel Derek. The lobby was very trendy and I must say I was somewhat impressed. However, it went downhill from there. After we got into the elevator, I could tell that the hotel had done a great deal of renovating. I applaud the effort but your guests should not be able to tell when you painted over something or covered something with wallpaper. I do not know if they had not finished their renovations but some things that obviously needed replacing were still in plain view. This continued even into our room. The furniture was okay but again it seemed as if they did not finish renovating the room. The window sill looked like it needed some work and there was also a vague musty smell to the room. Overall, I did not hate the hotel but it doesn't come close to comparing to the hotels with whom it competes. I would say check it out for yourself but Hotel Derek is definitely not the leader of boutique hotels in Houston. Pros: Lobby Cons: Looks like it was renovated to the untrained eye more

I recently spent two nights at the Hotel Derek and thoroughly enjoyed my stay. To start, the hotel is located at 'main and main' in the Galleria, just a short walk or drive from the mall. Upon arrival, I was very impressed with the level of service and attention I received from the time I stepped out of my car to the time I was finished checking in. I have been to many boutique hotels throughout the country, but there is something special to be said about the Derek lobby -- contemporary and stylish with a Texas flare to it! Although I arrived on the later side, I was very surprised by the level of activity and energy in the lobby and in the restaurant Bistro Moderne, where I dined the first night. The restaurant is French inspired with a local influence to it and I thought the food was very well-balanced and not overly priced (as many hotel restaurants typically are). For me, I am very particular when it comes to room accommodations and unfortunately, many boutique hotels have small rooms. This was not the case with the Hotel Derek. I was very surprised at how spacious the rooms were and how well amenitized they were. The room had a great modern decor, but was very sophisticated with the quality of bath products and mini bar items. The large glass work-desk in the room was also great for me as I needed to do a few hours of work while I was in Houston. Most importantly, I had two of the best night's sleep I can remember at the hotel -- there is something to be said about how comfortable that bed was! I even went as far as asking the hotel manager what type of bed it was, but I guess its custom made and I won't be able to get the mattress in a store. Too bad!! I have stayed at several hotels in Houston before, but this hotel really has everything I am looking for -- trendy, sophisticated, comfortable and highly amenitized. I cant wait till I return! more

This was absolutely the worst hotel I have ever stayed at! I travel for work and stay in hotels all the time. I was very disappointed in Derek. They offer valet-only parking, saupposedly at $20 a night, unfortunately I got charged $122 bucks for my two nights of parking. I have attempted to contact the hotel on multiple occassions in order to straighten this out, yet no one will return my calls and the contact email address provided on the website does not exist. Do yourself a favor and stay somewhere else. There are plenty of great hotels in the same area that are much nicer with friendlier staff. Pros: comfortable bed Cons: horrendous customer service, outrageous parking, no problem resolution more

Overall this hotel does a decent job of balancing pricing and quality. The rooms appeared to be clean (although after reading some of the reviews you might need a black light to be sure) and the service was pretty good-smiles, but nobody going out of their way. There are some rather "eclectic" patrons of the hotel, especially the bar area later in the evening, but everyone was harmless enough. We did not experience any noise pollution at odd hours or anything along those lines. We would stay here again, but probably not before we sampled some other hotels in the area...kind of a take it or leave it experience. more

The Hotel Derek always makes me feel like I'm in a trendy district of some other city, like Chicago or Boston or something. The rooms are super slick, like someone's ultra-hip loft apartment. They have great views of the city and the service is always great, too. Good food down in the Bistro Moderne, also. Highly recommended. more

I have stayed at this hotel for years, for business and for weekend getaways. When I went last month, I was extremely disappointed. This is no 4 star hotel anymore. The staff was not friendly, almost seemed bothered that they had to work; not to mention the ridiculuous increase in valet price per day. The hotel also now lets anyything happen there....2 of the elevators were completely trashed. I watched about 12 of the most SCARY, THUGLIKE, TRASHY people walk in....they looked like street walkers and pimps. They continued to make noise all night long. When I talked to the front desk manager...even showed him the elevator, he simply said sorry. How about fixing the problem?!?!? It is such a disappointment to see this nice hotel go to a complete dump! STAY SOMEWHERE ELSE!!! Pros: hip, urban look Cons: everything else more

We stayed at the Derek and went out with some friends in Houston. When they returned us to the hotel late that night, we all went to the bar there for one last drink. There were two really cheap nasty low-class "working girls" that approached every man in the bar, passed out business cards, and, it seems, finally found a taker. Maybe I misunderstood, but it certainly sounded like the manager of the bar then made a call to the front desk and got the guy a room so he and his "date" could go upstairs and seal the deal. I guess the bar is getting a cut of the action? It was all pretty entertaining to watch, we laughed about it the whole time as we observed the process for about an hour until the bar closed, and then we hung around the lobby for a few more minutes to see what happened next. But it made me a little creeped out about the cleanliness of our room after seeing the dirty trashy prostitutes that appear to regularly work the hotel. (The bar manager obviously knew these two gals, and no one working at the bar or in the hotel seemed at all disturbed at the street-walking outfits and the business going down.) The other problem we had is that the Hotel Derek would appear to be the preferred hotel for hip hop artists and their massive entourages. I like hip hop, but I don't really like noisy hallways, crowded lobbies, and the partying that accompanies celebrity hangers-on. We had a great (if somewhat party-wrecked and shabby) room with a view on the 15th floor, but our whole floor reeked of smoke (and I don't mean cigarette smoke) as soon as you stepped off of the elevator. And there were voices in the hall into the wee hours of morning. This is obviously a party hotel, and not quite the fun, romantic getaway we were hoping for. If you want to party, get stoned, wade through herds of wannabe groupies, and pick up prostitutes, then you should stay here. We won't be. Although we did get some great stories out of our stay there... Pros: They have the cheapest valet parking of any nice hotel in Houston Cons: Prostitutes, partying and illicit substances more

Stayed here just one night, it was beautiful. I enjoyed the view, luxurious and comfortable furnishings, great amenities. The bathroom was quite small, I wouldn't recommend it for a long stay. More than two nights might drive you crazy in that tiny bathroom. Location is very good, convenient to everything in the Galleria area and not that far from downtown or midtown. I wish every 1 night hotel stay was as nice as my stay at the Hotel Derek. more

I've traveled around the world, and this is by far one of the cleanest hotels I've stayed in. I am from Houston and stayed here with my husband on our anniversary. Very romantic and great price. Cons: Valet parking only and breakfast is expensive. Service was great, and we liked the complimentary gourmet coffee in the lobby! If you are from Houston and looking for a getaway with your sweetheart, this is a great choice. Pros: Cleanliness, price, location, service, room decor and layout Cons: No parking garage, breakfast is expensive and not worth the price more

Great decoration, loved it, our room was on the 15th floor, very noisy, maybe the fans on the roof, we never knew, the cleaning of the room lacked alot. Very trendy nice3 bed, excellent pillows, make sure at the end of your stay check your bills we had two rooms and in both bills they made mistakes.Very kind valet service expensive. Pros: service, bar, pillows Cons: cleaning, noisy more

Beautiful Hotel with an incredibly customer service oriented staff. You can't help but to be in awe when you first walk through the front door. The decoration is modern and beautifully done. The rooms are big and confortable. My room had a king size bed and a great view of the city. The staff is like nothing I've ever seen. They always have a smile on their face and willing to help. Will definately go back! Pros: Great Service, Beautiful Hotel, Close to The Galeria more

I'm biased because I got engaged here. Very hip and modern atmosphere. The staff is friendly and helpful (stayed here when my A/C went out for a night, they were sure to round us up a DVD player for entertainment). Rooms are large, with a beautiful view of downtown, a long window style couch, and a huge king sized bed with down comforter. Always my top choice for a romantic overnight stay or in some cases, when the A/C breaks down in your apartment. Great room service also! Pros: Atmosphere, Staff, Location Cons: Parking, Price more

Walking into the hotel, everything looks so chic and funky. Once I entered my room, I wanted to live in it. From the lush down comforter to the T.V.'s fireplace channel, every detail exudes style and relaxation. The four complimentary passes to Maverick ensured a fun night. Pros: Spacious Rooms, Comfort, Style more

My boyfriends band stays here everytime they are in town. We have always been very impressed with the quality of rooms and especially the quality of service. Not to mention you can get a spectacular room with a view for a very reasonable price. If in Houston, I suggest you spend one, if not every night here on your visit! Pros: hip, affordable, luxurious more

I lived in Houston my whole life and never knew this City had such a great Hotel. Although, It was something else before. Whenever I travel back, I stay at Hotel Derek. Pros: Inexpensive, Fantastic Style, Great Gym more

My pen broke and unknown to me a Bellman saw it occur. Later on he presented me with a new pen. Nothing fancy but wow! How he knew was one thing but that someone atually did something without asking was unbelievable Pros: service, style, location more

Very stylish place and you feel at home with the large rooms and room-wide sofa. Pros: Valet Service, Shuttle Service Cons: Room Service Menu more

I was recently a guest at Hotel Derek. I was very impressed with how efficient and friendly everyone was. Everyone smiled, everyone told me what I needed to know and they all seemed happy to be there. The rooms were EXCEPTIONALLY clean and the hotel sparkles with a unique and one-of-a-kind look in a city otherwise known for cookie cutter hotels. Where other hotels may be ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen, this hotel made me feel like I was receiving a great service, that they were happy to have me and that I belonged there as a guest. I will go back again and again. Pros: Excellent Style, Smiling Faces, Convenience Cons: Valet Parking Only more

Spent my birthday evening at hotel. King room, very modern but warm color and comfortable, view of Galleria to help me spend my money. Had after dinner drinks and dessert at restaurant.....a birthday popsicle....that was a first.....tasty and fun. Try this for a non special occassion. A treat regardless. Having mentioned to the front desk that it was my birthday, having a small chocolate box in my room as a token was not a problem for me either. Thanks, Derek! more