TL;DR

Intimate stay: Just 10 rooms with a cozy, social feel
Stylish: follow-up to the original Wanderstay hostel
Cool design: Post-industrial, hip café vibes
Relaxed location: East Downtown Houston with a residential feel
Check prices here

Not the only Wanderstay in the city, this boutique hotel in Downtown Houston has both the relaxed vibes and the creature comforts to make it one of the city’s best.

The first of the Wanderstay properties, a hostel, sits a bit further out of town.

It’s a decent budget option but doesn’t have quite the charm of this chic boutique that opened in 2023.

The building is a one-story, post-industrial vibe that could easily be a hip bike café if they ever decide to leave the hotel business.

For now, however, it’s your spot for a super-hip stay in the easy-breezy part of Houston.

What are the rooms like?

Number of rooms: 10 total
Entry-level: Queen Singles, each with a unique theme
More space: Doubles with pullout sofas
Special pick: Jungle King room with a bathtub
Standard amenities: Large TV, robes, slippers, blackout curtains, workspace
See all the rooms in detail here

It’s a super-intimate space, a bit like a hostel in that it’ll be easy to meet other guests, though you can easily hole up in your private room whenever you want.

The smallest rooms are Queen Singles, each with its own design. The furnishings are nothing to write home about, but they’re unobtrusive and functional.

The main decor scheme is accent wall vinyl that gives the room its theme. We’re talking the Hollywood Sign to sports team logos to a tropical island beach.

It could easily be a killer photo salon if they ever decide to leave the hotel business.

Double rooms are comprised of Queen beds and pullout sofas, where two guests could get a suite kind of feel.

There’s a single King room decked out in Pinterest-worthy jungle wallpaper and a bathtub.

In each room you’ll get a large TV, plush robes and slippers, blackout curtains and a working space.

What are prices like?

Check prices here

And what’s the food like? Any facilities we should know about?

Complimentary perks: Free cereal bar, coffee, and tea
Guest kitchen: Cook your own meals if you’d like
Outdoor space: Picnic tables for casual dining
Convenience: Free onsite parking

In the Most American Move Ever, there is a complimentary cereal bar available for all your breakfast needs.

It’s supplemented by all-day free coffee and tea.

It’s set in the shared guest kitchen, where you’ll find everything you need to cook for yourself.

Picnic tables outside are great for a couple of beers and some home-cooked dinner.

It’s perfect if you’re one of those travelers, and it’s a good spot to be one of those travelers. We’re not looking at a hub of nightlife here.

Thus, the free onsite parking is a definite plus, an easy place to keep the car while you relax at night and prep for the next day’s adventures.

How is the neighborhood? Anything interesting nearby?

Local vibe: East Downtown / Second Ward, more residential
Nearby highlights: Local brewery, art gallery, and concept spaces
Museum lovers: Amon Carter, Museum Park, Houston Zoo, Hermann Park
Further afield: Montrose nightlife & art, Space Center Houston

East Houston, between East Downtown and the Second Ward, is not a rip-roaring center of revelry.

If you want to be stumbling home during the wee hours of the morning, we’d recommend a stay somewhere else.

Instead, it has a residential feel, perfect for walks around, that anyone traveling with a dog might appreciate.

Scattered about are a few notable hidden gems, such as a local brewery and a warehouse-y art gallery.

There’s a concept neighborhood feel to some parts of the area. It gives equal parts hip youth and gentrification.

For more typical Houston tourism, we’ll get you in a car.

The city is well-known for its museums, many of them accessible in Museum Park, a 10-minute drive from the hotel.

Not too far south from Museum Park is the Houston Zoo and Hermann Park, both great places to explore.

Further west, you’ll find the more hip Montrose, which is also home to the Menil Collection and the Rothko Chapel, a pilgrimage for any contemporary art fan.

Montrose is also a great place to spend an evening, with a good variety of bars and restaurants to check out.

You can make the 15-minute drive back to the hotel via rideshare.

For a full day out, head halfway to Galveston to Space Center Houston and other NASA experiences, both about a half an hour from the city.

And what about the reviews? What did other guests think?

Some things guests liked:

“I absolutely loved my stay here. Such a cool unique hotel. Very clean. Very safe. Very beautiful. The lobby and my room was beautiful and the neighborhood has so many awesome places to explore….”

“I love that the property is in a convenient location! It was very clean the first time I stayed with them, so I booked with them again & the experience was just as good as the first time so I will be a returning customer for sure….”

Some things guests didn’t like:

”Super thin walls, the couple on the room beside us were having super loud sex we could hear everything this went on for almost 2 hours. She was loud and we had a graduation next day and we were driving for 8 hours so we needed the sleep….”

”The only thing I don’t really like is the open shower concept, love the idea but the water from the shower gets absolutely everywhere. Would be nice if they offered law enforcement discounts but won’t stray me away from booking with them again….”

Read all the reviews right here