When your birthday falls the same week as your wedding anniversary and Thanksgiving, it’s easy to feel ignored. To ensure my husband’s birthday was special, I booked us a weekend stay at one of Houston’s iconic luxury hotels — Four Seasons. Tastefully decorated for the holidays, the lobby sparkled with white Christmas lights.

Known as “Houston’s Living Room,” the downtown property recently completed a multiphase revamp of the guestrooms and specialty suites. The contemporary design is anything but sterile. The color pallet draws inspiration from the big blue Texas sky, worn saddle leather, dark oak wood and antique brass. The combination creates a warm space evoking urban sophistication.

The professional staff quickly checked us in to our 10^th-floor premier executive mobility accessible suite. On the coffee table, Champagne and a slice of birthday cake awaited as a surprise for Jim. After a celebratory toast, we took a moment to explore the 700-square-foot suite.

© Jim Twardowski

A sliding oak door separates the living area from the bedroom — windows overlooking the cityscape. A huge sofa with a lounger sat across from a 65-inch, flat-screen television. We could have comfortably entertained three other couples. A bar is tucked into a corner and contains a minibar of liquors and edible treats.

The marble bathroom is conveniently located beside the foyer. Designed to accommodate a wheelchair user, there’s ample turning radius. The tub features a hand-held adjustable shower head and grab bars. The well-lit space provides clearance under the sink for a wheelchair, as well as a handy extending make-up mirror. Plenty of fluffy towels, a blow dryer, travel-sized Erno Laszlo bath products, two robes and two pairs of slippers completed the bathroom amenities. The bedroom features a second television, a king-sized bed and a cozy reading chair with an assortment of magazines.

The hotel offers a spa, a 24-hour fitness center, and a rooftop pool with cabanas and fire pits. Another popular activity is the TopGolf Swing Suite where patrons take virtual swings.

© Jim Twardowski

To commemorate Jim’s birthday, we had dinner at ToroToro. The Pan-Latin steakhouse is just over a year old and located on the third floor of the hotel. The name comes from the Spanish word for bull and the Japanese word for tuna. While nibbling on sweetcorn empanadas, our smokey cocktails arrived. Our entree, designed to serve three, was the Toro Toro Churrasco — Brazilian-style Picanha steak, rib-eye, chicken Cusco and lamb chops. Cooked to perfection, we were pleased our son could join us and share the succulent feast. The lively restaurant buzzed with activity and has quickly garnered praise for Chef Richard Sandoval’s international menu and inventive cooking techniques.

Located downtown, Four Seasons is ideal for business travelers or visitors like us who want to be near metropolitan attractions. The hotel sits just steps from Discovery Green — an urban park with the city’s only outdoor ice-skating rink, a short walk from the award-winning Alley Theatre and a 2-mile drive from Buffalo Bayou.

On the second day of our stay, we opted to explore Buffalo Bayou where bicyclists, runners and dog owners were out enjoying the natural setting with Houston’s impressive skyline as a backdrop. Returning to Four Seasons, my husband picked up a complimentary newspaper and contentedly read beside a blazing fire — his favorite way to unwind on a lazy Sunday.

Four Seasons Hotel Houston

1300 Lamar St.
Houston, TX 77010
tel 713 650 1300