I've stayed at Hotel Derek several times now and have never been disappointed. The key is the great value: the rooms are in cute boutiquey style and clean and well laid-out; the staff consistently friendly and helpful and professional; its location is great -- quick to Galleria, quick to downtown or museum district, quick to River Oaks; and it's so easy to get to from 290 and I-10. The weekend rates are awesome.

This hotel is not super high-gloss with 24-hour room service and a happening bar. It feels like fun, affordable chic to stay there, but if you want the W, this is not it. It is absolutely 5 stars for its category.

The hotel pretty much borders on the boutique what with a quaint lobby, nicely done interiors, a charming Italian restaurant and modern rooms. Rooms are spacious, LCDs with HD channels (a first), good shower area, clean and spacious desk. I actually could not spend a lot of time at the hotel owing to a tight schedule. However, it did not lack services. The staff was fairly courteous, the most helpful being the bell boys and the concierge staff. The taxi drops were a disaster however and we kept on scouting for the hotel in-house service and the taxi to the hotel for almost half hour before managing something. It was seeming as if since we had checked out, we didnt deserve to be looked into. However I would say that may have been an issue for the day.

I have stayed at the Derek Hotel in Houston a few tmes in different time-spans and I assume therefore under different ownerships and management..Hence this review is kind of a cumulative experience.
The very first thing that strikes you about the Derk Hotel is its 'boutique' style which has been retained over the years.This is reflected more in its rooms,restaurant and even its business centre whereas the reception is a typically standard one and which you get to see in most 5 star hotels..However the different times that I have stayed at this hotel,the friendliness and charm of the reception staff has been uniformly extra-ordinary to say the least.Somehow I get the feeling that different managements over the years have nurtured this feature irrespective of their possibly diverse outlooks.
The restaurant foreshadowed by the bar is a 'must visit' for any fellow traveller.The bar is very lively specially on week ends as can be expected and the overall friendliness and informality is quite contagious.The restaurant itself is superb for its Italian fare and also worth a try atleast once.
The Business Centre is self-serviced and the posters and photographs hanging on the walls are quirky and also worth a look.
Where the hotel is found wanting is in its room service which takes inordinately long and seems to be short-staffed.I would advise fellow travellers to try out instead the nearby restaurants and eateries catering to different cuisines and expense accounts.Actually the location is terrific as far as the Derek Hotel is concerned,Its in the general Galleria area and everything from shopping to music to books is available in abundance and in close proximity.
The tarriff for the hotel is also very competitive (specially if you surf the net) and is real value for money.
Last but not the least have been the conceirge staff who are very helpful in every possible way in informed tips,baggage handling and in transportation needs.

Hotel Derek was pleasant with large room. Bathroom was very small. Staff was attentive. I was surprise at how loud the road noice was in the room all night.