I recently traveled to Houston for a friends wedding. The reception was at the Magnolia and I stayed there as well.

Check in very fast and efficient. Check in dude was not the nicest in the world, but he wasn't rude either. Just going through the motions of the day I guess. For checkout they have an "express" where you can just drop your room keys and one copy of your receipt in a box. Very fast and convenient.

The room was great, pretty spacious with nice closet space. King bed was very soft with nice pillows (I'm pretty particular when it comes to hotel pillows). Thermostat worked well also, room was kinda stuffy when I got there so I turned the air down and it cooperated nicely. I loved the bathroom, there was a door which actually separated the shower and toilet from the vanity. Shower was nice size, clean, and had great water pressure.

Visited the gym and I would rate it as average. Had some treadmills and bikes and such, however the weights were a little sparse. The gym is on the top floor (23rd if I remember right, and there is a connecting balcony where the pool and jacuzzi are located. Boy there were some great views!

I would recommend this hotel as I enjoyed it very much (not to mention there is complimentary breakfast in the morning!)

I love the Magnolia for many reasons. It is a beautiful historical landmark which has been transformed into a supremely unique, classy and 1st class Hotel. I have stayed there atleast 14 nights in the last year. It is located in the heart of downtown Houston, one block from Main Street, on Texas Ave.-within walking distance of several high-scale restaurants, live music and pubs. My Wedding Reception was held in the "Magnolia Ballroom" at the Magnolia Hotel-Houston on September 5, 2009. I chose the Magnolia for my Reception venue because of its exquisite interior design, excellent customer-service oriented staff and the reasonable prices. I would definitely recommend this Hotel to anyone looking to stay in a posh, upscale place in a prime spot in downtown Houston.

Was in Houston for a convention. Magnolia is beautiful and the staff extremely helpful. The complimentary transportation took us to convention center and to dinner downtown. Valet was fast, too. Check in was a little slow with only one front desk person. Stayed on the 16th floor and had NO noise. Smaller size of lobby and hallways makes for a more intitmate feel. The king room was larger than most other hotels with a beautiful bathroom.
Breakfast was perfect with scrambled eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, dry cereals, fruit, yogurt, and a variety of muffins. Better than I've had in large hotels that charged $15 for a buffet. Plenty of seating even for families.
A great deal considering the quiet room, great service, transportaion, free internet, free breakfast, 2 free drinks (including sodas) at the evening reception, and the free bedtime cookie buffet.
Definitely go to Vic and Anthony's Steakhouse 3 blks from hotel, but make reservations.

First of all, we prefer Boutique hotels with no kids, so if you are a couple seeking a romantic retreat (like us) or traveler wanting to stay away from families/children - this is not the place for you. We went on Labor Day weekend and there was an Astro's game going on just down the street, so there were lots of families staying at the Magnolia at that time - a slight inconvenience.

Don't bother with the complimentary breakfast - it is quite possibly the worst we have ever had - we have paid less and gotten better at other hotels. Dried up bacon, hashbrowns and runny, undercooked eggs served buffet style - there is also a meager cereal/baked goods bar. Limited condiments kept us from even covering up the boring lack of variety. We both felt sick after eating it. Just skip it and go to one of the nearby restaurants.

You can also skip the valet, if you don't want to pay the expensive daily service fee - there is a garage directly behind the building that is $15 for overnight parking. On our second day there was never even an attendant to take any money so we ended up with free parking.

Those are the only negative things I have to say. Otherwise, we loved the Magnolia - the service was excellent, everyone was friendly, helpful and expedient. The hotel is nicely decorated and clean. It is in a great location downtown and easy to get to and from. Elevators are a little slow at times when there is heavy traffic (mornings).

We had a King Studio room with a kitchenette - it was very roomy, nice and clean. Most importantly, the bed was EXTREMELY COMFORTABLE :) probably one of the most comfortable we have ever stayed in! Also the bathroom has a second sink/vanity area outside the tub/toilet/sink allowing private use of the facilities without compromising other occupants. There is a happy hour from 5-7ish with complimentary beer and wine - and it is well worth it. FYI Our room had hardwired internet so wireless is out. We did not visit the pool area.

Overall we enjoyed our stay and would stay there again under the right circumstances.