2712 Southwest Fwy, Houston, Texas, United States | (618) 248-8274
Convenient location in Houston's city center
Comfortable rooms with microwaves, mini-fridges, and flat-screen TVs
Outdoor pool with sun loungers
Free buffet breakfast
Kavana Healing Arts Spa on-site
Reed's Bar and Lounge
On-site 24-hour fitness center
Coin-operated laundry and same day dry cleaning
Extensive meeting rooms and event spaces
24-hour business center
Fee for Wi-Fi unless a rewards member
Daily fee for parking
Rooms look bland and uninspired
Smoke free hotel (a pro for some)
The mid-range, 354-room Crown Plaza River Oaks provides an affordable hotel option in the heart of Houston, near shops, restaurants, and entertainment. A chain hotel, the Crown Plaza offers convenience and simple but sizable rooms, with categories ranging from Standard Rooms to suites. As an added perk, the property has a spa attached, which offers an array of body and beauty treatments as well as massages. The hotel has a fitness center and moderately sized outdoor pool. On-site meeting rooms and event spaces are extensive.
Scene
Little character, but meets expectations
Crown Plaza River Oaks is a huge sandy brown building that’s a prominent part of the Houston skyline. The scene at the hotel is simple and standard for a mid-range property. The decor is generally chain-like, with ruddy brown tiling and a large collection of vaguely modern love seats and chairs flanked by planter-filled trees in the lobby. The hotel has a large amount of generic meeting space and a 24-hour business center as well. Reeds, the brand that hosts the hotel’s restaurant and bar/lounge, does not rise above the chain stereotype. With once-plush high-top chairs, beige booths, and a buffet breakfast, the space appears to be like any basic restaurant and bar.
Location
Conveniently located in center of Houston
Crown Plaza River Oaks is in Houston’s city center, close to businesses, entertainment, and restaurants, including Goode Company Seafood, Corner Bakery Cafe, and Kata Robata, making the venue convenient for business travelers and vacationers alike. Travelers looking for retail destinations will enjoy the hotel’s proximity to the Galleria Mall, a short drive west, while comic book/fantasy lovers can walk down the block to Third Planet Sci-Fi Superstore. The hotel is about a 30-minute drive south from the airport and right off I-69, making it easy to get around and about the city.
Rooms
Clean, sizeable, and generic
Crown Plaza’s rooms are generally spacious, yet undistinguished. The warm tones -- wood headboards, gold and brown carpet, and marble bathrooms -- make the room bright, but they still feel characterless. Room categories range from Standard Units to Suites, with a mix of king- and queen-size beds available. Units come with 32-inch flat-screen TVs, iPod docking stations, mini-fridges, microwaves, and coffeemakers. Internet will cost extra if you’re not a rewards member. Bathrooms are clean and large, with a full stock of toiletries, including Temple Spa soaps and Scope mouthwash.
Features
Outdoor pool and on-site restaurant, as well as a spa -- a surprising addition
The straightforward, chain-based amenities at Crown Plaza River Oaks are just about as expected. The property’s greatest feature might in fact be its price point and location in the heart of Houston.On-site establishment Reeds Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner while also having a bar/lounge on hand for cocktails. A blase breakfast buffet is free. In addition, the Crown Plaza has a moderately sized fitness center with cardio and weight machines and an outdoor pool. The pool patio is a bit cramped with tables and the pool itself isn’t large, but its light turquoise water appears clean and offers a place to relax. As a surprising perk, Kavana Healing Arts Spa is connected to the Crown Plaza and offers body and beauty treatments, something not typical with a hotel of this caliber.For corporate travelers and those seeking to host special events, the Crown Plaza's meeting rooms and floor spaces are extensive, able to hold up to 500 people in a variety of layouts.