opposite: Hotel Sorella’s lobby, with its apple green chandelier, where guests can enjoy a daily continental breakfast. This page, left to right: The front desk at Hotel Sorella is the guest’s first encounter with the hotel's exceptional customer service. Shrimp and Tasso Pinchos and Levanta Muertos cocktail at Alex BrennanMartin’s Bistro Bar. Bistro Alex has a definitive style, combining a weathered Texas steakhouse with the posh style of CityCentre. Guestrooms at Hotel Sorella have a modern décor and boast a small seating area. Most rooms overlook the bustling CityCentre.
Living in Austin, we are fortunate to have a few cos-
mopolitan cousins just down the road – one of which is Houston, an easy three-hour drive down Highway 290 or 71. The sprawling metropolis of Houston has accommodations, eateries and activities for every taste, from classic to modern and back again. Here is our guide for your next trip to H-town.
MODERN OR CLASSIC? If you choose Door #1, “modern,” head to West Houston’s new CityCentre development and stay at the ultra-chic Hotel Sorella (Sorella is Italian for “sister”). CityCentre has a similar feel to Austin’s Domain development. Hotel Sorella is conveniently located central to Studio Movie Grill (a theater in between Alamo Drafthouse and Gold Class Cinema varieties) as well as many restaurants and bars. The guest rooms are spacious and comfortable with a contemporary décor. You’ll find plush bedding, a cozy chaise lounge and a sectional sofa in the junior guest suite. Other amenities include free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel and a continental breakfast including fresh fruit and local coffee. Hotel Sorella also boasts a one-of-kind, floating staircase evocative of a modern sculpture and a rooftop infinity pool overlooking CityCentre’s central plaza, outfitted with luxe loungers, custom lanterns and draped cabanas. Next to the pool is Monnalisa, a sleek bar and lounge with an impressive central fireplace and starlit ceiling. On weekends, Monnalisa hosts live bands (likely, some of your Austin favorites). The hotel’s signature restaurant and bar is Bistro Alex, which was created by famed restaurateur Alex Brennan-Martin (of New Orleans’ Brennan’s restaurant). Both the Houston Chronicle and the Houston Business Journal named Bistro Alex as one of the city’s top new res-
taurants in 2010. At Bistro Alex, you can explore Executive Chef Juan Carlos Gonzalez’s Puerto Rican influences and seasonal musings. The downstairs bar is ideal for meeting friends for cocktails before dinner. The bar menu has some definite stand-out choices, such as the Flatbreads (caprese-style and even hamburger-style!). Other tasty choices are: Black-eyed Pea Hummus, Goat Cheese and Spinach Stuffed Profiteroles, Shrimp & Tasso Pinchos, Boudin Balls and a Medianoche Sandwich. Mixologists behind the Bistro Bar create a wide variety of concoctions. “Classic Cocktails” include an Original Daiquiri, Sazerac and Pimm’s Cup, or you can choose from “Twisted Classics” such as a Cucumber Pepperita with tequila lime and cracked black pepper or a Vanilla Sidecar with vanilla liqueur, Grand Marnier and lemon juice. The Alex Bistro restaurant, on the second floor, has outstanding customer service, an enticing atmosphere and an array of delicious wine and food selections. Waiters can offer assistance on wine selections and pairings. Try the Three-Course Package where you can enjoy a soup or salad, an entrée (such as the Braised Beef Ribs with grits) and a dessert of your choice from the menu. Scoring a table near the glass wall that looks out on the hallway offers people-watching entertainment throughout the night, as folks walk to and from the Monnalisa bar. Hotel Sorella has the unique ability to serve its guests in tandem with CityCentre. For instance, across the plaza is the flagship, 140,000-square-foot Life Time Athletic Club, which features indoor and outdoor pools, a rock climbing wall, squash, more than 400 pieces of cardiovascular and resistance machines, Pilates and yoga
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