The JW Marriott - Downtown Houston

Sometimes you just need to get away. From life. Responsibilities. Time. Chores. Well, that's exactly what we did this past weekend to celebrate our two-year wedding anniversary. We packed a small bag and headed into downtown Houston for a weekend at the JW Marriott. Rarely do we splurge for a nice place to stay so it was genuinely refreshing to be in a beautiful hotel with no worries at all.

There's something freeing about staying in a nice hotel. It just makes you feel like the world is at your fingertips. From an amazing staff to a wonderful restaurant and bar, the JW had exactly what we needed for a calm weekend away. We debated going for a quiet place to bask in serenity, but we're urbanites at heart and a downtown vibe just felt right.

The room was absolutely beautiful and lacked nothing. From the full size tub to the separate living and dining area, we felt like royalty. We even had a complimentary bottle of champagne waiting for us with dessert. There really was no way to not relax and enjoy the sounds of the city as it passed by beneath us. Our soundtrack each night consisted of the gentle rolling of the Metro Light Rail beneath and a surprisingly soothing song selection that accompanied the Marriott ad channel showing the different JW properties around the globe. This place was meant for slowing down and enjoying life.

Situated in the heart of downtown Houston, the JW Marriott makes it easy to enjoy all that the newly revitalized area has to offer. For our first night out we made sure to visit one of our favorite places, Prohibition Supper Club and Bar. The front consists of a 1920's themed restaurant that serves traditional Southern style food with an upscale twist, while the back holds a vaudevillian style burlesque themed show on the weekends. We opted to just hang out up front and enjoy some of the tasty treats and some custom-made concoctions from some of our favorite bartenders in town.

If you've never been, it's worth going just for the people watching. Never have we been disappointed by the constantly rotating cast of characters, especially on nights when the show is going on in the theater. There's nothing not to love about Prohibition, from the period-styled art on the walls to the simple take on great Southern food, it's always a great night out.

Saturday was spent mostly lounging around the hotel, plus we had to go see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. For dinner we headed over to Pappas Bros. Steakhouse and ended up sitting by one of the players from the San Antonio Spurs. Not only did we have a fantastic steak, we came up with the idea to go hang out at the Four Seasons since that was where the rest of the Spurs players were staying. If you haven't picked it up already, my wife is a massive Spurs fan. They were in town for their playoff series against the Houston Rockets and it just seemed liked we needed to bump into them.

Well, as we sat in the bar lobby of the Four Seasons, that's exactly what happened. Kim got to meet her favorite sports personality, Spurs' head coach Greg Popovich. She still grins every time I bring it up in conversation. It was the perfect end to our last full day of the staycation.

After sleeping in on Sunday and enjoying a late checkout, it was off to home to hang out with our pup. If you're ever in need of some time away, downtown Houston is the perfect place. It feels like a totally different city from the rest of the area. With a large amount of amazing restaurants, bars and entertainment, you just can't go wrong.