sinfonia

I am traveling to MD Anderson and will not have a car. I will need to take a shuttle to/from the airport or be able to walk. I will be traveling by myself and so would like something in a safe area. I have status with Hilton, Marriott, and Starwood so probably prefer any of those.

I booked the Hilton Houston Plaza/Medical Center but after reading Yelp reviews, am really wondering if I made a mistake, so I am still looking for a hotel. The reviews state that the shuttle service is unreliable (but I will definitely need it after a procedure one day) and that the hotel is generally in a very poor state.

Is there a suggestion for a better option that still meets my criteria (within walking distance, shuttle, safe)? Or should I expect that most hotels in the area are similar? I think that something like Hilton Americas is going to be too far.

It is a long story but I am currently staying in a Marriott property and will continue to be registered at it, and since I cannot earn credit at two Marriott properties at the same time, it would probably be easiest if I stayed at Hilton or Starwood. However, I am open to other hotels if they are recommended.

Thank you.

txflyer77

Hermann Park and Rice Village—the areas to the north of the medical center—are very safe.

Consider Uber and Lyft as an alternative to an unreliable shuttle service as "walking distance" and "Houston" are not really compatible requests.

bo1953

Sorry for the health situation and totally understand the concern. Have you tried calling the hospital about this? I Am sure they receive this type of request frequently and can provide more 'reliable' information if someone from Houston does not reply in a timely manner for you.

After getting their recommendations, get a mapping of them and voila, better information for decision making, overall. Possibly a property not thought about may be the place to live while there,,,

Good luck and safe travels

FirstInFlight

I've stayed at that Hilton many times. I thought it was fine. It isn't fancy - it is dated - it's not a great area anymore ... But the rooms are large, the staff are fine, and the breakfast is decent. Plus they deal with patient stays a lot - that may be helpful when compared to a hotel that does not. I thought Americas was awful - cold and corporate.

The old Warwick hotel, which was reopened as Hotel ZaZa might be a nice choice if you are able to get out and about.

krazykanuck

If you don't like the look of the Hilton, there is a Hampton Inn just south of the Med Center. I believe it is a newer property and it features a shuttle, within 3 miles (according to their website) of the hotel which would more than cover the whole med center. I would assume it isn't walkable for you if here for a procedure.

Another recommendation would be the Wyndham Medical Center, which is very conveniently located. I run the 3 mile track around Rice usually once/twice a week so I know the area fairly well; feel free to reach out with any other questions that would help make your stay in Houston better!

cookieee

Starwood does not have a hotel close to MDA. But Starwood points can be converted into Marriott points and this is the closest Marriott to MDA.Houston Marriott Medical Center, 6580 Fannin Street, (Driveway Entrance on 1730 Dryden Road) Houston, Texas 77030 Also the light rail stops 3 blocks away from MDA and some other hotels around there offer a free shuttle. MDA treated my husband 6 months for brain cancer and he left MDA with no active signs of disease. It is a great hospital! We stayed in a furnished apartment 8181 Fannin that also runs a hourly shuttle bus for $1. Finally MDAnderson offers its own hotel called the Rotary House. Jesse H. Jones Rotary House, 1600 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX 77030 Toll-free: 1-800-847-5783. MD Anderson is FANTASTIC. YOU ARE IN THE RIGHT PLACE. The main hospital is 1515 Holcombe so you can not get closer than the Rotary House.

sinfonia

Thank you to all of you who responded to my inquiry about where to stay near MD Anderson. Between all of the responses, it was a wealth of information and all really helped me quite a bit for my last two stays.

Ultimately, I ended up staying at the Marriott on Fannin and found their customer service helpful and accommodating. The shuttle was pretty good and really, I was able to just walk back and forth several times (faster than the shuttle) so it was convenient to be so close. I still never saw the Hilton the whole time I was there (but spent most of my time either in the hotel or two of the hospital buildings or on the shuttle between the three) but intend to check it out next time I am there for more information. I did see the Rotary House but figured if I was going to stay, I might as well earn points and have my status recognized for use of the lounge, etc. (By the way, I was impressed with the lounge hors d'oeuvres because it really amounted to dinner, not just snacks.) I will also check out the Hampton Inn, Wyndham and Hotel Zaza. I will also look into that furnished apartment if it ends up I need to stay there for long periods of time. Hermann Park, Rice Village and the zoo also look intriguing for future stays when I have more time. Thanks for all of the tips!

And cookieee, I quickly grew to understand that you were completely right about being in the right place, and had tons of patients tell me the same thing.

Thanks again to all of you!

Toshbaf

Sometimes, it may be ok to stay on the light rail line so the schedule is reliable, unlike some hotel shuttles.