Yikes. We have very different definitions of what constitutes a 5 star luxury hotel. It has to include excellent service to me, and there’s a reason so few luxury designations of Houston hotels include the Post Oak Hotel. The Post Oak has a very new, nice hard product, indeed—reminiscent of a flashy blend between Vegas and the Monarch Beach Hotel in SoCal—but is woefully lacking in 5 star service from the few times I’ve dined and had drinks there. Also, those hookers at the bar don’t really impress me.

The StR isn’t as new and does need a renovation, but its service is top drawer. The StR knows how to handle discerning guests. The Post Oak hasn’t much of a clue. And the rates reflect that reality.

Ironically, my friends in Houston still say the StR, desperate as it may be for a refurbishment, is the toast of the town. The FS is a disaster of poor design and the JW is an exercise in huge and boring corporate design with little service ethos (much like the Post Oak).