I need to make reservations fairly quickly and am at a loss. I am going to Houston December 13th and 14th for my early family Christmas. The festivities will be held at my stepsister’s home in Houston. I only know them through my Dad, and don’t really want to ask them. They keep telling me to stay with her. I don’t feel comfortable, since I don’t know them that well. I would rather stay at a hotel, bring my mom for the road trip and be comfortable. So, I need to be close to where they live. She lives off Dairy something in a subdivision? called Shadow Cove. Does anyone know this area, and a suggestion as to where to stay that isn’t the Ritz, but not Motel 6 either?
Houston’s a pretty big place - you’ll want to be careful to get a hotel near the side of town that you’ll be around, or you’ll spend all your time driving. It sounds like you may be talking about Dairy Ashford. I seem to recall there are some streets with “Shadow” in the name near Richmond and Dairy Ashford, but I can’t be certain that’s the subdivision you mean. If it isn’t, then my example below are way off; if it is, I can remember a few places because I used to live near there.
You haven’t narrowed down the price range a whole lot, so say something if these are out of line. On the Belt (aka Beltway 8 aka Sam Houston Tollway) near Westheimer, there are a Holiday Inn, a Red Roof Inn, and a Best Western. I haven’t stayed at any of these in Houston, but I’ve liked them all in other cities.
I hope that helps; if not, add more details about the location (without giving the actual address, of course) and price range, and maybe I can do better.
As NE Texan said, Houston is really big. Saying she lives near Dairy something is just too vague to be of much help recommending hotels.
I would Dairy Ashford and Memorial are on the west side, this link list possibilities. However, you make still be quite a long ways from your sister, depending on what the other part of Dairy “something” is and which end or where in the middle she resides.
If you just want to book a place on Dairy Ashford, which may or may not be near the location you desire, try E City Suites.
Dairy Ashford sounds like it. I’ve been searching on Expedia, but it is hard to narrow it down, since I’m not that familiar with the area. Do I look for something, near the airport, galleria, or downtown? Once I get a general idea, I can call the hotel and ask them how far away I am. I think it is near downtown, but I’m not sure. Best Western or Holiday Inn sounds great, as I am only staying one night. It’s only a 5 hour drive. You gave me a decent start though. I just want to book and finalize, then call and say don’t make the spare bedroom, I don’t want to put you out. What can they say at that point? See, problem solved and I am graciously keeping them from going to any trouble.
Dairy Ashford isn’t near downtown.
You’ll probably want to look for something on the west side of town. Do you know what is the nearest major intersection to the place on Dairy Ashford? There’s a very nice Hilton on Westheimer near Beltway 8, but that might not be close to your area. Depending on where on Dairy Ashford, look on Expedia, etc. for areas called “Westchase” or “Memorial - west”. Both of the airports are some distance away.
Feel free to e-mail me if you need help with directions.
Well, if it’s near downtown, then I was wrong about Dairy Ashford - it’s about 30-45 minutes from downtown at it’s closest point. On the other hand, there aren’t really any housing subdivisions close to downtown.
OK, quick Houston geography: Bush Intercontinental airport is about 30 min. north of downtown; Hobby Airport is about 20 min. south of downtown; the Galleria area is about 20 min. west of downtown; Dairy Ashford is a street about 20 min west of that, and runs north-south, for about - I don’t know - 15 miles? No, that sounds too long, perhaps a bit shorter.
I think you should do your best to try to find out two major streets near your stepsister. Actually, if you already have the address, here’s what I would do: Go to Yahoo Yellow pages (yp.yahoo.com), enter the address, and it can find hotels that are close to the address you give. That site was a real lifesaver when I moved last year.
Sounds very nice of you; I’m in NW Houston, myself but I cannot find any subdivision in the Houston area called ‘Shadow Cove.’
NE Texan is correct - driving from one end of Houston to the other can take over an hour, so it’s important to get a hotel you know to be close to your location. If you have driving directions (?) if you can give some major intersections nearby (at least two) it’ll be easier to pinpoint…
if you post more details regarding major intersections, most of us can help - if not, or if you’re comfortable that you’re at least close - best of luck to you! :o)
Errr… 
I think I’m going to go with yahoo yellow pages. I am almost positvie her number is listed. Great idea. This is difficult for a girl who lives in a town with a population of about oh 1200 max. The nearest big town is 30 miles away and has only 17,000 people if it’s fall semester!!! If not it’s about 13,000. So, thanks for all the help and maybe yall can better understand how a big city like Houston can intimidate a small-town girl. I sure hope this goes well, and I don’t think I’ll go alone. I probably would just get horrified when I saw the traffic and turn around and come home. I have been to Houston before, but never for a purpose other than whatever I felt like doing that day and I had a male escort/driver. I never had to be this specific.
One of the greatly unique wonders of Houston is standing on a city street and looking up, and not being able to see the tops of the skyscrapers through the smog… errrr, clouds.
SIZE=1]That. And the sewer rats. Parents, make sure your kids are close by.[/SIZE] 
But really, Houston is a great city. The traffic’s just nonexistent, practically.
JUST LIKE THE ROADS, CUZ THE MAYOR TORE THEM ALL UP! AH HA HA HA!! 
I wish you luck, and hope that your trip is - if not happy - at least not too miserable.
Oh, and: Cafe Adobe. When you’re looking for something to eat, they have the best Mexican food.
sigh. i miss cafe adobe. there are no good mexican restaurants in new england.
I just tried switchboard.com for the address, using her name. Then onto yp.yahoo.com to enter the address and VOILA!! 15 hotels came up within a 3 mile radius!!! That was alot easier than I thought. I knew you guys could help me. And a special thank you to ** NE Texan ** for the yahoo idea. It works like a charm, I’ll keep that for future use. And for the record Shadow Cove is the street not the subdivision, so that helped yall about 0%.
Seriously, folks. Houston is a fine city with a very vibrant sense of faith.
Like Andrea Yates .
:rolleyes:
Though we are the fourth largest city in the nation we do not face problems cities like Los Angeles and Atlanta do, like corruption.
EVEN THOUGH OUR MAYOR IS A CROOK AND ENRON OWNS THIS TOWN!! AH HA!
I’m on a roll.
We very fondly call them nutria, a rare and endangered overpopulated species. I don’t know where you’re visiting FROM, but Houston is a great big sprawling (how many unpunctuated adjectives can I fit in?) HOT humid western town…
In advance, WELCOME! 
And don’t forget your shorts - it’s too hot for anything else most days! (yes, even on Christmas!)
You’re welcome, Lyra. Have a good trip. Watch out for the mosquitos, they’re still out this time of year, and they have the right-of-way at intersections.
The rats running around UH dorms were like our little pets. We named after the critters from the The Secret of NIMH. Nicodemus was my favorite; my friend liked Mrs. Brisby.
Anyway, there’s a street called Shadow Cove that’s off of Dairy Ashford Road between Richmond Avenue and Westpark Drive. Seems to be just a bit north of the Alief area (south of the I-10 Katy Freeway and west of Beltway 8). It’s been a long time since I’ve been out in that area, so I can’t help you much with specific places. However, there’s got to be something along Dairy Ashford, Westpark, Richmond, Alief-Clodine, or South Kirkwood (all of those streets are within about two miles of the Shadow Cove/Dairy Ashford intersection).
Of course, I could also be way off. Like everyone else has said, it’s too big a city. In general, though, I’d say stay away from hotels that right in the Galleria area. Traffic is a nightmare, especially on Post Oak, Westheimer, Richmond, San Felipe, and the 610 Loop. Traffics a little better around the two airports, but that’s likely to leave you far away from wherever you need to go.
You know, in 5 years at UH, 2 of which I lived in the dorms, I don’t think I saw a rat once. Just lucky, I guess. The squirrels, on the other hand, behaved like rats and filled the niche nicely.
We’ve got rats and mice running around our office! I work in the basement of a large Houston institution (don’t want the powers that be to know I’m spreading rat rumors), and they are all over the place. And, yes, they’re real rats, not Enron executives 
Yeah, those squirrels are something else. Between them and the birds, I can never eat a meal in peace outside.
I’ve seen some rats running around the engineering buildings and the SR buildings, but the most I ever saw was in the Quadrangle. I think there’s a huge nest under the Oberholtzer cafeterias. They always came out at night, and you can see some of the little critters running across the courtyard or along the ledges of the buildings.