The St. Regis Houston

I’ve been to High Tea at St. Regis several times in the past few years, but our latest visit on 5÷22÷16 was a major disappointment. The service was fine, but the food was sub par at best. High Tea is all about the scone and Devonshire cream, and both were very disappointing. The scone is basically a biscuit and the devonshire cream is basically heavy whipping cream. I don’t need to pay $ 45 to get that. The tea sandwiches were dry, bread must have been sitting out for a while. We always look forward to High Tea at the St. Regis, unless you change it back to the way it was, we won’t be visiting again.

This was my first high tea but the experience was exceptional. We had champagne, two types of teas, mini sandwiches, a dessert plate, a white chocolate mousse and macaroons Togo. Delightful. The passion fruit meringue was one of my favorites of the afternoon. The live harpist was a lovely touch and the service was outstanding. I have already recommended it to others and hope to be back!
Their tea blends were very good, but I would have liked to see a menu to select from their different teas as well as the ability to elect for lactose free dessert options.

Amazing hotel. Great service, very comfortable beds, friendly cleaning staff. Everything you would hope for staying at a St. Regis

First off, I love this hotel in general. I work in the events industry and always love coming to this hotel, because the staff is fabulous!
This past Sunday I attended a Bridal Shower Tea here for one of my close friends who is getting married. My friend and I arrived in our hats and the sweet valet commented on how pretty we looked and let us know our cars would be waiting here when we were ready to leave. He already knew why we were there and directed us where to go once inside. His name was Benny and was just the nicest guy!
The room was set up perfectly and looked absolutely darling! All the girls trickled in one by one and they were serving champagne for us before the actual tea began. They also had a harpist there playing off to the side who did a wonderful job and really set the scene for the perfect tea!
We then were served several teas and enjoyed wonderful scones, sandwiches and other sweets! The food was great and the perfect fit for an afternoon tea!
All of us girls had the best time and the staff was nothing but friendly! I loved it so much I already booked Mother’s Day Tea there for May. Can’t wait!

Due to a snafu between hotel system, 3^rd party I booked thru, and the fact I didn’t have the confirmation printout to show the receptionists at check-​in, St Regis was unable to see the reservation for the 2^nd room I’d booked. Woman at the front desk says ‘We’ll place a pending hold on your cc while we search for the 2^nd room booking’. OK.
Well not only do they charge $ 200 for room #1, and $ 245 for room #2… they charge yet ANOTHER $ 280 on top of that. No pending hold anywhere in sight, just charges upon charges. Good thing I’m in the habit of looking up cc charges regularly. I confirm w/​the bank that all those were charges– not holds that were going to clear, and also that if I’m unable to get them to take off the erroneous $ 200, the cc will dispute w/​St Regis, given the record of charges.
I call St Regis to discuss this issue. The front desk acts as if this had never happened before: «it’ll be a little while before we can have Mgr X look at this and call you back.» OK. I walk this mgr or back office guy thru this extra charge background when he calls. His attitude is one reserved for scammers. «It’ll be 10 days before this hold can clear, due to the bank». Say what?! It’s not a hold, it’s a CHARGE, and nothing takes 10 days in this new millennium, esp not bank transactions, okay? I explain to him again what the snafu was that resulted in their hotel charging in effect for a 3^rd room. He asks me for info about the other person’s name who might have figured on the 2^nd room reservation; I tell him guy’s first name + last initial; that’s what I’d put down on the booking site. He says, word for word: «that is impossible.» This, ladies and gents, from a person who represents a 5-​star Starwood property.
Never again staying at a St Regis, and I’m gonna make sure that despite having Starwood members in the family we’ll be avoiding Starwood properties going forward.
Here i was thinking what a killing I’d made paying such a great room rate for such a luxurious hotel… nope.
[One star for the tea service– I understand it’s acceptable based on the other reviews.]

Five stars is not enough to describe the total experience of the St Regis Hotel and catering department. With my guests occupying 42 rooms in the hotel I feel I have had sufficient feedback to allow me to say this hotel offered my guests a 5 Diamond experience! The rooms are the largest in the city with updated elegant features and the service for needs big and small was superior! The catering staff if it is possible should have a 7 Diamond rating. Everyone from the bellman to the head chef was friendly outgoing and generous with their time. Most wonderful of all was Lauren Evans our coordinator for the whole wedding weekend experience. With nine months to plan every detail Laura and I exchanged untold phone calls and over 100 emails. Every request or question was thoughtful responded to, quickly, thoughtfully and cheerfully. Lauren’s attention to detail and never ending positive attitude was a blessing to us every step of the way. With all these positive experiences leading up to the wedding it is not surprising that with Lauren’s constant oversight we delivered the wedding of my daughters dreams. Lauren suggestion for a DJ was also very successful. LG Entertainment made the room look beautiful with subtle color changes and music they kept my guess dancing all night! The wedding cake provided by catering department at the St Regis was Beautiful and many of my guess complemented it as the best wedding cake they had ever had. Surprisingly my guests were even offered limousine service to nearby event locations by the concierge when they asked for a cab. I could list more wonderful treats and special treatment my guess and we received but this is already a very long post. I only have one daughter and I gave her the very best by having our event at the St Regis of Houston.

Our favorite place to have a «staycation». Service is impeccable every time. Love the bar and the service in there as well. We always feel like movie stars staying here because of the treatment they give to every individual. The rooms are spacious and the beds are almost as comfortable as yours at home. A+ all the way!

The Remington restaurant is a must visit! I came here for lunch on a weekday, and the service was quick and the food was even better. You know this hotel is one of a kind if all the celebrities like Beyonce and One Direction stay here.

I loved this hotel the moment we drove into the driveway. The valet greeting was so happy and helpful. The reservations were easy to make. The help with our luggage to our room was first class. The room is amazingly beautiful and very well planned. Our room service tea was every bit delightful. Our morning breakfasts here have been perfect. The hotel helped us w dogs bowls and bed that we forgot. The stereo in the room is really good. The amenities, like shampoo and soap, etc, are excellent. The St Regis tea brand is delicious. There are two parks around the corner to walk our dogs. There is an excellent restaurant and bar. The surrounding area is quiet. We are definitely coming back.

It has become a tradition to stay at the St. Regis for our wedding anniversary. We have done it the last 3 years. We come to Houston to dinner and always want to stay at a nice hotel and they never disappoint… WOW! The hotel is nestled away in the trees and kind of alone and hidden. The customer service is ALWAYS top notch. Chocolate covered strawberries were in our room. The rooms are clean, the beds are comfy, and the hotel bar is fun:) They only couple things I would change if I could would be the water pressure in the shower and the robes (They should be a comfy, soft terry cloth) Other than that, it was just perfect! So clean, well run and maintained.
I am in customer service and it is SO important to me how things are handled and how people are treated. EVERYTIME we come here we are treated with such respect and called by name, it is very special. We will be back again next year:) and the year after and the year after… lol

I love that there are only three elevators and 12 floors to this hotel. It gives that boutique feel, and I like the personal attention. Would definitely stay here again. However, because it is small, there are no taxi’s waiting for you (they have to call one). But I used über, and only had to wait 4 minutes.

I had a work product training class here today and don’t understand what the fuss about this hotel is about. My first visit here. Not impressed. Signage is not very clear, to tell visitors it’s a Valet parking only hotel. Luckily, I looked up parking before I arrived and it was covered… but Still. Upon arriving, no one greets you with hello as they take your keys. Is that normal? Where is the Southern Hospitality in Houston? I thought we were friendly? ;) The man that hands my ticket asks me several questions like: the reason for visit and how long I will be. Is that normal? Was kinda creepy. Anyhow, entering the hotel you see the front desk and without a staff there I would be so lost to find my way to my meeting room. Apparently, I looked lost. A man who clearly is not a staff asks me why I’m at hotel. I politely respond and walk away. Ok, so our lunch was salad, Mexican rice (which was not good. Taste like it had been sitting out too long). We had fajitas beef & chicken and all the toppings. Dulce Leche was not good at all. I don’t think it was the real thing. I’ve had some really good ones in past and that one def was not good. Food was ok. Nothing spectacular. Service was good… staff came in to clear tables and refill drinks. So leaving to get my car. the staff was nowhere to be found. There were several staff chatting until you look at them for attention. My car was brought back rather quickly… bonus for that! I didn’t find this hotel to be 5 star at all. I’ll pass on the tea that everyone raves about here…

High tea in Houston!
I’ve only come to the St. Regis for their afternoon tea, and it’s wonderful. Their mini sandwiches, cookies, mini desserts, and freshly made scones are to die for. It’s white gloved service, without being overly stuffy.
The only problem that it is very expensive, like $ 70 for tea and cookies expensive, but I guess you’re paying for the experience.
The hotel itself is as nice as you would expect from a 5 star hotel, but the location is a bit off…
All in all a great experience, and for my 100^th review, a well deserving place to celebrate.

Reservations are required for high tea, which takes place Friday-​Sunday 3 PM-​5 PM. Traditional tea service costs $ 45/​person, while the traditional and beyond tea service costs $ 55/​person. The slight difference between the two is the traditional tea service include an English Trifle Coupe and endless choice of tea room bubbles. Our waiters, Jorge and Gregoria, were so attentive and paid such great attention to detail. I was blown away by the service. Jorge recommended two teas for us during the tea service. We started with the organic green tea and switched to the St. Regis blend once the currant scone was served.
High Tea starts off with an amuse-​bouche. The signature tea sandwiches include:
Cucumber-​Watercress with Boursin Cheese
Aged Gruyère, Roasted Peppers & Pecans
Smoked Salmon with Caper Egg Salad
Bresaola Beef & Provolone
Chicken Salad with Dried Cranberries
There was a difference in opinions when it came to the favorite signature tea sandwich. Cheryl’s favorite was the chicken salad, mine was the aged gruyère with roasted pepper and pecans, while the rest of the girls liked the cucumber-​watercress sandwich.
My favorite item during high tea was the currant scone with Devonshire cream, served warm after the sandwiches were finished. We had the options of adding either strawberry preserves, raspberry preserves, or honey. The hands down favorite was the honey with Devonshire cream. The warm scone just absorbed the honey and cream, so you got some with every bite.
The trio of pastries followed the scone. The selection of pastries were fruit tart, lemon meringue tart, and a chocolate cake. The fruit tart was my favorite. By the time we got to the pastries, we were all pretty full. We were each sent home with a gift box of assorted macarons, which I really appreciated.
Overall, it was an excellent experience and Cheryl states this has been her favorite high tea experience to date. I would highly recommend this for a group of girlfriends, but be sure to make a reservation in advance. Valet parking is also validated during High Tea, but be sure to tip your valet guys.

Four stars are given to the outstanding service, beautiful and relaxing afternoon tea room, sandwishes and the freshly made tiny~raisin fluffy scones. Having an afternoon tea with friend to catch up and listening to harp music in the background was very relaxing.
We started off with a plate of savory sandwishes. There were five kinds. My top ones were the smoke salmon, chicken salad, and a sweet cream or jam w slice of cheese sandwish. The other two were cucumber and prosciutto, they are more plain in flavor. Want to call out the chicken salad. It was outstanding, very fresh, and the meat was so tender that it almost tasted like duck confit. Cranberry added just enough tart and sweet flavor to bring the sandwish to another level. It is not the typical chicken salad we have else where. Smoke salmon was good in a soft pumpernickel bread with special soft cheese for a smooth texture.
Moving on to the SCONE! It was soft on the inside, harder shell for a normal scone texture on the outside. As you split it open, you see the steam and instantly you know it is fresh out of the oven. This is probably the best part of the food experience. It is almost like a lightly sweetened, fluffy, and warm biscuit and yet you don’t taste the overly powerful butter. The tiny riasins didn’t have much strong flavor which is just right to not pull you away from tasting the cream and jam. then Spreading on freshly made whipped cream and Staud‘s raspberry jam, just let your mouth enjoy the flavor and testure of this warm, soft, and delicious scone. I never was a big fan of raspberry jam. But this tiny bottle was really fresh and the raspberry flavor was so pure and it had just enough tartness and you really don’t taste anything artificial. I am a big fan of natural ingredients.
After the scone, the final plate consists of two kinds of tarts and a cake. It was just okay, not that good. We had two people and instead of having two of each kind, I would rather have more variety and one of each kind to share BC by that time you mostly likely want to just have one bite of each to try out the flavor. Both the lemon and fruit tart wasnt good, tart crust was hard. The chocolate cake is a bit dry and grainny. Feel like they have been sitting out for too long. I would suggest to take out the lemon tart and add a light mousse cup (whether it is sweet or tart, just something on the lighter side) to conclude the High Tea.
Over all, had a great time w girl friend to catch up and relax and just have some laughters.

I came to the St Regis for high tea for a friends birthday. Reservations for high tea are hard to come by so highly recommended. We made our reservations a good month in advance.
The experience was nice overall. We had requested ahead of time a vegetarian sandwich selection and some requested no ham and they honored this request.
They offered a lengthy tea menu and I chose a couple based on suggestion of the waiter. Although I’m not much into tea, I did enjoy it.
My favorite part was the fresh scone and clotted cream. The scone was perfect hard on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.
The pastries they served were alright. I thought they lacked flavor. They were all mild. The macarons they gave in a gift box at the end of high tea was a nice touch.
At the price point, I’m not sure how soon I would be back but it was worth a try.

I have been coming to this hotel since 2009, usually in town at least once a month. The service is always great, the rooms are clean and they have a great workout facility.

I had the privilege of staying here at the St. Regis a few times and each time I enjoyed it. This is close to the Galleria but away from the horrible traffic that the Galleria has. It’s quiet each and every time I’m here. The service here is great. The staff here is very attentive and professional. I love how they pay extra close attention to detail especially in my room. I recommend this hotel to everyone.

Definitely my favorite place to stay in Houston. Love the low key location. It’s usually going to be a bit more expensive than most hotels but you are paying for a supreme level of service and professionalism. They pay close attention to detail for instance their work desk will usually come stocked with envelopes rubber bands paper clips etc. Whereas your typical hotel will just have an empty desk notepad and pen. Some rooms may also come with balconies.
The staff here is all extremely friendly and professional and eager to meet all your requests. The property is immaculate and the beds are extremely comfortable. I ordered the room service twice and the delicious. I had the chicken panini the club sandwich and the chicken quesedilla all were very good and and promptly. Turn down service is nice I came back to my room to find the curtains closed chocolates and slippers ready to go and light music playing.
You definitely want to give this hotel a try when in Houston.

AFTERNOON TEA SERVICE REVIEW
I’m totally in agreement with Aimee L that tea service is awesome, and I really enjoyed the experience at the St. Regis.
This is only the third time I’ve experienced a tea service, but this by far was the classiest of them all. Overall, it was a wonderful experience and a nice way of enjoying a drink and light bites with a friend.
Chronologically, let’s go through the process:
1. PARKING: Free valet.
2. ARRIVAL: I think they only take reservations. We were seated immediately on a cozy couch. There are also tables, but since we were a part of 2, this made sense for us. They looked like they could accommodate a larger part of 12. However, the whole parlor might only be able to fit in 20 – 30 people at most. (Call to confirm this with them.)
3. AMBIANCE: This was everything that you’d expect from a 4 – 5 star hotel. There was a live harpist who played all my show tune and classical favorites including some contemporary «classical» music from the 2005 Pride and Prejudice soundtrack.
4. SERVICE: I’ll admit that I had a hard time understand the accents of the waitstaff, as did my friend. However, it was equivalent to white-​glove service. It was fantastic! You get to choose from two teas; they have suggestions for you if you don’t want to use your brain.
— — TEA (their recommendations) — —
: White Tip Darjeeling: «The champagne of teas»
This one was very light and milde for a black tea. They didn’t oversteep this and make it too acidic or bitter. It was pleasant and not overpowering. Then again, I don’t think it particularly brought out the taste of the first course (finger sandwiches.)
: St. Regis Blend:
This was made specifically for the St. Regis. I had this with our scone and dessert courses. It was much fuller-​bodied as my Unilocal friend Lydia might say. It had notes of bergamot and florals. If you don’t like Earl Greys but go for a classic English breakfast tea, stay away from this.
NOTE: I’m a green tea girl. However, I was not displeased with this black teas they had on hand.
— — FOOD — —
SANDWICH COURSE
: Smoked salmon.
Nice, light, not overpoweringly fishy or cream-​cheesey. Interesting and good herb, though I can’t place it.
: Red Bell Pepper and Gruyère.
FREAKIN’ AMAZING! «Pinkies up» amazing. Indubitably. Quite lovely. Quite!
: Olive prosciutto.
Hmm. Definitely not my favorite. The prosciutto is the only flavor until you bite into the olive. I’m NOT a fan of olives, and this one killed the sandwich for me.
: Chicken salad sandwich.
Surprisingly sweet, but not in a bad way. The sprouts were a nice touch.
: Cucumber.
I’m sure most people would start with this one. I suggest ending with it as it’s a palette cleanser! (Well, start with it if you have tastes in your mouth before getting your tea on.) It was sweet and refreshingly cool.
SCONE COURSE
: Scone with clotted cream, which is like unsweetened whipped cream. It had lovely currants in it and could be enjoyed with a strawberry jam, raspberry jam, or honey. Good, but so filling that I didn’t get to dessert at this seating.
DESSERT COURSE
(I won’t review these because I didn’t eat them fresh at the sitting.)
: Lemon tart with a browned meringue/​whip on top
: Fruit tart
: Opera cake
— — TAKEAWAY — —
Yes, as Aimee L says, they will give you a to-​go box of three small macarons. They will also let you take any food that you couldn’t finish at the seating.
5. BATHROOMS: The women’s restroom is just outside of the tea lounge and to the left. It is very dim with horrendous overhead lighting that makes you look like a corpse in the mirror and brings out the worst in your complexion issues. They do have a small seating parlor with sconce lighting in case you need to touch up your make-​up. I love the napkins in here for drying your hands.