Houston Lifestyle Forum (Dallas, The Woodlands, Center: live, restaurant, price)

[dallasboi]

Originally Posted by ParaguaneroSwag

With all due respect to Highland Park Village, because it is a very prestigious and iconic shopping center, it’s just a notch below River Oaks District in terms of luxury.

For starters, they do have stores that no other place in Texas that has even been considered such as Kiton and Moncler, and the Graph Watches (I didn’t even know Texas had one at all until recently).

Second; the stores in ROD are larger. ROD accommodates flagship locations. The Hermès and Cartier and ROD are almost twice as large as the ones in HPV. And third, while HPV’s architecture is unique, it’s not the style they generally accommodates brands to set up their own architecture image (like ROD, 5th Ave, Magnificent Mile obtain).

This isn’t downing, HOV, it’s speaking on the exclusivity of ROD.

So just build a shopping center over night and its better than the first shopping center ever created in america.......ok

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Originally Posted by dallasboi

So just build a shopping center over night and its better than the first shopping center ever created in america.......ok

Except I never said it was better. I said it’s a notch above from which is more luxurious being the criteria. I don’t like either and if I visited one, I would prefer HPV since I’m atleast a fan on traditional Spanish architecture. while River Oaks District offers nothing of my interest. I don’t care for any of those brands. If you ask me, H-E-B is better than both.

But this isn’t about which I prefer, this is about which is superior luxury speaking. As highly ranked as HPV is, its still below ROD. HPV doesn't accomdate flagships the way ROD does. The stores are twice, sometimes 3 times as big as the HPV counterpart and offer wider array of items.

[Mod edit: images are courtesy of Wikipedia]

Dior HPV



vs flagship Dior in ROD



Hermes HPV



vs flagship Hermes in ROD



Harry Winston at HPV



vs Flagship Harry Winston at ROD



We can look at the Cartiers and others as well. I'm not a fan of either, the only preference between the two to me is the old Spanish architecture at HPV. But shoppers have a preference to ROD's larger stores with wider selections and architecture that's more representative of its brands.

[ParaguaneroSwag]

La Colombe D'or is one of the most anticipated projects in the country right now, combining a 1920s mansion with a new high rise. One of the many luxury hotels underway, also Hines' first signature luxury hotel development.

I'm interested to see how the high-rises in Montrose will pan out. I grew up spending a lot of time in Caracas, Venezuela and the organizational make up of high rises in Houston remind me of Caracas. How from Downtown to Uptown the high rises are connecting will be something to watch.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/hines-image...ified_hres.jpg

[AcresHomes44]

Originally Posted by ParaguaneroSwag

La Colombe D'or is one of the most anticipated projects in the country right now, combining a 1920s mansion with a new high rise. One of the many luxury hotels underway, also Hines' first signature luxury hotel development.

I'm interested to see how the high-rises in Montrose will pan out. I grew up spending a lot of time in Caracas, Venezuela and the organizational make up of high rises in Houston remind me of Caracas. How from Downtown to Uptown the high rises are connecting will be something to watch.

Nice. It's going to be a sight to see upon completion.

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Houston’s Four Seasons hotel just announced it broke ground on a renovation project slated to be complete by 2021. I think it LocalPlanner, though I’m not sure, mentioned something like “If Four Seasons is doing well, they would’ve improved it by now”. And here’s their response.

The renovation likely comes due to the luxury hotel book the city has and is continuing to go through since the last few years. The St. Regis also recently renovated its rooms. So as usual, competition shows it benefits the consumer.

[LocalPlanner]

Originally Posted by ParaguaneroSwag

Houston’s Four Seasons hotel just announced it broke ground on a renovation project slated to be complete by 2021. I think it LocalPlanner, though I’m not sure, mentioned something like “If Four Seasons is doing well, they would’ve improved it by now”. And here’s their response.

The renovation likely comes due to the luxury hotel book the city has and is continuing to go through since the last few years. The St. Regis also recently renovated its rooms. So as usual, competition shows it benefits the consumer.

It's not that they weren't doing well. It's that they didn't see being able to have the renovation investment pay off financially (getting higher rates and occupancy, especially on weekends). They may have felt they were doing just fine as they were, but additional investment wasn't attractive because there wouldn't be a payoff.

The newly announced renovation (which I'm certainly glad about) may be as much as about defensively reacting to the new Downtown competition as it is to trying to grab a new piece of opportunity that didn't previously exist.

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Originally Posted by LocalPlanner

It's not that they weren't doing well. It's that they didn't see being able to have the renovation investment pay off financially (getting higher rates and occupancy, especially on weekends). They may have felt they were doing just fine as they were, but additional investment wasn't attractive because there wouldn't be a payoff.

The newly announced renovation (which I'm certainly glad about) may be as much as about defensively reacting to the new Downtown competition as it is to trying to grab a new piece of opportunity that didn't previously exist.

It’s still the only 5 star hotel in Downtown even once the W gets built. But with “almost as good” options springing up all over downtown and midtown, it definitely signaled renovation time.

Before the Post Oak opened in 2018, the only other still remaining 5 star hotels in Houston were the St. Regis and Hotel Granduca. After the opening of the Post Oak, Houston now has the most 5 star hotels of any Texas metro (DFW has 3, Austin has 0 ). And the Rosewood (2024) and Equinox (2022) are underway which would bring the total to 6.

Definitely a competition move. St. Regis also recently renovated their property.

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Texas' first Margaritaville Resort opened in Lake Conroe at the old La Toretta building. Bringing the Jimmy Buffet Margaritaville vibes to the Houston area and Texas for the first time. Also exciting so we can try their famed restaurants.



More luxury hotel brands to look forward to under construction: Rosewood, Equinox, Kimpton, Thompson, W Hotel, Hotel RL, as well as La Colombe D'or. The Montrose Hotel's micro property also brings in a new form of micro-luxury. Previously, La Colombe D'or was that micro-hotel, but now that they're expanding, the Montrose Hotel will take over the role. The recently opened Inn at Dos Brisas brings a suburban 5 star hotel to the scene.

2018 and 2019 were already very big years for hospitality in the city. Houston was already a world class city but wasn't quite a world class hotel city but quickly formed into one. Interesting to see what the results of COVID bring to Houston (and the USA in general) for hospitality.

[dallasboi]

Old but still accurate.

https://youtu.be/jcV2k7HULb4

[KerrTown]

Originally Posted by dallasboi

So just build a shopping center over night and its better than the first shopping center ever created in america.......ok

I think that honor belongs to Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, MO. It predates Highland Park Village by almost a decade!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Country_Club_Plaza

Opened in 1923, it was the first planned suburban shopping center and the first regional shopping center to accommodate shoppers arriving by car.

Planned in 1922 by J. C. Nichols and designed in Moorish Revival style echoing the architecture of Seville, Spain, the Plaza comprises high-end retail establishments, restaurants, and entertainment venues, as well as offices.

Originally Posted by dallasboi

Old but still accurate.

https://youtu.be/jcV2k7HULb4

Too bad Needless Markup won't be around much longer! The global COVID recession won't be kind to the discretionary consumption industry in DFW's economy. Many lost corporate/HQ jobs at Pier 1, Neiman's, JCP, et al. are coming soon.