Review of Hotel Derek, by Ken Scrudato

As an international hub, it's not surprising that Houston would find itself joining the design hotel wars. But since the Hotel Derek opened in 2002, the floodgates seem to have opened. The Derek is still the ultimate hipster spot, due to an adventurous design concept that not only outdid many of its New York and LA counterparts for sheer wit, but has also held up surprisingly well. The in-joke, is that "Derek" is a fictitious, aging rock star, and the hotel is his post-glory days attempt at staying "with it."

The design hotel's lobby is a riotous, slightly camp, but ultimately successful collision of styles; guests can be found flopping on the design hotel's cheeky mohair velvet sofa, playing with the Lucite chess set, or enjoying a cocktail in front of the "fireplace," which is actually just a projection-quite the clever and indigenous touch, as no one needs a real fireplace in balmy Houston.

One is tempted to imagine "Derek" as Derek Smalls, but this design hotel is rather too classy an affair to have been imagined by a member of Spinal Tap. Thank god for that.

The facilities

The fun continues downstairs at Maverick, Hotel Derek's trendy and well-reviewed Southwestern restaurant. Derek's Bar also appears to be quite a scene, though the crowd is cosmopolitan rather than overly trendy.

The rooms

The design hotel's 314 rooms are stylish, and the skilful use of dark woods gives them a warmth often missing in modern hotels. The huge platform beds are impossibly comfortable. Even the standards are spacious, but the studios provide a comfortable office alcove, a rare touch of ergonomic sympathy to business travellers. Ask for a room at the back, as the other side faces traffic and shopping centres.