There’s a reason for seasons
Arriving at Four Seasons Hotel Houston for my first city stay, I was mentally equipped for a cool city vibe; instead, it was a warm and an open embrace right there that made me feel closer to home.
Houston, also known as the Bayou City, is a place where genuine Southern hospitality mingles with a bit of metropolitan energy. A city of stark contrasts where gleaming skyscrapers rise among historic landmarks and fine dining exists side by side with the best barbecue joints.
Houston still is known because of its historic space exploration legacy (the site of NASA’s Johnson Space Center), complemented by numerous world-class museums and its emerging artist scene.
It appeared that my most memorable night was the one I spent having dinner at Toro Toro, the Four Seasons’ main restaurant with close friends Mel Martinez and David Libert. We started with an astounding array of creative cocktails: an amaretto sour with velvety egg white froth and a garnished olive, a spiced tequila-infused margarita, and a Manhattan served in a tiny birdcage, wisps of smoke replacing ice.
This continued with an extravagance of other dishes — the tuna sushi and aburi salmon with cream cheese were to die for. Then, of course, the most beautiful steak — succulent with all the spices and herbs, like eating a dream. But, the real hallmark event of the evening was the tenderloin tips served with crispy asparagus and a velvety hollandaise sauce.
Next day, we took off with the group to go enjoy the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which is that annual show that has the true soul and heart of Texan country.
For almost a century, this rodeo has been associated with the pride of Texans and brings together almost all ages into a celebration that exemplifies the culture of agriculture as well as the cowboy way of living. The electrifying atmosphere comes from the thrill of the bull riding, the bronco busting, and the barrel racing.
The rodeo is a runway, too. There, you’ll see everything from bejeweled cowboy boots to customized Stetson hats, with each accessory telling a different story. And beyond that is the rodeo park’s live concert, carnival rides, and some of the best Texan food you’ll ever taste.
I will never forget how I lay down each night at the Four Seasons Hotel Houston with sweet dreams and incredible comfort, wrapped in sheets that felt like thread counts in the thousands.
Toro Toro breakfast is the most extravagant treat of Latin-inspired cuisine located in a tiny nook of a dining room with a simulated fireplace. And then they have the courses, completely laden with flavor and with gourmet ingredients. The rancheros — perfectly fried eggs on crispy tortillas, drowned in a thick tomato-chili sauce, and topped with avocado, queso fresco and fresh cilantro — was simply divine.
Our beloved friend, David Libert, a wonderful chef in his own right, fervently declared them “The best I’ve ever tasted.” Meanwhile, the ever-dashing Mel Martinez dug into her avocado toast with egg mayonnaise adding, obviously, to the savory indulgence of it all.
Strolls after breakfast found us roaming around a lobby mellifluously laced with evanescent hints of verbena and lemon from the Krigler boutique. At this point, we stumbled across a very fine oil-based perfumed dispensation, a scent that evoked a very strong effect beyond sunset. We got to choose among many chic designer bags from the Hotel’s Vivrelle collection to carry daily — another fine touch to add to the luxury.
As afternoon turned bright again, we were back at Topgolf Swing Suite to engage in lively rounds of virtual golf and other events that sent the interactive projection hurling against a wall. We munched on some light but hearty food from Bayou & Bottle, which included barbecue, steak and crispy fries, capped off with a decadent chocolate ganache cake, all between swings.
This wonderful function turned into an enchanted string of hours, twinkling with laughter and joy over masterfully crafted old-fashioned bourbon cocktails — the perfect accessory to a day created for luxury and unforgettable memories.
Did you know that, at the Four Seasons, guests can go around in a chauffeur-driven Lucid for an adventure? All destinations within two miles from the hotel are included in the offer.
These excursions within the dynamic Houston kept us in awe of its culinary dishes and culture that blends perfectly with the Four Seasons’ timeless elegance — a dream from dawn to dusk I wished would never end.
