After a particularly long day down in the Texas Medical Center with a relative, my husband decided it would be nice for us to stay the night in a nearby hotel and make the one-hour drive home the following day. We quickly found out that hotels that are situated in the immediate area of the Texas Medical Center were charging trumped-up prices for their hotel rooms. Hotels in this area seem to be taking advantage of people who can afford to fly in from out of the country for quality medical treatment. After a bit of searching, I found a $70 per night rate at the newly built Courtyard Marriott on Westpark Drive.

This new hotel is located just five minutes or so from the medical center and afforded us a nice, new room and a pleasant, quiet stay. The employees here were exceptional and went out of their way to be helpful (need extra pillows? forget any toiletries?). If you forget something, like razors, toothbrush, or even laundry soap, you can get it free at the front desk. There is also a small laundry facility on-site. They offer king-size beds, work desk and ergonomic chair, free high-speed Internet access, cable TV, free USA Today daily paper, free in-room coffee, on-site pool and whirlpool (deserted when we were there), and a buffet breakfast daily in the lobby for about $8 to $9 per person. We skipped Courtyard's breakfast buffet (limited selection, and it looked very bland). Instead, we drove a few blocks over to the nearby IHOP. If you find yourself in need of something more convenient, Courtyard offers a small pantry at the front desk, with sandwiches, chips, candy bars, sodas, and the like. You could also opt to have "room service" delivered to you via a 3rd party Italian restaurant.