(Epinion reflects a 3-day stay in July of 2001)

Galveston, TX is Houston's playground. Every weekend, I-45 is swarmed with beach-starved Houstonites and others from East and Central Texas heading down to the beach.

Galveston has a storied past, and part of the post-hurricane (in 1900, America's worst natural disaster ever) history of the island is the Hotel Galvez, sitting pretty on the corner of Seawall and 21st, right across from the beach. It has prided itself as being the "Queen of Texas Resorts." (More on that later...)

The hotel is very old by Texas standards, built in 1911 to accommodate the growing need for a luxury hotel on what was a very popular beach resort. The Galvez has gone through its share of owners, and today is under the Wyndham Hotels blanket of resorts. It has ~330 rooms, a large pool area, a 5-star restaurant, and a quick walk across the street to the beach. Shops are nearby, and gulf-front eateries are a 3-minute jaunt up the Seawall.

------------------------------------------------------------
Check-In
------------------------------------------------------------

We immediately noticed the large, clean lobby and were impressed by the obvious care the hotel took pride in. The hotel itself will endure to anyone's sense of nostalgia, as it will gladly tell you the history of itself through many pictures and plaques.

Check-in went smoothly, no hitches, and we received our keys within minutes of arrival.

------------------------------------------------------------
Accommodations
------------------------------------------------------------

We were surprised by the size of our room, but then I remembered the age of the building and blew it off. The room was somewhat cramped for a "luxury hotel," and the king-size bed took up most of it. A table crowded itself up against the wall, accompanied by two older chairs. Two feet away, an entertainment center with a 21" TV sat in the corner.

The closet (well, that is what they called it) was nothing more than a set of fold-away doors that took up a corner of the room, opposite the table and chairs. A large window with both see-thru and dark curtains opened up to a view of the city and bay area.

The bed was amazing... big enough for two to spread totally out and relax without even coming close to touching each other. No complaints here.

The bathroom was also on the small side, but was furnished nicely with brass fixtures and Bath and Body shampoo and soaps. Very cramped for two people to try to get ready in.


------------------------------------------------------------
The Pool Area
------------------------------------------------------------

A true gem of a pool sat nestled under palm trees and shaded by one side of the building. On one end, a semi-closed section held a swim-up (or crawl up, depending on how long you had been there) bar, which served drinks up until 10PM. The pool is always filled with kiddos, so don't think you are going to get much relaxing done.

Plenty of chairs abounded around the edge of the area, and the hotel provided tons of towels for patrons.

Sunbathers abound, yet there is also plenty of shade around for us light-complected folk...


------------------------------------------------------------
The Atmosphere
------------------------------------------------------------

Noise, noise, noise... if you think you are coming for a relaxing weekend, think again.

Although the Galvez states that it is a true "luxury resort," I never once got that feeling, due to the influx of unattended children running around. I stayed up a whole night listening to them run around and yell down the halls of our floor, non-stop until 3AM. Pathetic... coupled with the Galvez's paper-thin walls (blame the age of the building), and you had one heck of a rowdy atmosphere. You would think that a place that gets $200 a night of your money would provide a little more serenity.

The piano area and bar in the lobby were first-rate, and were a good getaway from the loudness of the rest of the hotel. The bartender, Armando, was a true treat.

The place likens itself to a nest of bees... it never sleeps and constantly buzzes with noise.

I never got to eat in the restaurant, but it did indeed look nice. They offered a champagne brunch on Sunday for $22.95/person.


------------------------------------------------------------
Valet Service
------------------------------------------------------------

These guys were hit-or-miss, depending on how busy the place was. The staging are was crowded with cars who obviously had never been used to valets before, as they would pull up to the door when they just needed to have their car parked and not unload... this made the guys work hard to keep up.

You could call down and get them to pull your car around, which was convenient. My car was always waiting on me.

My real complaint here was that they charged $8 a day for the valet parking, even for hotel guests. This was just plain WRONG. If you charge non-guests who are coming for a wedding or conference in one of the hotels huge ballrooms, fine, but it didn't feel right being charged for valet parking when I was a guest.




------------------------------------------------------------
Tips for the Visitor
------------------------------------------------------------

1) It's not worth the extra $20-40 to get a gulf-view room. The windows are rather small and the Texas beach is ugly, anyway (don't everyone throw things at me at once!!!).

2) If you have teenagers, DO NOT let them go to the pool alone. The bar does not ID patrons, and I noticed a group of 16-yr olds get drinks without so much as a question of their ages. I know their age because I overheard them say they were "celebrating a 16th B-Day among the group." It was so obvious that the hotel nor the bartender cared a wink about serving minors.

3) The hotel isn't too secure, and there are no doormen to check to see if you are a guest, or what your business is. Entrances to the place are everywhere, and it felt very open.

4) The elevators are sloooowww... A 70-yr old man beat us up 4 flights of stairs before we hit the floor. I told him he should consider betting people on this.

5) The decor is great, reminding you of the America of the post-World War 1 era. It will truly take you back.

6) Luigi's on the Strand serves a great steak and very good Italian fare... skip the Seawall tourist-traps and come downtown.


------------------------------------------------------------
It ain't that bad, is it???
------------------------------------------------------------

The Galvez tries, but unfortunately the little things that separate a true luxury hotel from an expensive Best Western lack here. To me, age and affiliation do not equal luxury.

The staff is professional, friendly, yet overworked. The facilities show their age, right down to the cracks in the building itself.

If you do choose the Galvez when you visit Galveston, I recommend going in Spring or Fall, when the Summer crowd has died down. It will still be warm, and the place will still be crawling with patrons.





Recommended: No