Hotel at a Glance: Houston Marriott Westchase

At the largest mall in Texas, you could update your wardrobe, enjoy a steak, and even ice-skate. It's the Galleria, a 400-store behemoth just 15 minutes from this 4-star Marriott hotel. Head to the nearby CityCentre or Memorial City Mall for more shopping and dining options.

• A fresh look: Your recently remodeled room has a mini fridge and free WiFi.
• Relax in the indoor pool and hot tub. In warmer months you can cool off in the outdoor pool.
• Grab a bite at Republic Grill Restaurant, which specializes in Southwestern food.

Houston, Texas: Space History and Museums in Nation’s Fourth-Largest City

As the nation’s fourth-largest city by population, Houston has established itself as one of the Gulf Coast’s most thriving cultural hubs. The city's museum district has 19 museums covering everything from history to art to science. For art lovers, the Menil Collection—which Frommer’s calls “one of the great private collections of the world”—is a must-see. Here, you’ll browse an array of 20th-century art from Jasper Johns, René Magritte, and Andy Warhol, as well as artifacts from Africa and the Pacific Islands.

You could also spend an entire day exploring Houston’s science institutions. When Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell famously stated, “Houston, we have a problem,” he was talking to mission control at Space Center Houston. Here, visitors can tour the historic mission-control room and get a behind-the-scenes look at astronauts training for the International Space Station. Along Houston’s Hermann Park, The Health Museum exhibits a large-scale human body that you can enter to learn about how your organs operate.