Successful meetings and conventions start at Avenida Houston, the city’s newest epicenter for art, dining, entertainment, and fun.
- Avenida Houston is a $175 million initiative that included renovations of the George R. Brown Convention Center (GRB) and several developments around the area.
- Visitors will be inspired by the 97,000-square-foot pedestrian plaza and the many options for a world-class experience, including new restaurants, a 12-acre park, nightlife concepts, hotels, and dozens of public art installations throughout.
- The convention campus anchor, the GRB, offers 185 million gross square feet of exhibit and meeting space, including 773,000 square feet of total exhibit space, 88 meeting rooms, and a 3,600-seat theater.
- There are nearly 3,000 hotel rooms within walking distance of the GRB and over 7,700 rooms in downtown Houston. Plus, two headquarter hotels are connected to the GRB via air-controlled skywalks: the 1,200-room Hilton Americas-Houston and 1,000-room Marriott Marquis Houston.
- A 530-foot-long, Texas-shaped lazy river and rooftop infinity pool at the Marriott Marquis Houston offer spacious views of the adjacent 12-acre Discovery Green.
- Once business is done for the day, visitors can explore downtown’s robust and vibrant culinary and nightlife scene, perfect for after-work fun or networking with peers.
- More than 20 dining options, ranging from barbecue to Mexican, are just a short stroll from the GRB. By the way, Alison Cook, two-time James Beard Award winner for restaurant criticism, selected two convention campus restaurants, Kulture and Xochi, for her list of the city’s top 100 restaurants in 2018.
- The convention campus also offers programming year-round for locals and visitors to enjoy, including live music, art exhibitions, kayaking, ice skating, and much more.
- The vibrant scene also lets visitors catch a concert at the Houston Toyota Center or The Rustic, the campus’ brand-new restaurant and outdoor music venue. Plus, the GRB is only a few feet away from three professional sports venues for watching Astros baseball, Rockets basketball, and Dash and Dynamo soccer.
- Stroll through the GRB and around Avenida Houston to see paintings, mini-murals, massive sculptures such as “Wings Over Water,” and rotating art installations by nationally acclaimed artists.
- Shop around. The popular retail store LAUNCH showcases the work of local designers and artisans, rotating through different offerings each month.
- Travel with ease on the 23-mile-long METRORail light rail service, which connects Avenida Houston to major attractions across the city. There’s also a free Greenlink bus that circulates throughout downtown, and cab rides cost just a $6 flat fare within downtown proper. Ride-sharing services, including Uber and Lyft, are also available.
- Easy come, easy go. Every week, nearly 6,000 flights depart Houston for domestic and international destinations.
