Spring, Texas, located about 20 miles north of downtown Houston and just four miles from The Woodlands is home to the newest mixed-use development in the Houston area.

Springwoods Village, a 2,000-acre community is at the crossroads of I-45, Grand Parkway and the Hardy Toll Road, which makes getting there easy even by Houston standards. It is also steps away from Exxon Mobile Headquarters, Hewlett Packard Headquarters and the Southwestern Energy Campus, making the burgeoning community prime real-estate – perfect for the CityPlace Marriott at Springwoods Village.

The hotel, which opened in October 2018, is the first full service hotel in Springwood Village. The 10-story property has over 300 rooms, as well as meeting rooms, ballrooms, and a full-service restaurant and bar.

“Because the design, décor and restaurant and bar experiences have been inspired by the local railroad history and natural surroundings, this property has a true sense of place and gives locals and visitors a memorable place to meet, dine and stay,” said King Scovell, managing partner and chief development officer at Woodbine, the Texas-based developers of the project.

The lobby is expansive running from one end of the building to the other—in fact, standing in the middle of the lobby, you can see directly into the restaurant as well as into the meeting rooms and seating areas located on the opposite side. The décor of the hotel is modern/rustic and does indeed pay homage to the railroad and Texas history of the area, which became a major railroad hub at the turn of the 20^th century. Dark metal and wood are a staple in the hotel, as well as luxurious leather, well-stuffed pillows and stately artwork. There are historic pictures of Spring found throughout the property, so a guest really can get a real sense of what the area looked like when it was founded. The wallpaper in the hotel hallways and elevators is a standout – made to look like embossed leather, it adds just the right amount of luxury mixed with nostalgia.

SwitcHouse Plates N’ Pours, the hotel’s full-service restaurant is definitely worth a visit whether you are staying on or off property. Made to look like a railroad switch house, guests have the choice between table, bar or booth seating. The restaurant and bar are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner – I stopped in for breakfast and, as well as the lovely historic atmosphere, my meal was a treat. Gone are the days of bland hotel food, SwitcHouse delivers a meal to remember no matter what you order. I had the Chilaquiles and was served an enormous portion of the famous Mexican breakfast staple, which was both flavorful and filling.

If you would rather get off property for a meal, the nearby The Market at Springwoods Villiage is a short drive away and has several restaurants and amenities to choose from. You won’t have to wait long however to visit CityPlace, which surrounds the hotel and is currently under construction. The 60-acre mixed use development will house luxury residential, state of the art office space, as well as shopping and dining.

Houston CityPlace Marriott at Springwoods Village is one the first of many exciting changes coming to North Houston. Like the Texas pioneers and railroad workers before us, it is laying the groundwork for the rich and vibrant community to come.

Cover photo CityPlace Campus

Gabi De la Rosa lives in Houston with her husband and three children. You can usually find her at a great local restaurant or out exploring HTX with her family. Visit her on Instagram @gabioftheroses_htx