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Discover our boutique hotel near downtown Houston, where we are changing the world through hospitality. Expand your horizons when you stay at our contemporary boutique hotel in Houston, Texas, offering the ideal blend of art, philanthropy, and hospitality. Host your informal gathering at The Space or meet with colleagues at our on-site stylish bar, Esperanto for an evening drink. There’s no other boutique hotel near downtown Houston that offers complimentary breakfast and complete dedication to contributing to our vibrant community. Centrally located in Houston with easy access to downtown attractions like the Houston Museum District, NRG Stadium, Rice University, Minute Maid Park, and the Houston Zoo. Our hotel is also conveniently located near Texas Children's Hospital and MD Anderson Cancer Center. If you are flying, George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport are located less than 30 minutes away.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Charming
Quaint
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Location
8080 Main St, Houston, TX 77025
Hotel Ylem
3.7 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Was there for my birthday early October 2024. The Lobby was decked out for Halloween which was awesome! Our room was very clean and most importantly so was the bathroom. There wasn't an off switch for the bathroom fan so it ran all night which was very odd. There was no shelving in the shower nor a toilet seat lid which were also odd. Breakfast was free. Very tasty I might add. Staff very friendly and welcoming. The microwave wasn't plugged in and nowhere near a plug so you would have to pick it up and move it. The closet rack was very cool and retro but not enough hangers. Only 3 hangers for 2 people didn't work. There was a desk but had shelving so you couldn't sit comfortably and work. The unit where the mini fridge and microwave had fake drawers which was strange so you lived out of your suitcase. Great location within walking distance of NRG Stadium and plenty of places to each and even grocery shop if needed.
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Date of stay: October 2024
Value
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Location
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Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:Â Breakfast came with the hotel
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I will say this hotel is ducked off you might past it up but you are greeted by the beautiful artwork of locals. The vibrant colors and pictures inside. There is a wishing tree inside the hotel lobby with beautiful notes from people who have visited from the hotel from all over the world. They have a lot of unique furniture pieces and the rooms are spacious and very cute with their on personalized mailbox. I would stay here again. The guy at the front desk was helpful and accommodating.
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Date of stay: March 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled on business
Room Tip:Â Does not have a hot tub or pool but great location. It has a shuttle and will call you a Uber to...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This hotel appears to be a chain hotel that’s been converted into a boutique hotel. Great to see staff wearing masks. Service was hassle free. Everything was clean and whimsical. It appeared everything was resurfaced… except for the bathtub and sink. The rust stains on those fixtures were a bit off-putting but a great value overall and excellent location.
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Date of stay: December 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â Rare amenity of free parking near the medical/museum district
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Soon as you walk in there is a sign stating the water will be off 12 to 2 for the follow day, and what I understood is that it was off the day before. My t.v. didn't work nor did the hot water or the ice machine. They moved me and my baby to a different room at 1245 a.m. The rooms laxk trimings and cosmetic pieces as well. The next day when I called an complained the Manger over talked me and said he did a favor to me by moving me so I can take a shower and there is nothing else that will be done for the inconvenience. Please listen to the reviews. They should be closed until there done renovating. They have a ton of toilets in the parking lot along with all kind of debris. So watch your tires as well.
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Date of stay: May 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Upon arrival at Hotel Ylem at 10:57PM on April 5, 2024, we were shocked to find that the accommodations were substandard in every aspect. Entering the lobby, we found homeless people passed out on the benches in the entryway. Our rooms lacked basic amenities such as towels, chairs, or a desk and had a musty smell. The bathrooms were filthy, and the overall cleanliness of the rooms was unacceptable. Throughout the night, we were disturbed by the sound of rodents or some other creatures crawling in the walls, making it impossible to get any rest.
Despite our complaints to the desk clerk, “Jmarti”, during our check-out at 8:45 AM, after six hours in this dump, no adequate solution was provided. She acknowledged the numerous issues we encountered and attributed them to being shorthanded, offering a mere apology for the inconvenience.
To add insult to injury, the printer at the front desk was broken, and she was unable to provide us with printed receipts for our stay. Instead, we were forced to take photos of her computer screen, a highly unprofessional and inconvenient solution.
We had scheduled for 6 nights and left after 6 hours. Now Expedia is refusing to refund the remining 5 nights we didn't stay as the hotel denies any of this happened.
What we learned: Never again stay at the Ylem and never, ever use Expedia again...
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Date of stay: April 2024
Value
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Trip type: Travelled on business
Room Tip:Â Do not stay at this hotel. There are many other hotels nearby much, much better for the same...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Extremely disappointed with the service of this hotel. After noticing the hotel room was not clean and the bathroom tub was rusting, the headboard was dirty and the bed frame was stained, we asked to be moved to another room. The hotel said that there had no other rooms available and recommended I book another hotel, since they wouldn’t do it for me. There were no managers on site, and did not want to give me a refund as I “didn’t cancel within 48 hours”. I will never book at this hotel again, and highly recommend against others doing it. The pictures on the internet is not an accurate representation of the experience.
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Date of stay: December 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Run down and dreary. Even the sign outside the hotel needs replacing. Room is dark and dingy. Soundproofing is non existent and desperately needed. Room is on the parking lot - and even half way down the hall inside the room you can still clearly hear the noise from the bar at midnight and car alarms in the lot.
They claim to be a “boutique,” but it’s not at all. There are a few interesting furnishings but that’s counterbalanced by other cheap stuff that would more likely be seen in an old church basement. Stains and scuffs everywhere. Shower curtain was a temporary rod and the sink didn’t even have a drain plug.
Hoped they would at least have a decent breakfast, but that was also poor. Gym out of service and water turned off for two hours in the middle of the day every day.
They have one job - provide a clean and quiet place to sleep - and could not fulfill it.
Will not be back to this hotel no matter how cheap it is.
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Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is a rare find near the Houston Medical Center near NRG Park and downtown. The rooms have a boutique feel and are more than adequately furnished. At this price point it is rare to find a well kept bar served by the ever talented Xander. In the morning a hot breakfast is served in the bar area.
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Date of stay: February 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â Parking is free and on site. A first floor room provides easy access to the bar and breakfast. ...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Terrible experience. Originally planned to stay for 3 nights but had to check out after one night due to a power shortage and lack of A/C caused by a tropical storm. I was assured I would be reimbursed for the two unused nights. However, after multiple calls over the following month, not only was I not reimbursed, but I was also charged for an additional night. They refused to admit their mistake or take responsibility for the erroneous charge. I had to contact my bank and initiate a claim to resolve the issue. Avoid booking with them for your own peace of mind.
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Date of stay: July 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I cant even explain how disappointed I was with my stay. The room smell awful. The sheets were stained with something brown. The entire setup of the room is not convenient or worth the $$ spent. The decor is wayyyy outdated I definitely glad I brought my own towels. I think I was expecting more from those lovely pictures online.
The only compliment:
The lady bartender, who was new, was EXTREMELY nice.
There was a maid apologized for dirty sheets and offered to clean room
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I wouldn’t recommend walking at night . It is very busy area there. The shuttles also only run until a certain time . Check with the hotel to be sure , however ; you could take the hotel shuttle there and take an Uber home and be worry free! Have fun!
We are right across the street from NRG, it's about a 15 minute walk. The shuttle does run to NRG, and we leave from the hotel every hour Monday through Friday, 7am-7pm.
There are more places to choose from in the Houston area.
PRICE RANGE
C$118 - C$267 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
holiday inn express hotel & suites houston medical houston, holiday inn express hotel and suites houston medical center, holiday inn express houston, holiday inn houston
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Hotel Ylem, Ascend Hotel Collection
LOCATION
United StatesTexasTexas Gulf CoastHouston
NUMBER OF ROOMS
79
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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Yes, it offers wheelchair access, reduced mobility rooms, and facilities for disabled guests. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.