HOUSTON — What happens when you take a Texas-shaped lazy river on a giant terrace six stories above downtown and add lights? You get Texas Winter Lights at Marriott Marquis' Altitude Rooftop & Pool.
"When you’re up in your suite looking out at the pool deck, they just pop," said Allen Hunt, the hotel's spa & recreation director. "The color is so rich. It just looks amazing."
This experience isn’t reserved solely for Marriott Marquis guests. Anyone can buy a day pass.
"It’s a fun place to bring the family, chill for a couple hours, let the world pass you by, sit by the fire pit, take in an adult beverage if you can. If you can’t, then have a hot chocolate," Hunt said.
What’s nice about Texas Winter Lights is it’s kind of a choose-your-own-adventure deal. You can be as lazy (as in lazy river) as you want or you can do all of the activities up on the terrace.
"How iconic is playing cornhole in the winter in Texas on a 65,000-square-foot terrace, six and a half floors up in the air?" asked Hunt. "It’s a lot of fun."
So is playing in the snow. The rooftop boasts several snow-making machines. It also features an interactive light wall, two fire pits, dozens of places for photo ops and, of course, the iconic pool heated to 80 degrees.
"There’s a little bit of an 'Ooh' as you go in, but once you’re in the water, it’s actually a lot of fun," Hunt said. "You can float around, float under the lighted archways."
If it gets too chilly, you can reserve a cabana.
"That’ll come with a Keurig that’ll make some hot chocolate for you," shared Hunt. "It’s winterized, so there are some beautiful faux fur blankets in there. There are TVs. It’s a nice place to chill."
Now in its third year, the event added an 11-foot stallion sculpture and synced all these lights to music to add to the experience.
"We’re not trying to be in competition with anyone else," Hunt said. "We just want it to be a real Texas-type come-have-a-cocktail-sit-by-a-fire-pit-enjoy-the-evening."
Learn more about Texas Winter Lights here.