<p>Hi, </p>
<p>I am looking for a nice hotel near Rice. Doesn't need to be fancy but clean and good beds. </p>
<p>Thanks for any suggestions,
Snow</p>
<p>[Rice</a> University | Families Weekend - Hotels](<a href=“http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~events/famweek/hotels.htm]Rice”>Hotels | Families Weekend | Rice University)</p>
<p>Take your pick!!</p>
<p>The Best Western Plaza at the Medical Center has free parking, free breakfast, and is just up Main St. from Rice - very close. We’ve stayed there 3 times. It’s not fancy but the price is right. We always paid under $100 per night with AAA rates but haven’t stayed there in 2 years so don’t know what the rates are now.</p>
<p>I’ve also heard good things about the Marriott Medical Center Hotel - also in walking distance to Rice but no free parking or free breakfast.</p>
<p>For the past two family weekends, I’ve used priceline to find a hotel. Both times we stayed at the Marriotts down the street (once at Residence, once at Courtyard) for somewhere between $60-70 including taxes. We had a car so traveling to the campus wasn’t an issue. Of course with priceline, you’re rolling the dice as far as where you’ll stay within the area.</p>
<p>Hotel Zaza right by Main entrance is $179 (Rice discount) is a fabulous boutique hotel across from Museum of Fine Arts. Lovely and a treat if you can afford it! Check out their website!</p>
<p>Whenever we visit Rice we use Hotwire to pick a “mystery” hotel by selecting the medical center/astrodome option and choose a hotel on the list with a dining room listed. We’ve done this about 10 times and each time we’ve been given a holiday inn for ~$50 - $60. It’s most often the holiday inn next to the astrodome and you would need a car to get to Rice (free parking and a short very convenient drive). We’ve also been given the holiday inn next to Rice (you pay for parking and you could walk to Rice, but it’s a bit of a hike in hot weather). We prefer the astrodome location and are disappointed when we get the HI next to Rice.</p>
<p>This isn’t for the faint of heart (one day we may get a bad deal), but we’re shooting 100% and now would never consider booking a hotel any other way.</p>