Hotel ICON, in Houston, Texas, will open the new VOICE Restaurant and Lounge in April.

 

Hotel ICON, in Houston, Texas has been known since its opening in 2004—in the renovated historic 1911 Union National Bank building—as a luxury boutique hotel and a meetings hotel, with 5,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. A Destination Hotels & Resorts property, Hotel ICON has recently completed a $4-million renovation and addition that created a unique and fitting home for the new VOICE Restaurant and Lounge.

 

Accentuated by two rows of Doric columns soaring nearly 30 feet, VOICE décor includes walls painted in warm hues of amber, crimson and taupe with accents of black and bronze, a color scheme designed to amplify and diffuse light throughout the day and night. The ceiling will take cues from historic palettes: light blue on the tray, cascading into a soft sage edge, white trim and metallic gold moldings. The 360-degree walnut bar will boast alabaster, bronze and Calcutta marble elements along with wide-planked walnut flooring and black and white cowhide-backed bar stools. The lounge, on the other hand, will have more of a contemporary edge with seating areas made up of settees and pods. Adjacent to the lounge, the 92-seat dining room will be warm but sleek and uncluttered with high-backed taupe and gray chairs that speak to the volume of the space. Intimate private areas will feature amber, taupe and black striped fabric booth backs plus chairs upholstered in rich grey leather. VOICE will also offer two private dining room options: an intimate section in the rear corner of the main dining room as well as the elegant Wine Vault, featuring antique, solid brass doors, where up to 32 guests can meet or dine, amidst Hotel ICON's extensive wine collection and a wall of windows offering unobstructed views of the culinary team at work in the kitchen. VOICE is due to debut April 5th—for more information visit www.hotelicon.com or call (713) 224-ICON (4266).

 

Dining options at the new VOICE Restaurant and Lounge at Hotel ICON include the elegant Wine Vault, featuring antique, solid brass doors, where up to 32 guests can meet or dine, amidst Hotel ICON's extensive wine collection.

VOICE’S culinary concept is positioned to capture the imagination and taste buds with distinctive and delicious contemporary American cuisine. The kitchen at VOICE features Executive Chef Michael Kramer at its helm. Kramer, who led McCrady’s Restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina to national acclaim after cutting his teeth under legendary chefs Wolfgang Puck  and Dean Fearing, brings boundless energy and out-of-the-box creativity to the table. Kramer intends to give VOICE a uniquely Houston-centric inflection with the goal of initiating culinary trends rather than following the lead of the east and west coasts. Using a combination of fresh, local flavors, innovative techniques and cutting-edge presentation, Kramer will look no further than Houston’s own backyard, including South Texas, the Gulf Coast and neighborhood farmer’s markets, to source premium game, seafood and produce.

Executive Chef Michael Kramer intends to give VOICE a uniquely Houston-centric inflection using a combination of fresh, local flavors, innovative techniques and cutting-edge presentation with locally sourced premium game, seafood and produce.

 

 

The renovation also included upgrading the Hotel Icon’s Mezzanine Bar into an approximately 2,000-square-foot meeting and event space with windows overlooking the Colonnade lobby and the new VOICE Restaurant and Lounge. The mezzanine will accommodate 50 seated and 125 standing. Renovations on the Mezzanine Bar will be completed by May.

 

The majority of Hotel ICON's meeting and event facilities are conveniently located on a dedicated floor, encompassing nearly 5,000 square feet of meticulously designed and executed settings, fully wired for high speed Internet access. Guests reach the area, situated immediately above the Colonnade lobby, via two elevators or an ornate marble and iron staircase, which is original to the building. Soaring 12' ceilings, custom designed carpeting, sumptuous draperies of woven damask in warm jewel tones, original paintings from the 19th to early 20th centuries, antiques, richly paneled walls and delicate millwork accents give the meeting areas an ambience of a grand home.

Hotel ICON’s  Aventine Ballroom is divisible into two intimate salons.

Meeting Space includes the Aventine Ballroom, which is divisible into two intimate salons, the Aventine I and Aventine II, the perfect backdrops for a small-to-medium sized meeting or event. At 1,326 square feet, the larger Aventine I can accommodate 140 for a reception, 100 for a banquet, 86 with theatre seating or 51 in a classroom layout. The 1,037-square-foot Aventine II holds 110 for a reception, 80 for a banquet, 77 with theatre seating or 33 in a classroom layout.

High Tech/High Class Meeting Space at Hotel ICON: The Boardroom, a 500-square-foot meeting space that features an executive conference table with seating for 18.

 

Other meeting space includes The Boardroom, a 500-square-foot meeting space that features an executive conference table with seating for 18, a 50" Sony plasma screen monitor and state-of-the-art video conferencing technology. The adjacent Arcadia, in addition to a boardroom setup, can hold 65 for a reception, 40 for a banquet, 40 with theatre seating or 24 in a classroom layout.