Is NRG Park a good place to stay in Houston?

NRG Park is a good base if you're in Houston for a Texans game, a concert at NRG Stadium or the Rodeo. The hotels line Kirby Drive, South Main Street and the South Loop around the stadium, and the METRORail Red Line runs from Stadium Park/Astrodome past the Medical Center and the Museum District to Downtown.

This is a big events district rather than a neighbourhood. NRG Stadium, with its retractable roof, the NRG Center and the closed but famous Astrodome sit in a sea of car parks, and the hotels around them are mostly practical chains. Hermann Park, the Houston Zoo and the museums are a few stops up the line.

The downside is that there's little to do between events. The streets are wide, busy roads with few places to walk to, most restaurants are chains, and when the Rodeo or a big game is on, prices rise sharply and rooms sell out fast.

What makes NRG Park worth considering is value and access. Hotels here cost less than in Downtown or the Museum District, you can walk to the stadium on event days, and the light rail puts the Medical Center and the city's best museums within easy reach.