A look ahead at the ZaZa

If you're like Houstonist, you've driven past the former Warwick Hotel sometime in the past few months and wondered what the distinguished old building would be like when it reopened as the Hotel ZaZa. Well, you won't have to wait much longer to find out: The hotel is set to open Monday, and the Chronicle had a preview this weekend. The short version comes from the hotel's co-owner, Charlie Givens, who described the property as "Phantom of the Opera meets George Clooney meets Versace meets Alan Greenspan." Oh, yes. Of course.

Among the hotel's features will be themed suites — including For Your Eyes Only, Love Shack and Houston, We Have a Problem (which involves space-age mod furniture) — a restaurant and lounge, the Monarch; a revamped pool and ballroom; the rooftop Rock Star suite, whose 2,300 square feet are served by a private elevator; and the Black Label suite, with a terrace overlooking Hermann Park and the Medical Center. Inside, the Warwick's French paneling, tapestries and crystal chandeliers have been replaced by modern art and furnishings, though Givens said the hotel will still have a "certain Waldorfishness." The hotel's owners hope to make it a hip destination for visitors and locals alike, but the big question — as it is with all new hotels — is whether it'll work. T-Mobile and the Oil & Gas Financial Journal have already booked meeting space in the hotel, and an international ship design symposium will take place there in the fall. As for the rooms, which will go for between $189 and $2,500 a night (the $2,500 is for the penthouse suites, we hope), we'll see: At the Dallas ZaZa, the revenue per available room, a number based on average occupancy and room rates, is $226. If the Houston ZaZa maintains a 60 percent occupancy rate, its revenue per room will be $156, putting it among the highest in Houston (the revenue per room is $150 at the Houstonian, $147 at the Four Seasons and $124 at the Icon).

One of the challenges facing the ZaZa is that it's kind of isolated: not downtown, not on Post Oak, not exactly near the stadiums or the Medical Center. But it is in a desirable part of town, and it has easy access to the MetroRail line — plus, the owners say, the hotel itself will be a draw for business travelers, weekend visitors and even suburbanites who want to spend a day in the Museum District. And, of course, the rich. "The arrival of ZaZa is good for Houston, in that the luxury clientele set will increase here," Hotel Icon general manager Roland Maldonado told the Chronicle. Givens, of course, is optimistic: "I think Houston is such a powerful, broad-shouldered town with great style," he said. "I think Houston will eat this up."