[Urbannizer]

City mulls plans to build W Hotel in downtown Houston

A proposal to build a luxury hotel in downtown Houston found support at a Feb. 13 meeting from residents and business leaders who have long bemoaned the Bayou City's lack of high-end hotel inventory.

Texas Hospitality Partners LLC is proposing to build a W Hotel on top of the downtown Partnership Tower, which was designed to support the structure, according to meeting attendees and a public agenda document. Houston First Corp. held the public board of directors and hotel committee meeting, and an ad hoc committee was formed to study over the next 45 days a potential term sheet for the hotel.

Any plan would need final approval from both the Houston First board and the city of Houston before a signed development agreement is put in place — a process that could take months.

Houston First, Texas Hospitality Partners and W Hotel chain owner Maryland-based Marriott International Inc. (Nasdaq: MAR) couldn't immediately be reached for comment. The Greater Houston Partnership declined to comment through a spokeswoman.