What we have is a swanky 36-story new-build hotel with a160-acre park at its doorstep. On the 7th floor is a one-acre rooftop with lots of open greenspace and a gorgeous porcelain-tiled infinity pool dotted with cabanas . . . and of course, a heliport. This is Houston, after all, and unabashedly so. As the project designer at Abel Design Group described the interior vision, “we aimed to capture the essence of Houston at the peak of the 1970s oil boom, envisioning the curated look of a midcentury modern oil baron’s home.” The feel is sleek and minimalist with rich neutral tones, creative textures, and tasteful pops of color.
Thompson Spa Entry
Thompson Hotel opened on Valentine’s Day, and I was there a month later for the much-anticipated debut of the Thompson Spa. Also in attendance, Italian skincare guru Pietro Simone, a personal favorite of mine, whose one-of-a-kind sought-after treatments and products are now featured at the spa. The 5,470-square-foot-spa is located on the wellness floor which encompasses the entire 9,324-square-foot 6th floor that is also home to a 24-hour state-of-the-art fitness center. I entered the spa through a massive dark door, after stopping to admire an airy metal sculpture of a kimono that hangs in the corridor along the way to the spa. A nice touch for what was to come.
Behind the Spa Door
The spa seduces upon entry with its beautifully curved Venetian plaster walls and sultrily lit corridor. One first steps into the reception area that houses a nicely curated boutique with lots of natural light. On offer here is an assortment of lovely and thoughtfully chosen skincare products—Agent Nateur, Pietro Simone, Acrely Farms CBD, and Sprekenhus, the latter a clean body and haircare line from Norway. There’s eye-catching yoga wear from Yoga Democracy and luxurious Thompson Ferrier candles that have a great backstory (the founder met his wife at a Thompson hotel in New York where they dined at Ferrier Bistro, and the rest is scented history). Handbags and jewelry from Frieda Rothman, as well as Soko jewelry out of Kenya, nicely round out the boutique offerings.
The spa seduces upon entry with its beautifully curved Venetian plaster walls and sultrily lit corridor.
The spa is a world unto itself—one you can easily surrender to as you don a lush Mansfield robe, slip into Oka B slides, and quietly traipse through the cavernous corridor. The six spacious treatment suites have names like the State of Renewal Suite, the State of Wellbeing Suite, and the Bayou Suite, the latter of which is the grand couple’s suite.
The Grounding Lounge
Before long, I found myself comfortably tucked away in the Grounding Lounge with floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the verdant Buffalo Bayou Park and the downtown Houston skyline. I loved this long rectangular space with its spectacular large-format porcelain tiled wall meant to mimic wood. (I had to touch it to believe it.) Add comfy chaises and pillows, sumptuous snacks, and an elegant Jenwey Teas’ service, and you have a real relaxation space that inspires just that.
At one end of the Grounding Lounge is the State of Elegance Suite. This gem of a space is designed for visiting masters, and is where local master stylist Michael Saldana will soon reign. He has three local salons, and the only true barbershop around. The State of Elegance Suite will offer gentlemen’s Italian shaves, beverages, mocktails, and a pre-wedding day experience for men.
Adjacent to the State of Elegance Suite is the 500-square-foot Bayou Patio, an indoor/outdoor space adorned with plants that overlooks the park. It’s a perfect place to lounge with a cup of tea (when the Texas “humidity that hugs you” isn’t in season). Of special note: Next April, the patio will be home to two BluCube cold plunge tubs—if the weight proves not to be too prohibitive for the patio. Stay tuned.
Locals are welcome at the spa, and all spa guests are given complimentary valet parking and full access to the rooftop pool, making it easy to make a full spa day of it—and that’s actually encouraged. Sol 7, a lively indoor/outdoor dining spot with a great bar is also located on the seventh floor. Have a cocktail here, where Dennis Zella, who spent six years honing his craft in Tokyo, concocts magical libations. I opted for his Green Light—part mezcal, coconut milk, lime juice, makrut lime syrup, and Midori, it was a delicious taste sensation.
A Spa Menu that’s of Service
This is an extremely well-thought-out spa menu that offers topnotch treatments. There are exclusive facials created by the afore-mentioned Pietro Simone, as well as facials by Agent Nateur that include the popular Signature Glass facial. There’s also a Men’s Bespoke facial that uses Acrely Farms CBD and lovely aromatic massages and bespoke body treatments—of special note is the Texas Starry Night Slumber Massage.
The Bayou Suite
As of August 1st, in honor of National Wellness Month, Thompson Spa debuted its pop-up IV Lounge in collaboration with LA-Based Dripology (its co-founder, Ash K. Holm, hails from Houston). Set up in the aforementioned State of Elegance Suite, Dripology services are administered by licensed RNs and include vitamin IV treatments, red light therapy, and Normatec compression boots.
Nice touch: Every single guest who books a treatment undergoes a phone consultation. “Our treatments are pretty vast and unique, so we want to make sure we match the guest with the best possible experience based on their desired outcomes,” shares Megan Fitzgerald, Director of Spa and Wellness. “It’s one thing to create a massive menu—it’s another thing to create a menu that’s of service to people.
“In my experience at larger destination resorts, we would often offer over one hundred different treatments, which can be a disservice to people. During the ideation of this spa, I took just twenty percent of those treatments and made sure we brought in the best versions of those treatments with the best products and the best providers. We then customize to the individual based on the consultation.”
An Extraordinary Spa Director
The brains behind Thompson Spa, Megan Fitzgerald is a spa industry veteran who most recently hailed from Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Spa where she was recruited to complete a $23 million renovation and to reimagine and reopen Seawater Spa after a two-year closure. Before that she worked her magic at Lake Austin Spa Resort, WTS International, and Pendry Hotels. And we won’t even get into the day spas she founded and grew into great successes.
Megan is, to put it simply, a powerhouse. She has an intuitive sense when it comes to spa and what guests need. Or as she puts it, “I think outside the box that holds the box that most people think outside of.”
Megan Fitzgerald, Director of Spa and Wellness
She joined the Thompson Spa team in October of 2023 as the Director of Spa and Wellness, and shares that the outcome of the spa “was to have something that hadn’t been seen before that could be the new quintessential Thompson spa experience.” (This spa marks the fourth Thompson Spa in Texas.) When asked if the spa were a woman, how would she describe her, Megan answered without missing a beat: “An accomplished queen—she has nothing to prove and she sits in her strength, beauty, and grace.”
“Coming to Thompson was, for me, a return to the urban spa, so it was a welcome shift from the resort spa. I knew we’d be dealing with a more enlightened, educated guest who needed a disruption to their normal spa experience,” she tells me. “Houston is an incredibly diverse community and in creating a disruptive spa experience, I wanted to honor inclusion at the highest level with integrity.
“When I go to a beautiful spa, I always call ahead and say, ‘I’m a big girl and need a 4x robe’—but it never happens. I’m given a robe that doesn’t fit me. So, when I say inclusion at my spa, I mean no guest should have to worry about anything. If they walk in and are quite tall, we rotate rooms and put in a longer table. I made sure to choose amenities that would address all cultures. For example, the Black and Latina guests have different needs for hair and skin, and I’m still working on finding a cosmetic line with a complete line of shade inclusion for our guests.”
And that is how Thompson Spa is redefining the urban spa experience: Luxury as total inclusion in a chic and welcoming city spa.
Mary Bemis
Mary Bemis is Founder & Editorial Director of InsidersGuidetoSpas.com. An advocate for all things spa, Mary forged a vocabulary for spa reportage that is widely used by those who cover the issues today. Recently honored as a Top 30 Influential Voice Transforming Wellness by Medika Life, Mary is an inaugural honoree of Folio’s Top Women in Media Award. Her spa media roots run deep—in 1997, she launched American Spa magazine, in 2007, she co-founded Organic Spa magazine, and in between serving on the ISPA and NYSPA Board of Directors, she was on the launch teams of Luxury SpaFinder and New Beauty magazines. Named a "Wonder Woman of Wellness" by American Spa magazine, Mary was honored by the International Spa Association with the distinguished ISPA Dedicated Contributor Award. She is a special advisor to the non-profit Global Wellness Day.
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