During the pandemic, the Houston Marriott Marquis began to see a large uptick in “staycation” business. The hotel reached out to Lightswitch to help capitalize on this local audience with a seasonal light show. Lightswitch made the client’s vision a reality with Texas Winter Lights, an interactive experience designed to draw traffic from both the hotel pool deck and Discovery Green park below, creating a source of revenue for the hotel during the slower winter months.
Lightswitch designed Texas Winter Lights for the hotel’s sixth floor, which features a large Texas-shaped lazy river and a balcony overlooking Discovery Green Park. Because this unique pool deck already draws plenty of attention from guests, our team set out to transform the space into a date night-worthy light show experience, complete with a plethora of festooned string lights. Texas Winter Lights ultimately featured over 18 separate areas for guests to explore. These included elements such as custom 10-foot-tall trees covered in LED lights, light tunnels spanning the lazy river, and a plexiglass wall that guests could draw on from either side.
The show also featured a DJ and dance area. In an effort to attract the public from Discovery Green, Lightswitch installed giant searchlights that moved in time with the DJ’s music, enticing passersby. Our team’s installations combined with the hotel’s hospitality to yield a truly festive experience — one that included everything from Christmas movie nights to a relaxing “serenity area” in the infinity pool.
After working on a similar project with Houston Marriott Marquis previously, Lightswitch was able to take complete creative control during Texas Winter Lights. The process was efficient thanks to our many creative and manufacturing partners. While this event was born out of the hotel’s desire to capitalize on pandemic “staycation” traffic, we ended up creating a staple destination for the downtown area. We hope to continue building on this project, bringing in business for the hotel, and giving the people of Houston many evenings of wonder and entertainment during the winter months.
