Car Rental at Houston William P. Hobby Airport

Airport travel guide

William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) is an international airport located in Houston, Texas. The airport was once the major airport of the city, though it was supplanted by the larger George H.W. Bush Intercontinental Airport in the respect. HOU still serves as a popular entrance point to the city for many, though. Hobby Airport is also convenient for those whose final destination, such as Galveston, is south of Houston. 

Top international routes

• Cancun, Mexico
• Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
• San Jose del Cabo, Mexico
• San Jose, Costa Rica
• Liberia, Costa Rica
• Belize City, Belize a
• Montego Bay, Jamaica

Main airlines

The airport’s main carrier is Southwest Airlines with destinations across the U.S. and Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America. Delta, American Airlines, and JetBlue also offer a small number of flights, mainly to and from their hubs.

Terminals

The airport consists of one terminal with two concourses. The Central Concourse is the departure point of domestic flights, and therefore most of the airport’s flights. The Western Concourse hosts the airport’s international flights.

Location

HOU, only 10 miles south of Downtown Houston, is located much closer to downtown than George H. W. Bush Intercontinental Airport. The airport is not far from I-45 (the Gulf Freeway) which conveniently takes travelers to both Downtown Houston and Galveston.

Most popular types of rental car

• Small cars - from €47 per day
• Medium cars - from €46 per day
• Large cars - from €52 per day
• SUVs - from €46 per day
• Premium cars - from €65 per day
• Convertibles - from €74 per day

Car rental desks

All car rental suppliers at the airport, except Payless, have rental desks next to Baggage Claim. From there, renters must take a shuttle to pick up their cars.

Services and facilities

The airport has all of the services and facilities you would expect a large domestic airport, though on a smaller scale than airports like IAH.

Though the only lounge is the USO Lounge reserved for members of the armed forces, there is a spa treatment service in the Central Concourse.

Water bottle refilling points are available in both of the concourses of the terminal and landside. So are baby care facilities. Near Baggage Claim, visitors can find the Houston Interactive Center where information about the city and directions can be obtained by the friendly Volunteer Ambassadors.

There is no airport at the airport, but many are located just outside of it and provide free shuttles. These include a DoubleTree, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn, Four Points, and La Quinta Inn & Suites.

Finally, to quench travelers’ hunger, many restaurants can be found, though fewer in the international concourse. These include chains such as Buffalo Wild Wings and ChickFila along with local restaurants like Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen. Those need a pick-me-up jolt of caffeine can find a Peet’s in both concourses.

Consult HOU’s Interactive Directions to see what exactly is available in the terminal that you will be arriving at.

Nearest gas station

Which gas station nearest to the airport for you depends on what direction you are arriving from which in turn may depend on which car rental supplier you use. If returning a car to Alamo or National, and coming from downtown on Telephone Rd., a Chevron station at the intersection with Airport Blvd. is the closest station. If returning a car to other suppliers, such as Hertz, Enterprise, or Dollar, you would most likely be coming for the other direction on Airport Blvd. In this case, a Shell station at the corner of Airport Blvd. and Monroe Blvd. is the closest station. Other stations are located along Airport Blvd. too. None of the stations feature the price gouging common of stations closest to a major airport.

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