The story behind ZaZa's 'goth dungeon closet'

Room 322 nicknamed "Hard Times" at Hotel ZaZa, Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013, in Houston. ( Michael Paulsen / Houston Chronicle ) Room 322 nicknamed "Hard Times" at Hotel ZaZa, Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013, in Houston. ( Michael Paulsen / Houston Chronicle ) Photo: Michael Paulsen, Staff Photo: Michael Paulsen, Staff Image 1 of / 24 Caption Close The story behind ZaZa's 'goth dungeon closet' 1 / 24 Back to Gallery

Checking into Houston's luxurious Hotel ZaZa, guests can expect sumptuous fabrics, elegant light fixtures and design-forward style - usually.

The hotel is known for putting a unique touch on its rooms. The "Houston, We Have a Problem" concept suite includes a bubble chair and a large globe in the center of the coffee table, while the 2,100-square-foot "Rock Star" suite features animal prints, mirrored walls and a bedroom that sleeps six.

But there's nothing like the strange vibe of room 322.

When one guest booked a last-minute room at the ZaZa, he ended up in what his friend called a "goth dungeon closet" in a post on popular Internet message board Reddit.

"The first thing that struck me was lack of carpet; I thought it was unfinished," said Matt Robinson, who was visiting Houston from California for work.

"Looking around it got a little more weird; there's a skull and pictures of these large-eyed, long-necked characters."

The room is described as being a third of the size of a normal ZaZa room, with a bed chained to a wall of exposed brick.

Curiously, there's also a portrait of a man who appears to be former Stanford Financial Group executive Jay Comeaux.

"Since the hotel is a historic hotel, all rooms on each floor vary in size, and they really wanted to use all the rooms in their existing size," said ZaZa director of public relations Kyra Coots.

"This particular room, 322, also known as 'Hard Times,' is compact in size but well-equipped, and a playful spin on a jail experience."

The Hard Times room starts at $180 per night. Coots says a similar room on the same floor is designed to look like a ship's cabin and is highly requested for its balcony, which overlooks the pool.

Robinson was moved to a more traditional room after his first night, and Coots says that while ZaZa wants every guest to have a memorable experience, if the room is not to a guest's taste, the hotel will make efforts to accommodate that.

"It's definitely a wacky experience for someone who's looking for that feel," Robinson said.