Rockets owner Leslie Alexander first began to request a new arena in 1995 and attempted to release the Rockets from their lease at The Summit. However, he was denied by arena owner Chuck Watson, then-owner of the Aeros, who also wanted control of a new arena. The two sides agreed to equal control over an arena in a deal signed in 1997, but the proposal was rejected by city voters in a 1999 referendum. It was not until the city and the Rockets signed an amended agreement in 2001, excluding the Aeros, that the proposal was accepted. Construction began in July 2001, and the new arena was officially opened in October 2003.

The nearest international airport to Toyota Center is George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), which has international and domestic flights to/from Houston, Texas and is 21 miles from the stadium. Several airlines offer direct flights between the two and the flight time from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) is approximately 10 hours and 15 minutes.

If you are already in the US and looking to travel to/from Houston, then you have the choice of most US domestic airlines including Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, American Eagle, Frontier Airlines, Jet Blue, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, United Airways and WestJet.

The best and most affordable transportation service to the Toyota Center is provided by METRO, either on rail or bus services. Transit stations are conveniently located within walking distance of the stadium. You could also make use of free apps such as Moovit to get real-time timetables, maps and directions to the arena using local public transportation systems.

Rideshare services are also available in the vicinity. The Toyota Center has partnered with Uber to make it easier for you to arrive at the game on time. The Uber Zone is along Bell Street in front of the Bell Street Entrance for pickup and drop-off.

Downtown Houston offers a little bit of something for everyone. Entertainment knows no bounds as pro sports teams like the Astros and Rockets call this slice of the city home, while the nationally renowned Houston Theatre District also brings shows to life within this threshold. Green spaces like Market Square Park and Discovery Green add open-air fun to the Downtown corridor.

Beyond the Airbnb and Sonder options there are many hotels nearby to suit all budgets, which can be booked directly or via one of the hotel reservation booking sites. Popular options include the Hilton Americas-Houston, and the Homewood Suites by Hilton.

The Houston Rockets sell their tickets via AXS.

The official ticket partner for the NBA is nbatickets.nba.com.

Here are links to the main ticket resale sites. Click on the link, which will open up a new window, and you can compare the prices on the different ticket resell sites, bearing in mind that the prices shown are before the selling platform fees are added, so take time to have a read of my tips to Buying Tickets in North America.

• SeatGeek
• SportsEvents365 (Click on the Search Button)
• StubHub International
• StubHub US
• Ticketmaster US
• TicketNetwork
• Viagogo
• Vivid Seats

I recommend downloading the team’s Mobile App to your phone as it contains much Gameday information for the stadium.