Luxe lodgings
2 palatial Texas hotels book top spots in prestigious new list of best in U.S.
Texas is home to two of the best hotels in America, says a new ranking by a national magazine.
U.S. News & World Report has ranked Houston's luxe Post Oak Hotel No. 13 and San Antonio’s Hotel Emma No. 23 overall in its prestigious 50 Best Hotels in the USA 2021.
Post Oak's “sprawling lobby complete with crystal chandeliers” earns distinction in the listing, as do its “grand” accommodations including smart TVs, marble bathrooms, and personal gym areas. The wine cellar, featuring 30,000 bottles of world-class vintages dating back the 1800s, and the hotel's six restaurants also are highlights.
Since it opened, the Post Oak — owned by Houston billionaire Tilman Fertitta — has remained Texas’ only Forbes Double Five-Star rated hotel. The 10-acre property boasts 38-stories, 250 guestrooms and suites; 20 executive residences; and an elegant 35,000-square-foot conference facility, including the largest ballroom in Uptown Houston.
Meanwhile, a massive, 5,000 square-foot, two-bedroom Presidential Suite offers private elevator access, media room, exercise room, and secluded terrace. For added opulence, guests can check out the two-story Rolls-Royce showroom and on-site Bentley and Bugatti Post Oak Motors dealership. VIPs can jet away in the hotel’s private helicopter.
Meanwhile, San Antonio’s buzzy and elegant Hotel Emma scores major points for its “eccentric details.” (Last year, the Emma was the only Texas hotel to land on the U.S. News & World Report list.)
Guests are greeted with a housemade margarita before being whisked away to rooms adorned with dark-wood and leather furniture, plus throw pillows with vivid patterns. In-room amenities range from flat-screen TVs to seersucker bathrobes to in-room pantries stocked with locally made products, the report notes.
Dining comes courtesy of Supper, the on-site restaurant, or Larder, the in-house boutique grocery store.
