Lauded lodging

7 Dallas hotels lauded among Texas’ best in prestigious U.S. News ranking

Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas

The Four Seasons is the highest-ranked DFW hotel on the list.

Courtesy photo

Seven Dallas-area luxury hotels are sitting high on U.S. News & World Report’s new list of the best hotels in Texas.

The Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas, Irving (No. 4); Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek (No. 6); Ritz-Carlton, Dallas (No. 7); The Joule (No. 12); Hotel Crescent Court (No. 17); Hotel ZaZa Dallas (No. 18); and HALL Arts Hotel (No. 25) all have made the prestigious list.

Several also made the cut for best "resorts" in Texas (see below.)

San Antonio's glittering Hotel Emma, the crown jewel of the city's Pearl district, has been deemed one of the best hotels in the country, ranking as the No. 7 top hotel in the U.S. and the No. 1 Texas property. The 146-room riverfront property, which opened in 2015, repeatedly appears at or near the top of rankings for the state’s best hotels and has become a bucket-list destination for Texas travelers.

It was the only Texas hotel to make the national top-25 list.

“Hotel Emma stands out among travelers for its cool culture. This is largely brought on by the hotel’s history as a former brewery,” says U.S. News, referring to the property’s previous life as the largest brewery in Texas.

“Visitors marvel at the refined industrial elements featured throughout — particularly in the lobby — and are equally impressed with the quality of the accommodations,” U.S. News says in its overview of Hotel Emma. “Guests report rooms to be exceptionally styled and comfortable, thanks to amenities like 48-inch flat-screen TVs, plush beds with Frette linens, and luxury bathrobes. And the food is just as much of a staple here as beer used to be.”

Here are the top 25 U.S. News-ranked hotels in Texas:

Hotel Emma, San Antonio.
Commodore Perry Estate, Auberge Resorts Collection, Austin. Also ranked first among Texas resorts.
The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston.
Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas, Irving. Also ranked second among Texas resorts.
The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa. Also ranked third among Texas resorts.
Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, Dallas. Also ranked fourth among Texas resorts.
The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas.
JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa. Also ranked fifth among Texas resorts.
Hotel ZaZa Houston Museum District.
Hotel ZaZa Houston Memorial City.
Archer Hotel Austin.
The Joule, Dallas.
Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa. Also ranked sixth among Texas resorts.
Miraval Austin.
Four Seasons Hotel Houston.
The St. Regis Houston.
Hotel Crescent Court, Dallas.
Hotel ZaZa Dallas.
Mokara Hotel & Spa, San Antonio.
Four Seasons Hotel Austin.
The Lancaster Hotel, Houston.
Hotel Granduca Houston.
Fairmont Austin.
Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa, near Bastrop. Also ranked seventh among Texas resorts.
HALL Arts Hotel Dallas, Curio Collection by Hilton.

“The travel industry has faced many disruptions over the past two years, highlighting the need to support and recognize hotels that continue to maintain excellent standards,” Zach Watson, senior travel editor at U.S. News, says in a news release. “The 2022 Best Hotels rankings offer a dependable guide for travelers to use when organizing their next trip, whether that’s in a few weeks or later in the year.”

So, what is the best hotel in the country? That honor goes to The Peninsula Chicago.

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Airline News

Frontier Airlines adds two new destination cities out of DFW Airport

Frontier Airlines/ Facebook

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Low-cost Denver-based Frontier Airlines has launched nonstop service from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to two new destinations in Central America.

According to a release, the carrier will offer the following new flights:

Guatemala City, Guatemala (GUA) - weekly
San Salvador, El Salvador (SAL) - 2x/week

With these new routes, Frontier will serve 40 destinations nonstop from DFW, exemplifying Frontier’s impressive network growth as it continues to add more affordable and convenient travel options across the U.S., Caribbean, and Latin America.

The frequency of the flights is a little confusing. Guatemala City is "weekly" which seems to imply "once a week." San Salvador is "2x/week" which seems to imply two flights a week. However, if you try to book a flight to either city, you get all sorts of options, including weekends and a few randomly spaced weekdays. And the flight availability extends only through January.

Frontier Airlines VP of network and operations design Josh Flyr says in a statement that "there’s a lot to be excited about" including their expanding network and their rolling out First Class in early 2026.

Other changes at Frontier include UpFront Plus seating, an upgraded seating option with extra leg and elbow room in the first two rows of the aircraft, with choice of a window or aisle seat with extra legroom and a guaranteed empty middle seat.

To celebrate, they'll offer a fare sale starting at $79. Tickets must be purchased by 10:59 pm Dallas time on December 30, 2025. Sale fares are valid for nonstop travel on select days of the week January 5-April 13, 2026. Blackout dates apply on March 9 and March 31, and from April 1-6. And a 14-day advance purchase is required.

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