Bring on the tourists

Travel + Leisure heralds North Texas city a top place to visit in 2021

Mule Alley rendering, Fort Worth Stockyards

The Fort Worth Stockyards gets a tip of the hat from the magazine.

Rendering courtesy of Stockyards Heritage Development Co.

None of us has a travel crystal ball, so we don’t know when it’ll be safe to take getaways without giving much thought to our health. But a national travel magazine has just proclaimed what residents of Fort Worth know to be true — that the city will be a pretty great place to visit in 2021.

Travel + Leisure magazine on December 18 released its annual, unranked list of the 50 best U.S. places to visit in the coming year. Fort Worth is the only major Texas city to make the list.

"In honor of our revived appreciation for the discoveries to be made in our own backyards, this year’s list features 50 dynamic, of-the-moment destinations — all right here in the United States," the magazine says.

Although Fort Worth appears as No. 15, the list is presented alphabetically and not by ranking, they emphasize.

Travel + Leisure unpacks an array of reasons for visitors to hang their hats in Cowtown. Among them, the publication cites the historic Fort Worth Stockyards, which “captures the celebrated legacy of Texas’ bustling livestock industry with rodeos, a history museum, and the world’s only twice-daily cattle drive.”

It also gives a nod to the recently renovated Amon Carter Museum of American Art, the nonprofit Art Tooth gallery, and the Blackland Distillery lounge and tasting room (named Bar of the Year in CultureMap's prestigious 2020 Tastemaker Awards).

When it comes to resting at night after an eventful day in Fort Worth, Travel + Leisure recommends two soon-to-open accommodations: Hotel Drover, a Marriott Autograph Collection property opening in early 2021 in the Stockyards’ Mule Alley; and Hotel Dryce, a boutique hotel coming to the Cultural District from local entrepreneur and Magnolia Network star Jonathan Morris.

"A walloping dose of Texas heritage — with some luxe, modern updates — is drawing visitors to hit the city where the West begins," the magazine says.

Travel + Leisure’s only other Texas pick for 2021 seems slightly more obvious yet no less desirable: the Texas Hill Country.

A favorite getaway for Fort Worth travelers, the 31,000-square-mile region that's west of Austin and north of San Antonio is about a three-hour drive out of the DFW Metroplex. Well-known Hill Country communities include Fredericksburg, Kerrville, Johnson City, Dripping Springs, Wimberley, Driftwood, Horseshoe Bay, Marble Falls, New Braunfels, and Canyon Lake.

Travel + Leisure praises the Hill Country for “an inimitable charm that those outside of the state just seem to be catching onto.”

In its profile of the Hill Country, the magazine concentrates on a pocket of the sprawling region southwest of Austin. Travel + Leisure toasts Fall Creek Vineyards and the Duchman Family Winery, both in Driftwood, and the Dripping Springs Distillery District, including Treaty Oak Distilling and Deep Eddy Vodka.

As for where to kick up your feet in the Hill Country, Travel + Leisure highlights the rustic-chic Getaway cabins in Wimberley and the luxurious 289-acre Camp Lucy resort and event venue in Dripping Springs.

Where are the absolute best places to visit out of state next year? Fort Worth and the Hill Country keep good company with the likes of: Alaska's Coast; Astoria, Oregon; The Berkshires; Big Sky, Montana; Birmingham, Alabama; The Black Hills of South Dakota; Buffalo, New York; Burlington, Vermont; Cape May, New Jersey; and The Catskills. The full list can be found here.

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Aerie in the sky

Nature-inspired hotel checks into Texas' tallest tower in Austin

Photo by Chase Daniel

Rooms at 1 Hotel Austin settle in simple and natural design.

A luxury hotel chain is checking into Austin, adding the Texas capital to a cohort of a dozen North American cities. Called 1 Hotel Austin, the 252-room stay is designed to blend with nature and tap into sustainable hospitality in the new Waterline building — the tallest tower in Texas. Reservations are open now for the hotel, opening in August.

A press release explains that 1 Hotel Austin looks at its surroundings where Waller Creek and Lady Bird Lake meet "through a contemporary, biophilic lens." Designers used natural materials, textures, and transitions from inside to outside — like balconies and terraces with plants, or floor-to-ceiling windows — to create a feeling of connecting with the natural world.

Foodies may already know that a highly regarded restaurant from Denver is moving in as the hotel's signature restaurant. Called Alteño Austin, the concept by Chef Johnny Curiel shows off cuisine from the Highlands of Jalisco, where he has a family connection.

$Alte\u00f1o Austin$ Alteño currently only has one location — the original — in Denver, Colorado, and one more on the way in Charleston, South Carolina.Rending courtesy of 1 Hotels

“There’s a respect for tradition in the way [Chef Curiel] cooks, but also a willingness to reinterpret it, and that balance is what makes his food so compelling," said Nicholas Demasi, senior vice president of food and beverage at Starwood Hotels, in the release.

There will also be two other food and beverage concepts: Watr, a "Japanese-leaning" rooftop restaurant and lounge designed to entertain guests from day to night, and Neighbors, a café and wine bar that can be accessed from the lobby and the street for coffee, juice, small plates, draft cocktails, and more, depending on the time of day.

1 Hotel Austin rooftoop Watr This rooftop restaurant will serve a Japanese-inspired menu.Rending courtesy of 1 Hotels

Focusing more on the amenities than the rooms, which include 60 luxury suites, the release draws attention to the building's proximity to the Rainey Street District and downtown, making both day and night activities easily accessible. Guests also have a direct connection to the more outdoorsy portion of town via the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail around the lake.

Wellness amenities include a run club, sound baths, a 2,000-square-foot fitness center, and a yoga studio. Bamford Wellness Spa will operate a space offering retail and treatments, including couples' experiences. The spa claims inspiration through Hill Country bathhouses, placing a premium on simplicity and restoration.

1 Hotel Austin guest bath This guest bath is spa-like with a dramatic view.Photo by Chase Daniel

The hotel is working on its LEED Gold certification, which would verify that the property has earned certain credits in materials, energy, waste management, and more. Gold is the second highest certification. Sustainability initiatives at the hotel will include adopting waste reduction practices for hosted events, supplying reusable in-room glassware, and introducing travelers to the 1 Less Thing program, which encourages them to leave behind a piece of gently used clothing to donate to a local organization.

“I’ve long admired Austin for its creative energy and entrepreneurial spirit,” says Barry Sternlicht, founder of 1 Hotels and chairman of Starwood Hotels. “It’s a place where innovation thrives alongside a deep respect for the environment and community. Even as the city continues to grow and evolve, it has managed to balance progress with preservation."

1 Hotels Austin entrance The dramatic entrance exemplifies the transitional design from inside the building to nature outside.Rending courtesy of 1 Hotels

1 Hotel Austin is located at 96 Red River St., Austin. Reservations are open now at 1hotels.com. Available August room rates are currently discounted and start at $377.

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