Hottest headlines of 2021

Dallas' top travel stories of 2021 escape to magical treehouses and sparkling lagoons

Editor's note: As we look back at the most-read travel stories of 2021, we can see how eager readers were to get away. After months and months of staying home, Dallasites were ready to get vaxxed up and jet off to someplace spectacular — a treehouse, sparkling lagoon, nature-filled skywalk, or romantic tropical paradise. A few Dallas lodgings earned big honors, too.

1. Spectacular skywalk opens for treetop strolls at expansive Texas land bridge. An impressive and unique public works project to bridge the natural and human realms got a sky-high addition last spring that elevates nature walks to a whole new level. The Skywalk, the elevated walkway at the newly revealed Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge at Phil Hardberger Park in San Antonio, officially opened to the public in April.

2. Texas’ largest crystal lagoon makes a splash with new floating cabanas. The wildly popular Lagoonfest Texas stirred up a frenzy on social media with a cool new water experience announced in August. The beachy attraction, located in Texas City near Galveston on the Texas coast, introduced floating cabanas — dubbed “aquabanas” — designed to marry the thrill of water with the chill of sipping cocktails in a cabana.

3. American Airlines romances DFW with new nonstop flights to tropical honeymoon paradise. In time for summer wedding season, American Airlines lifted the veil on its first-ever nonstop flights from Dallas-Fort Worth to the romantic Caribbean island of Saint Lucia. The inaugural American Airlines A321 service started June 5, departing Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) on Saturdays through August 14.

4. 2 Dallas-Fort Worth highways crash onto list of deadliest roads in the U.S. Several of the most clogged roads in the U.S. crisscross Texas. Now, two major highways in Dallas-Fort Worth qualify for another dubious distinction: They’re among the 10 deadliest roads in the country. In a recent study from Austin-based insurance marketplace The Zebra, Interstate 20 ranks as the country's second most deadly road on a per-mile basis. I-35 appears at No. 5.

5. Ethereal Dallas treehouse climbs to top of Airbnb's most coveted rentals in Texas. This is certainly not your childhood treehouse. In March, an Instagram-worthy urban treehouse in Dallas ranked as Airbnb’s most “wish-listed” unique stay in Texas. The treehouse, in the Little Forest Hills neighborhood near White Rock Lake, is described as an “exquisite, handcrafted home” that blends Bauhaus contemporary design with “warm rustic elegance.”

6. Dallas-based Southwest Airlines rolls out crazy $29 spring break sale. For those who were already dreaming about spring break the first week of January, Southwest Airlines Co. launched a four-day sale with tickets starting as low as $29 one way. But it came and went fast. The sale ran through January 7 and was good for travel through the end of April.

7. How the winter storm could affect Texas' bluebonnets and wildflowers in spring 2021. By the end of February, when Texas had thawed out from Winter Storm Uri and we were back to shorts-weather, the question on every wildflower watcher’s mind was: What'll happen with our bluebonnets? Texans didn't have to worry. The state flower was still going to blanket fields, parks, and roadsides this year, experts said. We'd just need to be patient because their grand entrance would be delayed.

8. This Dallas luxury hotel made more money than most Texas lodgings in 2020. To coincide with its 40th anniversary, Dallas’ Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek unveiled an extensive renovation in 2020. The hotel had even more to celebrate: It ranked sixth statewide and first in Dallas-Fort Worth last year on a key indicator for the financial health of hotels, according to a March report from San Antonio-based hotel data provider Source Strategies.

9. Sparkling downtown Dallas hotel claims coveted spot on new Conde Nast Traveler Hot List. A luxe downtown Dallas hotel captured a coveted spot on Conde Nast Traveler's Hot List for 2021: Thompson Dallas was the city's only hotel to make the prestigious list of 69 best new hotels from around the world, released May 6. Part of the lifestyle hospitality brand Thompson Hotels, the Dallas hotel opened in November 2020 in the historic George Dahl-designed building now known as The National on Akard Street.

10. 5 adults-only getaways around Texas for a blissful post-COVID ‘vacci-cation.’ If 2020 was the summer of staycations, 2021 was the summer of “vacci-cations.” You’re now Pfizered-up, Moderna-pumped, and J&J-prepped for some R&R away. Leave your corona troubles behind, grab a travel buddy, and hit the road for a grown-up getaway to one of these dreamy destinations — no kids allowed.

The French cathedral-inspired Chapelle treehouse at adults-only Treehouse Utopia.

Photo courtesy of Treehouse Utopia

The French cathedral-inspired Chapelle treehouse at adults-only Treehouse Utopia.

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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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