the inn crowd

4 Dallas-Fort Worth hotels praised among Texas' best in coveted U.S. News ranking

Dallas' storied Mansion lands at No. 2.

Photo courtesy of Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek

Four luxurious Dallas-Fort Worth hotels are among the best in the state this year, according to US News & World Report. The publication collects its information through hotel ratings, customer reviews, and industry award analysis.

The Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek (No. 2), Ritz-Carlton, Dallas (No. 6), Ashton Hotel in Fort Worth (No. 24), and Thompson Dallas (No. 25) all have made the prestigious list for 2023. The list looks a bit different than it did last year, when seven local hotels made the cut.

Houston’s only double five-star hotel and spa, The Post Oak Hotel, was awarded the No. 1 spot, known for its “tropical sanctuary” pool, nine restaurants and bars, and ultra-modern room amenities and decor.

“This prestigious list evaluates the top hotels from around the globe, and it is an honor to be included,” said Steven Chou, general manager at The Post Oak Hotel, in a statement.

Dallas' storied Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek takes No. 2 with its elegant decor, proximity to nearby parks, and acclaimed restaurant. It's up from No. 6 in 2022.

"This five-star hotel gets rave reviews, with many recent travelers saying the staff go above and beyond to anticipate guests' needs," US News says. "What's more, the hotel completed a large renovation in fall 2020, bringing the pricey property's design, rooms and suites, and public spaces up to the same vaulted level of service that impresses past travelers."

Uptown's swanky Ritz-Carlton, Dallas lands at No. 6 (up from last year's ranking of No. 7).

"Located near the Museum of Art, the Dallas edition of the luxurious Ritz-Carlton brand goes beyond just offering many of the amenities you'd expect from a five-star hotel," says US News. "For instance, this hotel boasts not just a pool, but a saline-treated rooftop pool; and not just facials and massages, but a 12,000-square-foot spa.

The Ashton Hotel, a petite boutique hotel in downtown Fort Worth, comes in at No. 24, and rounding out the top 25 is the Thompson Dallas.

Other top hotels in Texas from the US News and & World Report hail from Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and Fort Worth.

The full list of the top 25 best hotels in Texas include:

The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston
Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek – Dallas
Commodore Perry Estate, Auberge Resorts Collection – Austin
Hotel Emma – San Antonio
Four Seasons Hotel – Houston
The Ritz-Carlton – Dallas
Thompson San Antonio Riverwalk
The Driskill – Austin
Fairmont Austin
Four Seasons Hotel – Austin
JW Marriott Houston Downtown
Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa – San Antonio
JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa
The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa
The St. Regis Houston
Austin Proper Hotel & Residences
Miraval Austin
Lake Austin Spa Resort
La Cantera Resort & Spa – San Antonio
Hotel Granduca Austin
Mokara Hotel & Spa – San Antonio
Hotel Granduca Houston
Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa – Austin
The Ashton Hotel – Fort Worth
Thompson Dallas

rosewood mansion the ritz-carlton us news & world report hotels rankings

Holiday News

American Airlines expects record-setting travel on Thanksgiving 2024

Photo courtesy of American Airlines

American Airlines ready for takeoff.

The holidays are looming and American Airlines is ramping up. Over the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend, the Fort Worth-based airline expects to process nearly 8.3 million customers across more than 77,000 flights.

According to a statement from American's COO David Seymour, the airline is having a good fall season and canceled fewer flights than its peers during October.

“Thanks to the hard work of our 130,000 team members, we canceled fewer flights than any of our major competitors this October and beat our own records for on-time departures and arrivals,” Seymour says.

That's surely good news. One hates to rain on their parade, but in June 2024, the only flight I booked this year, my flight was canceled less than 24 hours before take-off. I had made hotel reservations, scheduled a pet sitter, planned events, and arranged for a friend to pick me up at the destination airport. One employee speculated that it may have been "insufficient crew." Their only solution offered was: Feel free to reschedule your flight.

Thanksgiving facts and figures
The travel window runs from November 21 to December 3, and the airline expects to carry more than 500,000 more customers than it did last year.

The most-traveled day will be Sunday, December 1. The second most-traveled day will be Monday, December 2.

The peak of peak: 1,035 mainline and regional aircraft will be enroute at 10:45 am on Sunday, December 1 — the highest number of flights handled at any given time during American’s travel period.

The airline expects to serve more than 6.8 million Biscoff cookies on board from November 21 to December 3.

Travel tips
Download the American Airlines app and check in for your flight, noting added any bags to your trip. This will save you time at the airport.

If traveling internationally, download the Mobile Passport Control app, which can speed up your entry into the U.S. Global Entry members can download the Global Entry app, which allows you to submit your entry and go straight to the officer.

Upon arrival at the airport lobby, scan your mobile boarding pass to print bag tags quickly at a kiosk. If you’re not checking bags, go straight to TSA security with your mobile boarding pass.

holidays