tourism news

Dallas flies into top 10 on new list of best summer travel destinations

Here come the tourists.

Not even triple-digit heat will deter tourists from visiting Dallas this summer, a new survey from WalletHub has confirmed. The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro has climbed into the No. 10 spot on the personal finance website's list of the "Best Summer Travel Destinations" in 2025.

The report annually ranks 100 U.S metros based on attractions, safety, activities, weather, local costs, and travel costs and hassles. Factors that determine each city's ranking include flight costs, the number of affordable restaurants with high ratings, crime rates, and more.

The Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford metro area in Florida is the No. 1 most sought after summer travel destination this year.

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington has made a huge leap from its former No. 29 rank last year, and it ranked No. 45 in 2023.

Here's how WalletHub broke down Dallas' ranking in each of the six main categories:

No. 13 – Local costs rank
No. 21 – Attractions rank
No. 29 – Activities rank
No. 41 – Weather rank
No. 43 – Safety rank
No. 50 – Travel costs and hassles rank

Dallas ranked the highest in the local costs category, proving that the city's affordability is a major benefit for visitors as well as locals. There's surely no shortage of things to do in the city, from dining at highly acclaimed steakhouses or checking out fun plays and musicals.

But there's so much more that goes into choosing the right place for a memorable summer trip, says WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. Creating and sticking to a vacation budget that considers all costs of a trip, such as meals and local transportation costs, is a good place to start.

"[C]hoosing a destination that’s not only entertaining but also affordable is important when travel, dining and activity costs have surged so much in recent years," Lupo says. "It can also allow you to have a longer, more relaxing trip."

The study's scope isn't just limited to just Dallas proper, which also means tourists may flock to popular suburbs like Plano to explore its shopping opportunities, or visit a quirky new toy store in Lewisville. It also includes Arlington, home of the new National Medal of Honor Museum.

Other top Texas summer travel destinations
Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown (No. 5) was the only other Texas metro to earn a spot in the top 10 summer travel destinations, while San Antonio-New Braunfels ranked 18th.

Surprisingly, El Paso (No. 31) ranked four spots ahead of Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land (No. 35). The final two Texas metros that earned spots in the study are Corpus Christi (No. 80) and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission (No. 97).

The top 10 best summer travel destinations in 2025 are:

No. 1 – Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida
No. 2 – Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, Georgia
No. 3 – Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-Virginia-Maryland-West Virginia
No. 4 – Urban Honolulu, Hawaii
No. 5 – Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, Texas
No. 6 – Cincinnati, Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana
No. 7 – Salt Lake City, Utah
No. 8 – Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Delaware-Maryland
No. 9 – Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, Florida
No. 10 – Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas

wallethub rankings summer vacation travel dallas fort worth arlington

major award

Las Colinas' Ritz-Carlton gains entry into elite club with Michelin Key

Photo courtesy of Ritz-Carlton

The lounge at the new Ritz-Carlton Spa in Las Colinas.

An iconic luxury retreat in Irving's Las Colinas district is one of seven Texas properties awarded a coveted Michelin Key this year. The Ritz-Carlton Dallas, Las Colinas — which was the Four Seasons prior to a multimillion dollar renovation and rebranding — joins several other Texas resorts to make this year's list, including:

In its entry on the Michelin website, the Guide’s inspectors admire the way The Ritz-Carlton's sprawling 400-acre retreat, complete with golf course, several hundred guest rooms, suites, and poolside villas "all but blend into a hilly Las Colinas landscape."

They add that although "golf is the draw, tennis and pickleball courts, three pools and a spa keep guests busy off the course."

Hotel representatives in a press release said they are honored to earn what they consider a "top-of-the-industry achievement" that is a "true testament to our ladies and gentlemen who work tirelessly to deliver unforgettable service."

"Following our massive property transformation," they add, "this accolade underscores our commitment to establishing a new benchmark for luxury hospitality here in North Texas."

Announced Friday, September 18, Michelin added 65 properties in America to its list of Key-worth stays, bringing the overall total to more than 350 hotels nationwide. Several Dallas-area hotels have previously been awarded keys, including last year's recipients Casa Duro on Greenville Avenue, Hotel Swexan in Uptown, Hotel Zaza in Uptown, and Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, all of which received a one key ranking.

The Bowie House, Auberge Collection in Fort Worth maintained its two-key ranking from 2024.

The state’s only two key properties are the Commodore Perry Estate (Austin) and Hotel Emma (San Antonio). No properties in Texas hold three Michelin Keys.

Similar to the famous Michelin Stars awarded to restaurants, hotels may receive one, two, or three keys, which is defined as follows:

One Michelin Key for hotels that offer "very special" stays with service that "provides significantly more than similarly priced establishments."
Two Michelin Keys for "exceptional stays" where memorable guest experiences are "always guaranteed" with a special emphasis on the hotel's design or architecture.
Three Michelin Keys for hotels that provide "extraordinary stays" for "the ultimate in comfort and service, style and elegance."

hotels awards michelin keys las colinas