shore winners

3 Texas beaches surf into top 20 spring break destinations for 2025

Jamaica Beach ranked among the top 20 best spring break destinations nationwide.

visitgalveston.com/

It may still be February, but it's never too early to start thinking about spring break. Now, one beach in Texas has been singled out on a national list (and it's not Padre Island): Crystal Beach, located in the Galveston Bay southeast of Houston, has been named one of the top 10 destinations for a beachy spring break in 2025.

The 2025 Beach Index, compiled by vacation rental company HomeToGo, examined 35 beaches around the country based on metrics such as a "hidden gem" status, affordability for accommodations during the key spring break months of March and April, and a "local secret score" based on vacationers' average distance traveled to reach each destination.

Crystal Beach came in as the No. 7 best beach.

Located on the Bolivar Peninsula, about 70 miles southeast of Houston, Crystal Beach earned high praise for its affordability, clear skies score, and local secret score, earning 9.52 out of 10 possible points in all three categories.

It also earned 9.11 points for the report's "heat score" which measured the average temperatures in March and April (where higher temperatures received higher scores).

This is how Crystal Beach performed in the remaining three metrics:

7.33 – Food and drink score
7.19 – Hidden gem score
5 – Visitor satisfaction score

Facilities at Crystal Beach include Camp Margaritaville RV Resort which opened in 2022 with a beachside concert venue, pool with a swim-up bar, 50 private poolside cabanas, large turf playing field, RV accommodations — and access to 27 miles of beaches along the peninsula.

Get ready for a fun vacation at Crystal Beach. Bolivar Peninsula Tourism and Visitor Center

Five of the top 10 beaches on the list were in Florida, but No. 1 was Avila Beach in California, a sleepy beach town 200 miles south of San Francisco; followed by two beaches in the Carolinas: Kure Beach, North Carolina and Cherry Grove Beach, South Carolina.

Two other Texas beaches made the list: Surfside Beach, a tiny beach town about 30 miles south of Galveston that came in at No. 11; and Jamaica Beach, another tiny beach town located right next to Galveston Island State Park, which came in at No. 17.

Surfside Beach came in as the most affordable destination out of all 35 beaches, with visitors paying a median $66 nightly rate per person for accommodations.

According to HomeToGo, spring breakers can expect to pay a median nightly rate of $121 per person for accommodations across all of these coastal areas, but prices will likely fluctuate depending on peak travel periods.

"Spring Break continues to be a highly popular time for beach trips across the United States, and with so many destination options available, we are excited to share our annual Beach Index to help travelers navigate the vacation planning waters," said HomeToGo spokesperson Eleanor Moody. "Whether travelers are after blue-sky breaks, savvy stays, or under-the-radar retreats, we hope this report will help pinpoint ideal trips exactly according to personal preferences."

The top 10 best beaches in America for spring break vacation in 2025 are:

No. 1 – Avila Beach, California
No. 2 – Kure Beach, North Carolina and Cherry Grove Beach, South Carolina (tied)
No. 4 – Saint Joe Beach, Florida
No. 5 – Vilano Beach, Florida
No. 6 – Bethany Beach, Delaware
No. 7 – Crystal Beach, Texas
No. 8 – Pensacola Beach, Florida
No. 9 – Miramar Beach, Florida
No. 10 – Navarre Beach, Florida

beach texas vacations spring break spring break destinations rankings lists

Hotel News

Grapevine's Hotel Vin refreshes restaurant with brunch, wine and martinis

Hotel Vin

Share a giant cinnamon roll at Hotel Vin

A boutique hotel in Grapevine is giving its signature restaurant a major refresh: Hotel Vin, which is part of Marriott's Autograph Collection specializing in one-of-a-kind properties, is re-imagining in-house eatery Bacchus Kitchen + Bar with the introduction of a new set of interactive dining experiences that speak to Grapevine’s wine-centric appeal.

That includes a brand-new menu from Culinary Director Joseph Thomas, along with expanded experiential offerings, including new wine programming — all designed to transform the restaurant into a fun destination for friend nights out, date nights, and other social excursions.

New menu
Chef Thomas has created new elevated comfort-driven menus for brunch, lunch, and dinner, with highlights such as a Giant Cinnamon Roll at brunch, alongside updated versions of their Angus meatloaf, sticky ribs, and wine barrel chicken.

Highlights include:

Angus Meatloaf “Au Poivre” with Cognac cracked black pepper cream, pomme purée, and caramelized pearl onion
Bourbon Pimento Dip with lavash crackers and garden herbs
Sauvignon Blanc Mussels in garlic butter broth with preserved lemon and focaccia
Maitake Mushroom Toast with truffled ricotta and pistachio gremolata
Gulf Blue Crab Cake with roasted corn poblano relish and Tajín-lime rémoulade

The brunch menu features both breakfast and lunch items ranging from classics like eggs benedict and huevos rancheros to trendy dishes such as Korean fried chicken sandwich, smashburger, and the very buzzy steak frites.

Brunch highlights include:

French Toast Au Vin, with brûléed brioche, citrus zest custard, and blackberry thyme maple syrup
Burrata & Prosciutto Frittata with Dallas Mozzarella Co. burrata and heirloom tomatoes
Crab Cake Benedict with piquillo pepper hollandaise and Yukon breakfast potatoes

The signature will be the show-stopping Giant Cinnamon Roll finished with cream cheese icing and maple-pecan caramel — big enough for the table to share.

Experiential programming
New programming will emphasize the social nature of the dining experience, including a permanent martini cart offering martinis created tableside, and monthly wine pairing dinners with a more social, approachable format, reinforcing Bacchus Kitchen + Bar as a go-to for wine travelers and locals alike.

Bacchus Kitchen + Bar has always been wine-centric, boasting an extensive wine list with more than 350 selections from the world’s best wine regions.

But new programming will include a rotating wine pairing dinner offering, joining the hotel's popular Riedel glassware tasting experience, showcasing how different wine glasses change the taste of various wines.

Hotel Vin first opened in September 2020, and has always had a wine focus, as befits any restaurant in the city of Grapevine, whose collection of tasting rooms and wineries has earned it the unofficial title of the "wine capital of Texas."

The hotel is now diving more deeply into that realm.

"This next chapter for Bacchus is about creating food that feels familiar but thoughtfully refined, with wine playing a role in how flavors are approached,” Thomas says in a statement.

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