best in texas

Dallas racks up an impressive 12 Texas Travel Awards in 2025

Dallas' iconic Reunion Tower won two awards.

Photo courtesy of Reunion Tower

More evidence that Dallas and its suburbs are hot destinations: They've collectively earned 12 accolades in the 2025 Texas Travel Awards.

The awards were created by Austin Monthly and Texas Music publishers, and the winners are decided by a panel of five industry professional judges. The awards were split into two smaller groups: statewide best attractions and best attractions by population. The latter was further divided into market size: small/mid and big market.

The DFW area took home five more awards than it did in 2024, and DFW earned 14 awards in 2023.

In Dallas proper, Reunion Tower won two "big market" by population awards for having the best destination social media account, and its annual Lone Star New Year's Eve bash was named the best community event.

Montage, the upscale farm-to-table eatery located on the 11th floor of the JW Marriott Dallas Arts District Hotel, was ranked the best "big market" restaurant. Montage is known for using locally sourced ingredients for its cuisine, and it regularly hosts prix fixe meals, wine pairings, and special event dinners.

Montage Montage is a fine dining restaurant that prioritizes using farm-to-table ingredients.Photo courtesy of Texas Travel Awards

Around Dallas
Three Dallas-area suburbs won several awards this year: McKinney won two awards total, while Frisco and Plano each won one award.

Plano especially won big after being crowned with the statewide honor as "Destination of the Year." The suburb is certainly a popular place for travelers that want to explore buzzy new restaurants, coffee shops, or take a stroll through one of its many well-maintained parks.

Frisco's sole award went to its Texas Sculpture Garden, which was recognized as the best "Big Market Public Art." The sculpture garden is situated in Hall Park, and is known as the "largest private collection of contemporary Texas sculpture ever assembled and made available to the public," according to Visit Frisco.

"[T]he Texas Sculpture Garden was created to benefit the Texas community by honoring the talent of homegrown artists and making their work accessible to everyone," the website says. "Visitors to the park enjoy both the art and its remarkable setting. Winding walking trails, lush landscaping, lakes and fountains have been specially designed to complement the art and provide a fitting backdrop for the work."

Texas Sculpture Garden Frisco Hall Park The sculpture garden is located in Frisco's Hall Park.Hall Park/Facebook

McKinney's longstanding Tupps Brewery earned a statewide award as the best brewery in Texas, while historic bed and breakfast The Bingham Estate was deemed the best "Big Market Unique Lodging."

Five other attractions in Dallas-Fort Worth won awards including:

Hotel Drover, Fort Worth – Best Big Market Hotel
31 Days of Denton Halloween – Best Big Market Destination Marketing Campaign
Sledge Distillery, Tolar – Best Statewide Distillery
Fort Worth Stockyards – Best Statewide Historical Site
Fort Worth Zoo – Best Statewide Zoo/Aquarium

texas travel awards entertainment travel dallas fort worth frisco mckinney denton plano

ready for the future

United Airlines opens largest lounge in U.S. at major Texas airport

Courtesy of United

The United Club has two bars.

A stopover or trip out of Houston just got more luxurious for some fliers. After nearly three years of construction, the new Terminal B North Concourse serving United Airlines is finally open at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). Part of a $2.6 billion renovation project, the terminal features a big new club, modern design, and premium amenities that should make traveling considerably more pleasant.

"The roads that were backed up, the lines out the door? Those days are behind us," said Phil Griffith, vice president of Houston Hub for United.

Terminal B was last updated in 1969, long before many of the accommodations and luxuries travelers now take for granted were common. The updated terminal features 22 new gates, a low sensory room, and comfortable seating complete with charging stations at nearly every chair. Even the bathrooms are exceptional, with more floor space than a one-bedroom apartment, full sized wooden stall doors for extra privacy, and sleek fixtures.

The renovation's crowning jewel is the new United Club located upstairs, touted by United as the largest club of any airline in the Americas. Houston Mayor John Whitmire joked that it was the size of a football field. If that's an exaggeration, it can't be by much.

At 54,000 square feet, the enormous space offers seating for 800 people. Amenities include two bars, one of which is size of a departure gate waiting area all by itself

It also offers two full buffet sections serving hot meals (brisket, biscuits and gravy, cilantro rice, and a taqueria bar at the opening), as well as coffee, fruit, and snack bars. Lounge chairs face the windows for those who want to watch the planes take off, and an elegant open-air patio will be refreshing now that Houston's hot summer has finally come to an end.

The new terminal reflects the importance of United Airlines as part of IAH's expansion into Latin and South America. Currently, United serves 57 destinations south of the border and in the Caribbean, which will expand in October with service to Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Mexico. A non-stop route to Cartagena, Colombia opens in December.

Terminal B also continues IAH's dedication to shopping, food, and art. Restaurants already or slated to open in the terminal include Pizaro's Pizza, Jersey Mikes, Katz Coffee, Smashburger, B&B Butchers & Restaurant, Rosie Cannonball, Blood Bros. BBQ, and H-Town Beer Garden.

A $16.8 million public art program includes 10 large-scale installations from Houston-based, national, and international artists. One piece that particularly stands out is Rick Lowe's "You Are in the Gray," a massive canvas of abstract lines Lowe painstakingly mapped from interactive flight data.

Courtesy of United

The United Club has two bars.

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