where to travel right now

Top Texas hotels turn up the summer fun and more travel ideas for July

North Texans have a host of options to plan a quick vacation or weekend getaway in Texas this month.

Travelers on the hunt for a heat-busting adventure outside of Dallas can mosey down to the Texas Hill Country for a star-studded barbecue masterclass, catch a poolside film screening at an iconic Austin motel, or learn about Tejano history at a San Antonio art museum.

Here are CultureMap's top picks for a July vacation around Texas.

Austin

The iconic Austin Motel on South Congress is cooling off visitors with its poolside Float Film series. Cult-classic '90s films are returning to the outdoor silver screen all summer long with 10 Things I Hate About You on July 10 and sci-fi action blockbuster The Matrix on July 24. Doors open at 5 pm, and the movies begin at dusk. Tickets are $18 for children and adults, and visitors can purchase a take-home pool float for $20. Tickets can be reserved via ResortPass.

Over 130 local musicians and bands will flock to Austin for the Red River Cultural District's donation-based music festival Hot Summer Nights from July 16-18. The annual festival gives local acts a paid opportunity to play, offers music lovers an affordable way to catch up with the scene, and drives food and beverage business to venues during a seasonally slow time. Tickets are not required, but RRCD asks fans to RSVP in advance as a courtesy.

San Antonio

Texas travelers can brush up on their Tejano history with two landmark exhibitions showing at the Briscoe Western Art Museum this month. Selena Forever/Siempre Selena is a large-scale photograph collection of the queen of Tejano music, Selena Quintanilla, and Tejano Legacy: Another American Origin Story is a bilingual exhibit covering 400 years of Tejano history and culture through rare artworks, artifacts, and more. Siempre Selena is on view now, and Tejano Legacy opens July 24. The two exhibits are meant to complement each other, and both are included in regular museum admission. Non-member museum admission is $16 per person with discounts for active duty military, seniors, and students.

Selena Quintanilla, Selena Forever/Siempre Selena exhibit at the Briscoe Western Art Museum in San Antonio Selena Forever/Siempre Selena is on display until January 4, 2027.Photo by John Dyer, courtesy of Briscoe Western Art Museum

The Hill Country

Dripping Springs luxury resort Camp Lucy will host a three-day Summer Barbecue & Live Fire Masterclass featuring five Texas pitmasters from July 27-29. The star-studded lineup includes two North Texas pitmasters — Noah Hester and Dayne Weaver — plus Austin pitmaster Evan LeRoy of LeRoy and Lewis, Waco's Helberg Barbecue founder Phillip Helberg, and international barbecue ambassador Dave McCormack. Attendees will get their hands dirty with immersive education sessions, and enjoy plenty of smoked meats along the way. Three-day VIP single tickets are $2,500, VIP couples tickets are $3,250, and single-day passes for the main event on July 28 are $450. Tickets can be purchased via Eventbrite.

The newly reopened Faust Hotel in New Braunfels is bringing live music to the Magnolia Patio with a new free music series running Thursdays through Saturdays from 7-10 pm. The July talent lineup spans various genres from pop-country to R&B, and the hotel has booked several local musicians, such as Andi Holleman, Elysha LeMaster, Lacy Brinson, Jeremy Parsons, Guy Vincent, and many more. Guests can enjoy light bites and craft cocktails during each performance.

Houston

From July through September, guests and visitors at the Thompson Houston hotel can work up a sweat while enjoying the rooftop pool with a new water aerobics series led by wellness brand Splash Society. The 50-minute classes promise a high-energy, rhythm-driven experience that combines cardio, strength training, and Pilates-inspired movement. Each class also includes an after-class cocktail, access to the pool until 1 pm, and a $15 credit for valet parking. Classes will be held on July 11 and July 25 starting at 10 am. Tickets are $85 per person and can be booked at hyattexperiences.com.

Great Wolf Lodge Webster has unveiled an exclusive new lounge area that is exclusive to four Great Wolf Lodge locations nationwide. The Sunset Social Club is an outdoor patio lounge offering guests a relaxing way to transition from the excitement of the day into an evening of s'mores, fire pits, patio games, and a curated menu of cocktails or mocktails. Guests can also pick one of four gourmet s'mores kits to get the most out of a fireside evening. Stays at Great Wolf Lodge start at $199 per night in July.

Courtesy of Thompson Houston

Thompson Houston and Splash Society are collaborating on a summer water aerobics series at the rooftop pool.

Dallas-Fort Worth

Fort Worth's famous Bowie House hotel is collaborating with West Texas' award-winning Perini Ranch Steakhouse for a two-day ranch-to-table dinner series on July 22-23. A seven-course tasting meal featuring Perini Ranch's premium cuts will be developed by Bowie House's executive chef Antonio Votta. Lisa and Tom Perini will be in attendance for an in-depth conversation about their ranch, its livestock, and the legacy and culture of "Cowboy Cooking." Tickets are $235 per person (plus tax and service fee) and can be reserved via Resy.

Coming Soon

We're looking ahead to two high-profile Texas openings coming later this year that are now available for booking.

Canyon Ranch, one of the world's most celebrated wellness brands, is now accepting reservations at its new 600-acre Spicewood retreat in preparation for its highly anticipated debut in October. Canyon Ranch Austin spa-resort boasts 141 guest rooms that overlook 1.5 miles of Lake Travis and the countryside beyond. The sprawling property also contains multiple wellness facilities such as a 40,000-square-foot spa, four food and beverage concepts, sport courts and pools, and so much more. Stays start at $1,325 per night, which includes a $200 nightly spa and fitness credit. Stays can be booked on canyonranch.com.

A reimagined historic hotel on the San Antonio River Walk is now accepting reservations ahead of its December debut. Sítio El Tropicano will boast 315 guest rooms and three food and beverage concepts spearheaded by Austin hospitality group Emmer & Rye. The property has also opened applications for its Sítio Club, an exclusive membership offering priority cabana, dining, and spa reservations; member-only access to spaces over the River Walk; guest room upgrades; and a calendar of seasonal programming.

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BACKSTAGE PASS

Universal Music unveils new hotel and amphitheater near Texas Hill Country

UMusic Hotel & Private Residences Austin

Rendering courtesy of UMusic Hospitality & Lifestyle

A rendering of the property, with another building extending off-screen to the right.

Texas travelers who want to make sure their next weekend trip takes full advantage of the “Live Music Capital” have an upcoming community to consider: UMusic Hotel & Private Residences Austin, an effort owned by White Rocks and developed in partnership with Universal Music Group, will bring 150 hotel rooms, 600 private residences, and a new amphitheater to a 71-acre site at the edge of the Hill Country.

A representative says an opening is projected for the first quarter of 2029, with construction beginning in the first quarter of 2027. Residences are on sale now. Different units cost $850-$1,450 per square foot, depending on variables like locations, views, and more.

There is already one UMusic Hotel operating in Madrid, Spain. The Austin location will introduce private residences for the first time.

The keystone of the property will be White Rocks Amphitheater, an open-air venue that takes advantage of the natural surroundings. More than 70 percent of the site will "remain green open space," the release says. There will also be a performance venue inside the hotel, plus professional recording and content studios.

Music is the central force of the property, but it's not the only thing to do at the hotel. There will also be a bar, a nightclub, a comedy club, dining, a rooftop pool and fitness center, and a spa and wellness center.

At the spa, visitors can get traditional treatments like massages, facials, hair, makeup, and manicures, while the wellness center offers weight training, steam rooms, hammam (a Southwest Asian or North African bath), plus more advanced technologies including red-light therapy, peptide therapy, cryogenic chambers, and more. Sometimes the amphitheater will host yoga, weight training, and other physical events.

Similarly, the residences will have access to their own set of amenities including, a private pool and fitness facilities, underground parking, and common areas, the release says. They can visit the hotel anytime and enjoy the culture there, too.

"The result is a living environment that offers the peace of a private retreat alongside the vibrancy of an international cultural hub," the release says.

Since nature is such a big part of the plan, the developer has a number of sustainability commitments going into the project. Those include a mostly hidden plant for hot and cold water and power, microgrid energy tech, a closed-loop water system that developers say complies with a 100 percent water reuse goal set by the city, and DarkSky-compliant practices that help reduce light pollution, which is better for wildlife and seeing stars. That will help at monthly stargazing events held at the amphitheater.

The developers have also committed to the creative community that made them want to work in Austin to begin with; things like allocating a portion of ticket sales to a perpetual endowment for local artists and nonprofits, setting up paid gigs for emerging talent, and partnering with schools and other cultural institutions, sometimes for mentorship opportunities.

“Our vision is to create places where culture is made, shared, and celebrated," said UMusic Hospitality & Lifestyle president Jordi Solé in the release. "This property combines performance, wellness, nature, and community into a single living ecosystem, reflecting Austin's creative spirit on a global stage.”

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