tilman does it again
Tilman Fertitta's Post Oak palace books top Texas spot in prestigious best hotels in the U.S. list
The new year has just begun, but Tilman Fertitta is having the best 2021 ever. Just days after Fertitta announced that he’s taking much of his empire public in a $6.6 billion-deal, news comes that his posh hotel has been named among the nation’s best.
U.S. News & World Report has ranked Fertitta’s luxe Post Oak Hotel No. 13 overall in its 50 Best Hotels in the USA 2021. The Post Oak is one of only two Texas hotels to make the prestigious, annual list; San Antonio’s Hotel Emma follows at No. 23.
A “sprawling lobby complete with crystal chandeliers,” gets a favorable mention in the listing, as does the Post Oak’s “grand” accommodations including the smart TVs, marble bathrooms, and personal gym areas. Fertitta’s wine cellar featuring 30,000 bottles of world-class vintages dating back the 1800s, is also a highlight of the listing. The hotel’s six restaurants, which range from chic casual to upscale steakhouse (Mastro’s) also net a favorable mention.
Since it opened, the Post Oak has remained Texas’s only Forbes Double Five-Star rated hotel. The 10-acre property in the heart of Post Oak boasts 38-stories, 250 guestrooms and suites; 20 executive residences; and an elegant 35,000-square-foot conference facility, including the largest ballroom in Uptown Houston.
Meanwhile, a massive, 5,000 square-foot, two-bedroom Presidential Suite offers private elevator access, media room, exercise room, and secluded terrace. Another draw is the clubby, private Oak Room, where Houston’s elite mix and mingle.
For added opulence, guests can check out the two-story Rolls-Royce showroom and on-site Bentley and Bugatti Post Oak Motors dealership. VIPs can jet away in the hotel’s private helicopter.
“When I built this hotel, I really wanted it to be unlike anything else,” said Fertitta in a statement. “This recognition shows that we are among the best in the country and I am proud to bring such an iconic destination to Houston.”
Elsewhere in the Lone Star State, San Antonio’s buzzy and elegant Hotel Emma scores major points for its “eccentric details” in the report. (Last year, as CultureMap reported, the Emma was the only Texas hotel to land on the U.S. News & World Report list.)
Guests are greeted with a housemade margarita before being whisked away to rooms adorned with dark-wood and leather furniture, plus throw pillows with vivid patterns. In-room amenities range from flat-screen TVs to seersucker bathrobes to in-room pantries stocked with locally made products, the report notes. Dining comes courtesy of Supper, the on-site restaurant, or Larder, the in-house boutique grocery store.
