High-end honor
These posh Texas hotels nab prestigious top ratings in Forbes travel guide
Houstonians looking to hit Lone Star State destination have some shimmering choices. The Forbes Travel Guide recently revealed its covered 5-Star awards list for 2021, and a host of hot spots land on the prestigious ranking.
As CultureMap previously reported, Tilman Fertitta's Post Oak Hotel nabbed Houston's sole five-star rating. The accolade makes the Post Oak Texas’ only Double Five-Star rated hotel and spa, and Houston’s first and only Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star hotel.
“Joining this elite list of Double Five-Stars is a remarkable achievement that continues to designate The Post Oak Hotel as a world-class property and serves as a glittering beacon of Houston’s standing as an international destination,” said Steven Chou, hotel manager, in a statement.
Houston boasts two spas — The Spa at The Post Oak Hotel and Houstonian's Trellis Spa— and six hotels on the list: Four Seasons Hotel, Hotel Granduca, The Houstonian, The Inn at Dos Brisas, and The St. Regis Houston.
Meanwhile, the Ritz-Carlton, Dallas has earned the city's sole five-star rating. It's a repeat achievement for the Uptown Dallas luxury hotel, which also captured five stars last year.
Three Dallas-area hotels and two spas earned four stars in the 2021 Forbes list:
- Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas
- The Joule
- Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek
- The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Dallas
- Well & Being Spa at Four Seasons Dallas at Las Colinas
Hôtel St. Germain and The Adolphus, Autograph Collection were "recommended."
Elsewhere in Texas, San Antonio's Mokara Hotel & Spa received four-star ratings for both its hotel and spa facilities. The buzzy Hotel Emma also received a nod, earning a recommended rating.
Austin's Archer Hotel Austin, Four Seasons Hotel Austin, and Fairmont Austin also earned four-star ratings. The Four Seasons spa also garnered four stars. One other property, Hotel Granduca Austin, received a “recommended” rating.
The Forbes Travel Guide awards five stars to its highest-rated properties.
In assessing hotels, Forbes Travel Guide inspectors stay at every property for three days and two nights, posing as regular guests and paying their own way. They judge each one on 900 standards, such as whether food and beverage choices are health-conscious, how nice the décor is, and how well the staff’s uniforms are designed.
