Editor's note: It's time to look back at the top Houston news of the week, featuring a downtown hotel's major glow-up and a toast to our Tastemaker Awards nominees. Read on for more of the week's top stories, then find the best things to do this weekend right here.

1. Historic Houston hotel glows after top to bottom renovations. As downtown Houston street construction smothers locals ahead of the FIFA World Cup, a Lamar High School alum has quietly restored a Federalist-style landmark hotel to its former glory.

2. Houston's 10 best bars of 2026 power a diverse drinking scene. It’s been a brilliant year for Houston’s bar scene, and the 10 contenders for the CultureMap Tastemaker Awards Bar of the Year category are all heavyweights in their own right.

3. The 11 best restaurants of 2026 showcase Houston's world-class status. The time has come for our final categories leading up to the annual Tastemaker Awards. Meet the 11 nominees for Restaurant of the Year.

Credence is a ranch-inspired live fire restaurant. Courtesy of Credence

4. Texas sees 5th highest surge in gas prices in the U.S. since 2025. Houston residents who are feeling the sting at the gas pump aren't alone: Residents all around Texas are seeing soaring prices for regular and diesel fuel in 2026.

5. Texas' 2 national parks boast best scenery in the U.S., per report. Guadalupe Mountains National Park and Big Bend National Park out in far west Texas offer the best views of the American wilderness in 2026, according to a new national list.