four to make ready

Houston's hottest downtown hotel books best-in-world spot in coveted Condé Nast Traveler's awards

Four Seasons Houston Bandista speakeasy bar

Bandista, Four Seasons Houston's speakeasy, is literally a hidden gem.

Photo courtesy of Four Seasons Houston

Houston is one of America's most travel-friendly cities — both for residents and travelers — and our hotel scene is booming. A prestigious travel magazine has taken notice and anointed a downtown institution as one of the world's best.

Four Seasons Houston appears in in the top 50 of Condé Nast Traveler's annual Readers' Choice Awards, specifically at No. 19 overall.

Celebrating its 35th year, the annual list collates the best hotels, airlines, cruises, and islands — all chosen by the magazine's readers from around the world.

Condé Nast calls out Four Seasons' "prime central location" in the city and the all-marble and mahogany interior, which "manages to straddle the line between Texas traditional and contemporary." (Kudos to Houston-based designer Lauren Rottet of Rottet Studio and New York's firm Meyer Davis for those touches).

As CultureMap reported, Four Season Houston — known here as "Houston's living room — transformed its room and suites last year, creating new fresh spaces for everyday visitors and visiting celebs, sports stars, dignitaries, business tycoons, and more (the Penthouse Suite is a must-see).

More additions include Toro Toro steakhouse, which has become a downtown dining destination thanks to Richard Sandoval, known as the “Father of Modern Mexican Cuisine,” who opened the restaurant. The equally buzzy Bandista speakeasy bar — CultureMap food editor Eric Sandler notes its posh setting and that it "does quite a bit to up the drama" — and a new grand ballroom for A-list events add to the big updates.

“We are beyond thrilled to receive this recognition from the savvy readers of Condé Nast Traveler,” Tom Segesta, Four Seasons general manager, notes in a statement. “With the completion of our transformation, we are prouder than ever to be Houston’s downtown destination and to welcome guests from near and far.”

To toast the accolades, the hotel is offering the H-Town Stay & Play package, which includes a $100 nightly resort credit, two signature cocktails at Bayou & Bottle or The Pool Deck, an extended 3 pm checkout, and overnight valet parking.

Joining Four Seasons Houston are three hot Austin hotels that fared quite well in the list:

The Driskill (No. 3)
JW Marriott Austin (No. 8)
Four Seasons Hotel Houston (No. 19)
Hotel Granduca Austin (No. 29)

Snagging a coveted spots in the top five, the historic Driskill earned a nod as the most "authentically Texas" hotel. The magazine notes its "iconic limestone-and-brick facade," and "light, bright guest rooms" with details such as the "Civil War–era pistols that have been repurposed into lamps." The famous 1886 Chocolate Cake also earned a mention: "It costs $8 per slice, and is worth every penny."

CultureMap Houston editor Steven Devadanam contributed to this story.

8 miles high

Houston chef's menu takes off on United's premium business class offering

Courtesy of United

Justin Yu, far left, is one of 11 participating chefs.

United Airlines has shared more details about its new partnership with Chef’s Table, the acclaimed Netflix documentary series, including the menus created by the 11 participating chefs for travelers flying its premium Polaris business class seating.

For flights departing from Houston, United and Chef’s Table recruited Justin Yu, the James Beard Award-winning chef behind Theodore Rex, a fine dining restaurant in downtown that holds a Bib Gourmand designation in the Michelin Guide. In addition, Yu and his business partner Bobby Heugel own Houston hospitality group Thorough Fare, which operates bars and restaurants including Anvil, Better Luck Tomorrow, Squable, Donna’s, and a new, still-unnamed restaurant in Montrose that’s slated to open later this year.

Beginning August 1, people departing from George Bush Intercontinental Airport will be able to dine on Yu’s three-course menu that consists of:

Appetizer: Deviled eggs with white soy, aged cheddar, and chives
Salad: Chicory salad with spiced bacon, chickpeas, cucumber, onion, and oregano mustard vinaigrette
Entrée: Braised Texas short rib with ragout of mushrooms, red miso, and black eyed peas

“I wanted that slightly Texan touch,” Yu told CultureMap in March. “To me, the Houston part of it is the most important. There’s such a level of diversity. Introducing light touches of that to the meal was something I considered.”

Other participating chefs include Nancy Silverton (Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles), whose menu includes an appetizer of burrata with braised leeks, shaved Brussels sprouts salad, and beef brasato with garlic mashed potatoes; Jenner Tomaska (Esmé, Petite Edith, and The Alston in Chicago), who has created a braised leeks appetizer, an arugula salad, and halibut with sauce matelote; Tomos Parry (Mountain and Brat in London), whose menu includes an appetizer of grilled beef filet, lobster salad with grilled peach, and slow-roasted lamb with smoked potatoes.

Chefs representing United’s destinations in Newark, Denver, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., São Paulo, and Tokyo are also participating. The menus will be available through September 2026. They’ll be updated with new seasonal items beginning in October. Customers may opt for the Chef's Table meals beginning five days and up to 24 hours prior to departure.

"At its core, this collaboration with Chef's Table is rooted in a shared ambition to redefine what inflight dining can be," said Aaron McMillan, United's Managing Director of Hospitality Programs, in a statement. "Because our leading global network reaches into the world's greatest food cities, we're able to work hand-in-hand with world-class chefs and translate their points of view into dishes intentionally designed for the realities of travel and inspired by destinations we serve."

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