Best of the best

Houston hotels win big in Travel + Leisure's 2024 World's Best Awards

The Woodlands Resort is the second best resort in Texas, according to Travel + Leisure's 2024 World's Best Awards.

Photo courtesy of The Woodlands Resort

Houston's acclaimed hotels and resorts are shining stars in the travel world, according to Travel + Leisure's 2024 World's Best Awards. The Woodlands Resort, Curio Collection by Hilton and The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa were ranked among the top five best resorts in Texas, as determined by the publication's readers. Lancaster Hotel was deemed the No. 1 hotel in all of Houston.

The annual World's Best Awards asks Travel + Leisure readers to determine the ultimate travel experiences around the world, which include the top hotels, resorts, cities, and more. The 2024 survey had more than 186,000 responses from T+L readers with over 700,000 votes across 8,700 destinations and accommodations.

In T+L's ranking of "Readers’ 5 Favorite Resorts in Texas of 2024," The Woodlands Resort landed at the top as No. 2, and The Houstonian Hotel earned No. 4.

Notable amenities that make The Woodlands Resort stand out above the rest in Texas is its two championship golf courses, a fitness center, the lavish spa, the Forest Oasis pool complex, and much more. T+L readers also praised the resort's family-friendly programming.

"The heart of excitement at The Woodlands Resort is the Forest Oasis pool complex, a vast poolside waterscape surrounded by three luxurious guestroom buildings with easy-access pool walkout rooms, the Panther Trail™ golf course, and the towering pines of the lush forest," the resort's website says. "During the fall and winter, both the waterfall pool and double helix slide/pool are heated to over 85 degrees, plus you can cozy up on the pool deck with s’mores and toasty beverages."

The Woodlands Resort, Lazy River The Lazy River winding through The Woodlands Resort. Photo courtesy of The Woodlands Resort

Meanwhile, The Houstonian thrives with myriad members and guests who enjoy the top-tier exercise and wellness offerings, family-oriented membership, and elite, if-you-know-you-know status. One reader lauded The Houstonian as "a true oasis in the middle of the city."

"The 27-acre resort has easy access to Houston’s iconic Memorial Park and bustling downtown area, while still managing to feel like a well-kept secret," the report said.

The full list of top Texas resorts, in order, are:

No. 1 – Omni PGA Frisco Resort, Frisco
No. 2 – The Woodlands Resort, Curio Collection by Hilton, The Woodlands
No. 3 – The Ritz-Carlton Dallas, Las Colinas, Irving
No. 4 – The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa, Houston
No. 5 – Commodore Perry Estate, Auberge Resorts Collection, Austin

The top five hotels in Houston
Many snaps and claps are in order for the luxurious historic Lancaster Hotel, which was crowned the No. 1 best hotel in all of Houston in 2024.

Each standout hotel in T+L's best hotel rankings is critiqued based on its rooms and facilities, location, guest services, food, and overall value. This is the first year Lancaster was ranked at the top citywide.

Many readers appreciated the hotel's proximity to some of Houston's premier performing arts venues – the Lynn Wyatt Square for the Performing Arts, Jones Hall for the Performing Arts, and Alley Theatre – plus the hotel staff's top-notch guest service and the attention to detail with its decor.

"Superb luxury boutique hotel next to the theater," a reader said. "Staff was some of the best. Friendly, efficient and eager to help."

Lancaster Hotel afternoon tea Guests adored the classic afternoon tea service at The Lancaster Hotel. Photo by Teresa Rafidi

Guests additionally commended the Lancaster's vast amenities, including complimentary gourmet breakfast, complimentary in-room snacks, and the afternoon tea service.

The Lancaster Hotel also ranked No. 2 in T+L's "Readers' 15 Favorite City Hotels in the Continental U.S. of 2024."

The full list of Houston winning hotels, in order, are:

No. 1 – Lancaster Hotel
No. 2 – Hotel ZaZa Houston Museum District
No. 3 – The Moran Citycentre
No. 4 – The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston
No. 5 – Four Seasons Hotel Houston

"For nearly three decades, our World's Best Awards have set the standard for excellence in travel, as chosen by our dedicated and discerning readers," said Jacqui Gifford, Editor in Chief of Travel + Leisure, in a release. "The 2024 results highlight a blend of time-honored favorites and emerging destinations, reflecting the diverse interests of today's travelers. We're delighted to honor these exceptional places and experiences that inspire our audience to explore the world."

The full list of winners of Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards 2024 can be found on travelandleisure.com.

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Now hear this

New Texas museum shines spotlight on Tejano music history

Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum, San Antonio, tejano music

Photo by Edmond Ortiz

Roger Hernandez serves as board president of the Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum.

For a city that proudly calls itself the capital of Tejano music, San Antonio has long been missing a permanent place to honor the genre’s pioneers and preserve its history. That gap officially closed In December with the opening of the Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum at 1414 Fredericksburg Rd.

The music couldn’t have found a better steward than its founder and board president. Roger Hernandez has had his finger on the pulse of Tejano music for decades. His company, En Caliente Productions, has provided a platform for countless performing artists and songwriters in Tejano, conjunto, and regional Mexican music since 1982.

Hernandez says his wife, who ran a shop at Market Square years ago, would often get questions from visitors about the location of a physical Tejano music museum, a thing that simply did not exist. In 2022, he banded together with friends, family, and other local Tejano music supporters to make the nonprofit Hall of Fame a reality.

“I decided I've been in the music scene for over 40 years, it's time to do a museum,” Hernandez recalls.

Hernandez says a brick-and-mortar Tejano music museum has long been needed to remember musical acts and other individuals who grew the genre across Texas and northern Mexico, especially those who are aging. Recently, the community lost famed Tejano music producer Manny Guerra and Abraham Quintanilla, the renowned Tejano singer/songwriter and father of the late superstar Selena Quintanilla-Perez. Both deaths occurred roughly one week after the Totally Tejano museum opened to the public.

“They're all dying. They're all getting older, and we need to acknowledge all these people,” Hernandez says.

The Totally Tejano Museum — named after Hernandez’s Totally Tejano Television Roku streaming — has 5,000 square feet of space packed with plaques, photos, promotional posters, musical instruments, and other memorabilia honoring the pioneers and stars of the beloved genre. Mannequins wear stage outfits from icons like Laura Canales and Flaco Jimenez, and a wall of photos remembers late greats. Totally Tejano Television plays legendary performances on a loop, bringing the exhibits to life.

The newly opened Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum includes a growing collection of memorabilia. Photo by Edmond Ortiz

Hernandez says the museum will soon welcome permanent and rotating exhibits, including traveling shows, a Hall of Fame section, and an area paying homage to Chicano music crossovers, such as the late Johnny Rodriguez, the South Texas singer-songwriter who blended country with Tex-Mex music. Plans call for the organization to hold its inaugural Hall of Fame induction in February 2026.

Eventually, a 2,000 square feet back room will be converted into additional display space and host industry gatherings, community symposiums, and record and video release parties. The museum also plans to add a gift and record shop and a music learning room where visitors can listen to early Tejano music and browse archival photos. Hernandez is already talking with local school districts about educational field trips.

Much like Tejano itself, the museum is a grassroots production. Hernandez and fellow board members have used their own money to rent, renovate, develop, and maintain the museum space. The board also leads the selection of the Hall of Fame honorees and curates the exhibits.

Hernandez has been heartened by the museum’s reception, both from media outlets and music fans around Texas and beyond.

“We had a radio station come in this morning from Houston to interview us,” he says. “People have come in from Lubbock, Texas. We have had people from Midland, Texas. We have another person who emailed us who’s coming in from New York. People are learning all about us.”

That includes many of the musicians who helped shape the genre. Johnny Hernandez, Sunny Ozuna, Elida Reyna, and Danny Martinez from Danny and The Tejanos are among the luminaries who have already graced the halls.

The Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum is now open 10 am-6 pm, Tuesday-Sunday, and closed Monday. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged. Fans can call 210-314-1310 for more information.

san antonio tejano music museums hall of fame music openings

Best of the best

Houston hotels win big in Travel + Leisure's 2024 World's Best Awards

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