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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You're Grounded

Southwest and American airlines ban humanoid robots as passengers

Photo by Andrea DeSantis/ Pexels

Sorry fella, it's straight to the cargo hold.

Texas' two major airlines are drawing a hard line between human and humanoid: American Airlines and Southwest Airlines won’t permit human-like or animal-like robots to board flights as passengers.

Fort Worth-based American and Dallas-based Southwest recently adopted bans on robotic passengers after two incidents in which human-like robots joined flesh-and-blood passengers on Southwest flights.

In May, Aaron Mehdizadeh, owner of The Robot Studio rental company in Dallas, was heading from Las Vegas to Dallas Love Field with 3.5-foot-tall Stewie, according to CBS News Texas. Rather than shipping Stewie as cargo, Mehdizadeh bought the robot its own seat using a type of ticket often purchased for fragile items such as wedding dresses and equipment.

But because Stewie was technically a carry-on item, the robot wasn’t supposed to occupy a seat, according to eWeek. Crew members wound up disconnecting Stewie’s battery and relocating the robot to a window seat before takeoff.

Mehdizadeh pushed back on Southwest’s stance regarding the battery, telling CBS News Texas that Stewie’s power supply is a standard battery that’s similar to one for a laptop.

Stewie isn’t the only robot making mischief in the skies. In May, a 70-pound, human-like robot named Bebop caused a stir on a Southwest flight from Oakland, California, to San Diego.

The robot prompted a nearly one-hour flight delay after crew members realized it violated restrictions on large carry-ons and raised concerns about the battery, San Francisco TV station KGO reported. Dallas-based Elite Event Robotics owns Bebop.

Southwest seized Bebop’s lithium-ion battery, but the airline did let Bebop take the San Diego-bound flight.

Southwest’s new robot policy prohibits human-like or animal-like robots from riding in an airplane cabin or as checked baggage, no matter their size or purpose. All other robots, including toys, must fit in a carry-on size bag and comply with battery restrictions, the airline says.

In a statement sent to CultureMap, a Southwest spokeswoman says the airline “has taken a strong stance on this issue and has led the U.S. airline industry with our battery policy.”

“The robot policy is a further evolution of a [safety] journey we have been on for several months. This move was not in response to any single incident,” the spokeswoman adds. “To eliminate confusion, the policy applies to all similar devices, regardless of size.”

Lithium-ion batteries can overheat, catch on fire, or explode on airplanes.

American’s new robot policy, which took effect Monday, August 17, is similar to Southwest’s. The policy prohibits human-like and animal-like robots from sitting in a purchased seat, being stored in an overhead bin or traveling as checked baggage. The ban applies to U.S., international, and regional flights.

“While there have been no known events involving this type of robot on any American flight, this policy was developed following a comprehensive review of safety risks associated with these devices, including the large lithium-ion batteries that power them,” the airline said in an internal memo obtained by the View From the Wing travel blog.

American gate agents have been told not to allow a passenger accompanied by a robot to board a plane or to let a robot travel as a checked item, the memo says.

If a robot is discovered after check-in, American employees are supposed to follow the Federal Aviation Administration’s “undeclared dangerous goods” procedures. These procedures cover hazardous shipments like lithium-ion batteries, explosives, flammable liquids, and compressed gases that lack required warning labels or shipping documents.

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