breck beckons

Charming Colorado ski escape and Texas coastal town top Houston's favorite spring break destinations

Houstonians really love Breckenridge Ski Resort, per the new report.

Breckenridge Ski Resort/Facebook

Spring break is top-of-mind for many Houstonians, and many are escaping our humidity for crisp Colorado air and ski resorts.

And in the latest report from vacation rental specialist Key Data, more Houston spring breakers have set their sights on the Breckenridge Ski Resort more than any other destination. Two other Colorado ski resorts in Steamboat Springs (No. 2) and Vail (No. 3) are also at the top of the list.

Key Data determined their rankings based on the average nightly rate, the number of nights sold, the total accommodation cost, and the length of stay by travelers from Houston who made bookings in the month of March.

Though many Houstonians will stay in the great state of Texas, they won’t be sitting idle at home. They’ll be off to Port Aransas, which was ranked the No. 4 top destination for spring breakers in the report. Coming in at the No. 5 spot for the top destinations for Houston spring breakers is a city in the sunshine state: Destin, Florida.

For the curious minds wondering how much the average spring break stay is for the ski resort in Breckenridge, Key Data’s figured it out. The cost of the average 4.4-night accommodation at the resort adds up to $679 per night, or just over $3000 total. For those looking to stay closer to home by traveling to Port A, you’d be surprised to learn you’re not saving much money. Visitors will spend $852 per night, or $3,704 total for accommodations in Port A for the same amount of time as a spring break vacationer in Colorado.

In a press release, Key Data’s executive director of data insights Melanie Brown said the city’s spring breakers are divided into two categories this year: vacationers looking to see the mountains and embrace the snow, and those who want to catch some rays at the beach.

“Houstonians are having to part with quite large sums to stay in these locations, reflecting the huge popularity of these destinations with travelers from all over the US,” she explained.

The top 5 destinations for Houston spring breakers is:

No. 1 – Breckenridge, Colorado
No. 2 – Steamboat Springs, Colorado
No. 3 – Vail, Colorado
No. 4 – Port Aransas
No. 5 – Destin, Florida

Key Data also determined that 11 million nights for this year’s spring break week have been booked through online vacation rental marketplaces like Airbnb and Vrbo. That’s up 22 percent from last year, which accounted for 9.4 million nights.

The full report can be found at keydatadashboard.com.

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schedule your pto

Far West Texas city recognized as a top travel destination for 2026

Photo by Raul Miranda on Unsplash

El Paso was named one of the "Rising Star Destinations" to book for a vacation in 2026.

A new 2026 Travel Trends Forecast from vacation rental marketplace HomeToGo has unveiled the top U.S. cities that are on travelers' minds for the next year, and one unsuspecting far West Texas city was included on the list: El Paso.

El Paso was named one of six most sought-after "Rising Star Destinations" in the Southwest and Mountain West regions. Search trends revealed traveler interest in El Paso skyrocketed 191 percent year-over-year, with vacationers pining after "desert landscapes" and "frontier-style towns with modern Western flair."

To determine where travelers are planning on booking their 2026 vacations, HomeToGo surveyed 1,000 American adults from November 26-28, 2025 to discover which locales offer "both affordability and under-the-radar appeal." Search interest and price insights were based on observed searches executed via HomeToGo's website from August 1-November 15, 2025, with a check-in date during 2026.

The reports findings show the vacation accommodations in El Paso cost a median $62.21 per night, earning the city a reputation for being more affordable than Texas' major cities like Dallas or Houston. HomeToGo also said travelers are "increasingly turning to smaller [Southwestern] towns" to find accommodations rather than booking a stay at a large resort.

Additionally, younger travelers like Gen Zers and Millennials are driving the shift toward these hidden gem destinations after collecting inspiration from social media sites like Instagram and TikTok.

"Western destinations are seeing a rise in interest, fueled by a broader cultural moment that has placed such locations firmly in the spotlight," the report's author wrote. "In 2025, artists such as Beyoncé and Sabrina Carpenter brought fresh takes on the visual language of country music firmly into the mainstream, with this movement further amplified across social media platforms."

There's plenty to do in the self-proclaimed "Sun City," such as hiking in Franklin Mountains State Park or Guadalupe Mountains National Park, visiting local museums, and much more.

Other top "Neo-Western Revival" destinations to visit in 2026 include:

Marana, Arizona
Cañon City, Colorado
Yucca Valley, California
Queen Creek, Arizona
Bisbee, Arizona

"According to the survey findings, 76 percent of U.S. travelers plan to go on vacation in 2026, with over a quarter (26 percent) actively booking longer and more extravagant breaks," the report said. "Fifty-seven percent plan to spend more on vacations in comparison to 2025, indicating that the appetite for travel is clearly growing."

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