Hot hotels

4 luxe Texas lodgings book spots on TripAdvisor list of hottest new hotels in U.S.

The Blossom Houston lands at No. 8 on the new ranking.

Photo courtesy of Blossom Hotel Houston

TripAdvisor has just given travelers in Texas four new bucket-list hotels: Houston's Blossom Hotel, Austin’s Colton House Hotel, San Antonio’s Thompson Hotel - Riverwalk, and Lubbock’s Cotton Court Hotel.

All four have earned top-20 spots on a new list of Hottest New Hotels in the U.S. for 2022 from TripAdvisor, as part of its 2022 Travelers' Choice Awards, in which travelers reviewed new hotels they experienced in 2021. No Dallas-Fort Worth hotels made the list.

Since its opening last year, the luxe Blossom Hotel Houston — the highest-ranked Texas hotel on the list — has made a splash in the city's Medical Center with its modern, lunar design and rooftop pool. The hotel lands at No. 8 on the TripAdvisor list. Specifically, Blossom was cited by its guests for “impeccable and friendly service and comfortable, modern rooms,” per a press release, as well as high-end amenities and services, such as the onsite Mercedes-Benz shuttle.

Austin’s Colton House Hotel at No. 9; the spot earned rave reviews for its hip design and a choice staycation destination.

Not far down the list, San Antonio’s Thompson Hotel - Riverwalk comes in at No. 12; here, travelers gushed over the hotel’s design as well as in-house dining and bar.

Further down the list, Lubbock’s Cotton Court Hotel comes in at No. 20. Inspired by the city’s downtown vibe, the hotel earned 4.5 stars and marks for its “cozy” and “exceptional” lodging. (Those visiting would be wise to visit the nearby Nicolett restaurant, which recently secured a James Beard Award nomination and a Texas Monthly nod.)

vacation bests rankings

This week in gluttony

These are the 6 best food and drink events in Fort Worth this week

Photo by Robert Jacob Lerma

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Spring has officially arrived and events this week reflect the flavors of the season. There’s a brisket 101 class just in time for backyard barbecuing, a whiskey bottle release party with a baseball theme (and major league special guest), and a wine class featuring an Italian region well-suited for a spring vacation. Also experience a taste of Nigeria during a special pop-up dinner, and celebrate a beloved brewery’s 10th birthday by the weekend. Also, we're just over a week away from this year's Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival, and tickets are going fast; find out more here.

Wednesday, March 22

Wine Dinner and Communal Gathering at FnG Eats
Chefs Carlos Arevalo and Bob Stephenson of FnG Eats in Keller will gather together with customers during this four-course wine pairing dinner. Comfort food favorites on the menu include iron skillet cornbread, Wagyu meatloaf, and bourbon cherry chocolate bread pudding. Wines will be served with courses one through three, and a specialty sparkling cocktail will come with dessert. Dinner is $75 per person, plus tax and gratuity, and will begin at 7 pm.

Thursday, March 23

Italian Wine Education Series at WineHaus
The neighborhood wine bar will kick off an education series focusing on Italian wines, and the first region to be covered will be Piedmont. A guest speaker will guide participants through a tasting of six wines during the informative event. Wines to be sipped include millesimato brut, barbera d’asti, barbera d’alba, dolcetto, barbaresco, and barolo. Tickets are $40, including gratuity, and the class will run from 6-7:30 pm.

Nigerian Pop-Up Dinner with Chef Franson at Chef Point
Chef Point Café owner and chef Franson Nwaeze will share the bold flavors of West Africa during this five-course dinner. Menu highlights include suya skewers, pepper soup, goat stew with jollof rice, and fluffy fried dough balls dusted with cinnamon sugar. The dinner is $71 per person and includes tax and gratuity. Drinks are extra and suggested pairings are the Nigerian Chapman cocktail, a bold South African cab, or simply a cold beer. Dinner will start at 6:30 pm.

Friday, March 24

TX Whiskey’s Limited-Edition Baseball Bottle Release Party
Spring means baseball season is on the horizon, and Whiskey Ranch will celebrate with a special bottle release party. Visit to buy a bottle of TX Whiskey sealed with a specialized cap made from a baseball, with complimentary bottle engraving. The distillery will also screen the baseball classic A League of Their Own and welcome former Texas Rangers pitcher Derek Holland as a special guest. The $10 admission includes your first cocktail. The event will run from 6-9 pm.

Saturday, March 25

Martin House Brewing Company 10-Year Anniversary
The Riverside brewery will celebrate a decade in business with a party. There’ll be two new taproom-exclusive beer drops, more than 30 kegs from the cellar, live music, food vendors, hula dancers, and more. New beer launches are Rum Ham, an imperial sour infused with cherries, pineapple and honey ham, and Triple Texan, a triple red tripled IPA. The $25 ticket will cover one souvenir pint glass and four pours. The family-friendly event will run from 12-6 pm.

Sunday, March 26

Brisket 101 at Panther Island Brewing
Pitmaster Dayne Weaver of Dayne’s Craft Barbecue will walk participants step-by-step through his process of smoking tender, flavorful brisket. Attendees will be treated to a feast of barbecue along with three Panther Island brews and a souvenir glass. The class is $175 per person, plus tax and a service fee, and will run from 11 am-3 pm.

Brisket 101 Martin House Anniversary Wine Dinner news-you-can-eat