Room for growth

Austin booms as one of the top 10 U.S. markets for new hotels underway

Austin ranks 10th in the U.S. for hotel construction.

Courtesy of Loren Hotel

A hotel boom is underway in the Austin area. As of the second quarter of 2022, 80 projects featuring 10,306 guest rooms were in the planning or development stages in the Austin area, according to a new report published by hospitality data provider Lodging Econometrics.

Austin ranks 10th in the U.S. for hotel construction.

Dallas leads all U.S. regions, with 173 hotel projects with 20,707 guest rooms in the pipeline. Big D is followed by Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York City, and Nashville, the report says.

“While some might expect Miami or New York City to lead the U.S. in terms of the number of hotel projects underway, that distinction actually belongs to Dallas … ,” says The Points Guy travel blog, which points out that Dallas has led all U.S. locations in hotel development for four consecutive quarters.

Elsewhere in Texas:

Houston ties for seventh place, with 94 projects featuring 10,247 guest rooms
Fort Worth-Arlington ranks 15th, with 65 projects with 8,005 guest rooms
San Antonio ranks 21st, with 46 projects featuring 5,116 guest rooms

Brian Hughes, managing director of JLL Hotels & Hospitality, tells the travel blog that “a heavy trend of corporate and population migration to Texas” has lifted hotel performance in the state as the COVID-19 pandemic wanes.

Another plus, it says, is Texas’ business-friendly tax structure. This draws companies to the state, which then feeds demand for hotel rooms to accommodate business travelers.

“Encouraged by 2022’s upward trend in hotel performance, owners, management groups, developers, and investors are moving forward with development plans as evidenced by increasing counts at every stage of construction,” Lodging Econometrics says.

reports hotels

where to travel right now

Stay at a pet-friendly hotel + 8 more Texas travel tips in November

Photo courtesy of The Kimpton Pittman Hotel

Texas travelers' furry best friends won't need to be left with a petsitter this year.

From pet-friendly hotels to fall festivals and new museum exhibits, there is plenty to do and see on a fun-filled weekend vacation or staycation in November. Texans looking for ideas for where to travel can find them here, in our big monthly roundup of top tips around the state.

Across North Texas

Pet owners seeking a pet-friendly hotel for a holiday staycation can look to The Kimpton Pittman Hotel in downtown Dallas, which allows pets of all kinds and provides plenty of comfortable amenities. The hotel offers pet beds, feeding mats, leashes, and courtesy bags for walks for guests' furry friends. The hotel doesn't charge cleaning fees or pet deposits, doesn't have a size or weight limit, nor does it limit the number of pets guests can bring. Rates at The Kimpton Pittman Hotel begin at $277 per night.

The Fort Worth Stockyards' annualTexas Country Music Weekend is returning for three days of lively performances by 30 talented artists from November 8-10. Scheduled acts include Sunny Sauceda Band, Tanner Sparks, Curtis Grimes, and many more. The weekend will culminate with the Texas Country Music Awards held at Billy Bob's Texas on November 10 at 6 pm. Tickets for the awards show start at $30, and can be purchased via axs.com.

In Houston

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston is the one and only U.S. venue for a blockbuster exhibition featuring works of French Post-Impressionist artist Paul Gauguin, now on display through February 16, 2025. Called Gauguin in the World, the retrospective, curated by former Louvre and Musée d’Orsay director Henri Loyrette, includes over 150 of the artist's paintings, sculptures, prints, and writings. The special exhibition is included with regular museum admission, which ranges from $20-$24 and is free for children aged 12 years and under.

Paul Gauguin, Femmes de Tahiti (Tahitian Women), 1891 on display at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Gauguin in the World is on display at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston from now until February 16, 2025. Photo courtesy of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Texans who want to explore the beauty of Houston in the fall still have time to book a weekend trip with the Blossom Hotel Houston's "Autumn Escape Package," which runs until November 30. The package offers a 15 percent discount on stays for two nights, and a 20 percent discount on three-night stays. The hotel will also offer a $40 breakfast credit, vouchers for two complimentary seasonal beverages, and late checkout. Nightly rates with the "Autumn Escape" package begin at $281.

In the Hill Country

October is Texas Wine Month, but November is just as wonderful for visiting Hill Country wineries. Wine-lovers will want to make sure to visit award-winning William Chris Vineyardsin Hye, Texas, which recently ranked among the World's Best Vineyards list for the third consecutive year. There are more than 100 wineries in the Hill Country, and William Chris was the only one to make the 51-100 list. It was one of two United States vineyards to make the cut, the other being Brooks Wine in Oregon. The vineyard offers a variety of experiences starting at $20 per person, and can be reserved on its website.

William Chris Vineyards tasting room William Chris Vineyards has done it again. Photo courtesy of William Chris Vineyards

At home in Austin

If you've ever wanted to visit a Texas-sized book festival, now's your chance: The 29th annual Texas Book Festival is taking over downtown Austin from November 16-17. The 2024 lineup features more than 250 authors, including New York Times bestselling authors Matthew McConaughey, Malcolm Gladwell, Rumaan Alam, and Jay Ellis. The two-day event will also have book signings, youth and bilingual programs, a Saturday night Lit Crawl, cooking demonstrations, food trucks, and more. The Texas Book Festival is free and open to the public.

One of the most highly regarded fall arts events in Austin, the Waterloo Greenway Creek Show, will light up Waller Creek on the evenings of November 8-16. The annual show encourages attendees to engage with the natural elements of the Austin's downtown area, and the pieces usually have something to do with nature or the creek itself. Tickets begin at $6, and are exclusively available for purchase through waterloogreenway.org.

In San Antonio

The Briscoe Western Art Museum is celebrating San Antonio's Native American history with the Yanaguana Indian Arts Festival on Saturday, November 9, from 10 am to 4 pm. The free festival has attractions for all ages: Live performances by traditional Native American dancers and musicians, an artisan market, workshops, indigenous storytellings, presentations, and more. Museum admission will also be free for the day. RSVP via biscoemuseum.salsalabs.org.

The winter holidays are coming early this year at The Westin Riverwalk, San Antonio. The hotel will host its Ford River Holiday Parade Experience from 6-9 pm on Friday, November 29. The evening will begin with reception-style dining and cocktails in the hotel lobby, followed by the parade viewing at 6:45 pm. General admission begins at $95, and the hotel will also offer a "North Pole VIP Room Experience" that includes single-room accommodations for two guests, VIP reception-style dinner for two, four drink tickets, and two reserved seats in the outdoor VIP viewing area for $650. Tickets can be purchased via Eventbrite.

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