San Antonio's renowned Hotel Emma and JW Marriot San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa were just declared among the best hotels and resorts by Travel + Leisure readers, according to the publication's annual World's Best Awards. The Alamo City also earned its own award as one of the best U.S. travel destinations in 2025.

Every year, Travel + Leisure surveys its readers to determine the ultimate travel experiences around the world, which include the top hotels, resorts, travel destinations, and more. The 2025 survey had more than 180,000 responses from T+L readers with over 657,000 votes across 8,700 accommodations, cruise lines, and other properties.

The JW Marriot San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa ranked as the No. 3 best Texas resort, with the report calling this Hill Country oasis "a star for family trips, girls' weekends, and couples retreats." T+L said the five winning resorts that made the list all feel like they are "worlds away" from the typical hustle and bustle of their home cities.

The standout qualities that make the JW Marriott stand apart from all other Texas properties include its numerous activities, amenities, and restaurants.

  Celebrities are frequent visitors of the Presidential Suite at JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa. Photo courtesy of JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa

“The food was excellent at all of the food outlets, the spa was top-notch, and the service was amazing from check-in to check-out,” a T+L reader said.

Another reader gave special regard to the resort's "extraordinarily good water park" that offered both thrilling rides and a relaxing lazy river.

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

• The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa, Houston
• Omni PGA Frisco Resort & Spa, Frisco
• JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa, San Antonio
• Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa, Austin
• Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center, Grapevine

  Hotel Emma is San Antonio's hautest hotel. Hotel Emma/Facebook

In a May 2025 review of the esteemed 2 Michelin Key hotel, T+L digital editor (and San Antonio native) Mae Hamilton praised its interior design choices that reflect the building's long history.

"The hotel's interior design makes clever use of vintage factory equipment, featuring fun details like exposed ducts, cast iron pipes, faithfully recreated tiles, and refrigeration compressors with speckled patinas," Hamilton wrote. "And sure, every historic hotel has that wall dedicated to its illustrious past, but here, you may actually want to take a closer look."

The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston and Fort Worth's Bowie House, Auberge Resorts Collection were the only other Texas properties to make T+L's list of best hotels in the U.S.

Best places to travel in 2025
San Antonio was deemed one of the best U.S. travel destinations in 2025, ranking 12th out of 15 total cities. The city is a longtime reader favorite, thanks to classic attractions like the Alamo, River Walk, and its numerous shopping and dining opportunities.

In a release, Travel + Leisure editor in chief Jacqui Gifford said the 2025 World's Best Awards "reflect a travel landscape in motion."

"From a high-desert city in the American Southwest to a quiet Greek island, our readers are seeking depth, character, and a strong sense of place," Gifford said. "We're thrilled to honor the hotels, destinations, and travel companies that are delivering those transformative experiences."