Impact of COVID-19

San Antonio hotels suffered Texas' second biggest drop in revenue during pandemic

San Antonio hotel revenue is down 74.1 percent.

Lauramay LaChance

San Antonio hotels have suffered drastically during the pandemic, adding up to the second biggest drop in revenue among Texas' major metro areas.

A report released September 15 by local hotel consulting firm Source Strategies Inc. shows hotel revenue in the San Antonio area plunged 74.1 percent in the second quarter of this year versus the second quarter of last year. The occupancy rate sank to 31.6 percent, down from 67.6 percent in the second quarter of last year.

Statewide, hotel revenue plunged a record 64.1 percent, while the occupancy rate slid to 35.8 percent.

To put that data into perspective, Source Strategies says the second-quarter losses added up to more than the total losses racked up during the Great Recession.

“This is an economic disaster on a scale that we have not seen before, and we have been covering the Texas lodging industry for more than 30 years,” Todd Walker, president of Source Strategies president, says in a release. “Hotels are under extreme financial pressure at this point, and many will not be able to survive if this low level of demand continues into next year.”

Texas’ other major metro areas didn’t escape the damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Second-quarter hotel revenue dropped:

79.7 in the Austin area. Occupancy rates are now 32.8 percent, down from 76.8 percent in the second quarter of last year. It'st he biggest drop in revenue ever recorded for the city— and the biggest anywhere in Texas.
72.9 percent in the Dallas market, with an occupancy rate of 32 percent. In the second quarter of last year, the occupancy rate was 72 percent.
70 percent in the Fort-Worth Arlington market, with an occupancy rate of 31.1 percent. In the second quarter of last year, the occupancy rate was 65.9 percent.
61.4 percent in the Houston market, with an occupancy rate of 37 percent. In the second quarter of last year, the occupancy rate was 65 percent.

Texas markets that turned in the best financial performance in the second quarter were Corpus Christi and Brownsville-Harlingen, where hotel revenue declined less than 20 percent, the report says.

The state’s top RevPAR performers were mostly along the Gulf Coast in places like Galveston, Port Aransas, and South Padre Island. Galveston’s San Luis Hotel took the state’s No. 1 RevPAR spot in the second quarter, at $148.06. That compares with $223.94 in the second quarter of 2019 when it the No. 17 spot statewide.

Locally, Hotel Emma ranked third in Texas during the second quarter of 2019 with RevPAR of $300.94. In the second quarter of this year, the Pearl hotel’s RevPAR fell to $93.99 — putting it in 17th place statewide.

Here are examples of how jumbled the second-quarter RevPAR numbers for the state’s major metro areas were:

At No. 61, the Doubletree Hotel Austin ranked first in the Austin market for RevPAR, at $74.98. Its statewide RevPAR ranking in the second quarter of last year was 316th. Low-cost hotels dominated the rest of Austin’s second-quarter RevPAR leaders.
In the Dallas market, the Residence Inn Dallas West topped the list for RevPAR, at $60.58, good enough for 142nd place statewide. In the second quarter of 2019, its RevPAR was $98.16, landing it in 550th place.
In Arlington, the Residence Inn racked up RevPAR of $99.34 in the second quarter, down from $122.25 during the same period last year. That pushed the property up from 248th on the second-quarter RevPAR list last year to 10th this year.
In Houston, second-quarter RevPAR for the Post Oak Hotel at Uptown tumbled from $203.83 to $90.17, shifting it from the No. 27 position last year to the No. 23 position this year.

hotels

Fair Foods for the Win

State Fair of Texas picks wild food finalists for 2026 Big Tex Awards

Texas Pecan Praline Cheescake Cone from State Fair of Texas' 2026 Big Tex Choice Awards finalists

Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas

The Texas Pecan Praline Cheescake Cone is one of the finalists for the State Fair of Texas' Big Tex Choice Awards in 2026.

The State Fair of Texas has unveiled the finalists for the 22nd Annual Big Tex Choice Awards, featuring all sorts of bold concoctions that can only be found at the iconic yearly event.

The finalists include five each in the categories of Best Taste - Savory, Best Taste - Sweet, Best Taste - Sipper. Winners from each of those categories, as well as one for Most Creative, will be announced on Tuesday, August 18.

According to a release, the competition kicked off with a record-breaking 77 entries from 46 different concessionaires, each of which has at least two years of experience at the Fair.

Each concessionaire submitted an original recipe that went through a blind judging process, ensuring each entry was judged solely on its own merits.

The 15 finalists competing for the 2026 Big Tex Choice Awards titles (and their creators) include:

SAVORY

Flamin Crunch Pizza from State Fair of Texas' 2026 Big Tex Choice Awards finalists Flamin’ Crunch Pizza is a finalist in the Savory category in State Fair of Texas' Big Tex Choice Awards.Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas

Burger Chop Tater Tacos, Tom Grace: A fresh chopped burger patty combined with sautéed onions and jalapeños, then topped with mozzarella and American cheese and laid on top a bed of cheddar cheese tater tots that have been formed into a taco shell. That is then finished with buffalo buttermilk ranch coleslaw, garlic parmesan buffalo sauce, and more tots.
Dickel's Texas Two Step Tacos, Dickel’s Smokehouse: The Dickel’s Texas Two Step Tacos features two tacos, the first with a warm blue corn tortilla filled with a fire-roasted jalapeño stuffed with pineapple pork sausage and melted mozzarella. The second taco contains tender-sliced brisket wrapped around a roasted jalapeño, layered with melted mozzarella, and served on a yellow corn tortilla finished with purple pickled onion and a drizzle of sweet, smoky barbecue sauce or house made Lone Star Habanero Fuego.
Flamin’ Crunch Pizza, Tom Grace: The Flamin’ Crunch Pizza consists of hand-tossed, fresh-made pizza dough topped with a jalapeño cheddar queso base and covered with a freshly grated blend of mozzarella and cheddar cheese. The pizza is topped with handfuls of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, a drizzle of jalapeño queso blanco and house-made buffalo buttermilk ranch dressing, and a hefty sprinkle of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos dust.
Golden Crunch Melt, Tony & Terry Bednar: This entry features a tortilla brushed in a signature seasoned butter oil and packed with marinated chicken pastor, fire-roasted peppers, caramelized onions, smoky chipotle mayonnaise, melted three-cheese blend, and crispy potato strings, accompanied by a smoky chipotle crema.
Nacho Wings, Cody & Lauren Hays: Nacho Wings are crispy chicken wings tossed in zesty taco seasoning, smothered in creamy nacho cheese, and piled high with cilantro, green onions, cotija cheese, tomatoes, pickled red onions, and jalapeños. They are served on a bed of hot, golden fries and the whole thing is drizzled with ranch.

SWEET

Holy Flan! Buueloco from State Fair of Texas' 2026 Big Tex Choice Awards finalists Holy Flan! Buñueloco is a finalist in the Sweet category in State Fair of Texas' Big Tex Choice Awards.Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas

Berry Me in Matcha, Stephen El Gidi: Berry Me in Matcha features a New York-style cheesecake that is hand-dipped in Belgian white chocolate, rolled in crushed matcha cookies and drizzled with white chocolate and sweet strawberry jam. The dessert is finished with a fresh strawberry slice on top.
Fernie’s Frozen Espresso-tini Bar, Christi Erpillo & Johnna McKee: This espresso martini popsicle features cold-brew espresso blended with a kick of Fernie's Funnel Cake Cream Cocktail. The bar is drizzled with ribbons of chocolate shell coating, hardening into a delicate, crackable bite.
Fletcher's Chocolate Corny Dog, Beck Fletcher: The Fletcher’s Chocolate Corny Dog consists of smooth milk chocolate fudge hand dipped in Fletcher’s famous Original Corny Dog batter and deep fried until golden perfection. It is topped with a drizzle of yellow vanilla icing and served with raspberry compote for a sweet twist on the iconic Corny Dog.
Holy Flan! Buñueloco, The Garza Family: The Holy Flan! Buñueloco starts with a warm, crispy buñuelo bowl filled with creamy, homemade arroz con leche and a scoop of cinnamon Blue Bell Ice Cream. The highlight is a deep-fried flan encased in a delicate puff pastry shell, topped with fluffy whipped cream topping and a rich caramel sauce drizzle.
Texas Pecan Praline Cheesecake Cone, Brad Weiss: This second take on cheesecake features a warm waffle cone dipped in white chocolate, rolled in buttery Texas pecan praline, crushed Biscoff cookies, and freeze-dried strawberries, and filled with homemade cookie butter cheesecake. It is then topped with a pinch of sea salt, whipped cream, Biscoff crumble, warm cookie butter drizzle, white chocolate sauce, and finished with a signature Biscoff cookie.

SIPPER

Corn Flake Shappe from State Fair of Texas' 2026 Big Tex Choice Awards finalists Corn Flake Shappé is a finalist in the Sipper category in State Fair of Texas' Big Tex Choice Awards.Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas

Corn Flake Shappé, Milton & Gracie Whitley: The creamy Corn Flake Shappé blends toasted corn flakes into a rich creation with dulce de leche, Texas pecan notes, and a signature blend of warm spices. It is finished with whipped cream, golden corn flake crunch, sweet strawberry crumble, and a dusting of powdered sugar.
Nevins Soft Serve Peach Bellini Float, Tami & Josey Nevins Mayes: The Nevins Soft Serve Peach Bellini Float features creamy peach bellini soft serve infused with sparkling wine, topped with sparkling sugar and grated frozen peach. It is finished with a sugary-sweet golden topping.
Rousso's Bacon Jam Caramel Apple Hard Cider, Rousso’s Concessions: The Rousso's Bacon Jam Caramel Apple Hard Cider is crafted with hints of apples, caramel, churros, cinnamon sugar, and a smoky bacon jam twist.
Sunset Soft Serve Rita, Dwania Morris: The Sunset Soft Serve Rita combines a strawberry and mango margarita with vanilla soft-serve ice cream, a rim coated in Tajín rim, and topped with a chamoy drizzle and crunchy hot honey Tajín topping.
Tropical Coco Fresca, Fruteria Cano: The Tropical Coco Fresca is a layered pineapple-watermelon agua fresca with chamoy lava Tajin rim, paired with a scoop of icy coconut snow that melts into a creamy tropical explosion of flavors.

While these 15 creations earned a spot in the finalist round, the State Fair of Texas is also recognizing semi-finalists whose innovative entries will still make their debut at the 2026 State Fair as new foods.

Semi-finalists include:

All Shook Up
Butter-Dipped Toffee Crunch Nutty Bar
Deep Fried Thai Tea Tres Leches Cake
Dirty Dr Pepper Do-Si-Do Float
Fried Gobbler Roll
Layered Mango Strawberry Shortcake
Limonata Fresca Float
Loaded Lone Star Rings
Love Me Jam Sandwich
Matcha Parfait
Midnight Ruby Rush
Soft Serve Smoked Peach Bourbon Smash
The Niece
Triple Chocolate Flautas
Twinkle Twinkle Brisket Star

During the final judging event, a panel of 35 judges, including hometown celebrities, television personalities, food experts, and well-known creators, will evaluate each dish based on four key Fair-food elements: taste, value, creativity, and fairgoer appeal.

While the Big Tex Choice Awards event is closed to the public, the public can follow along online by tuning into one of the State Fair's social media channels - @StateFairofTX on Instagram and Facebook.

The winners will be announced on Tuesday, August 18 at 2 pm.

The 2026 State Fair of Texas, themed “Stars, Stripes, & Howdies,” will open on Friday, September 25, and will run through Sunday, October 18.

fair food state fair of texas big tex awards