These luxe San Antonio hotels and spas made the prestigious 2023 Forbes Travel Guide

Awards News

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The 2023 rendition of the prestigious Forbes Travel Guide is out, and 26 properties in Texas have made the list — with two in San Antonio.

This is the 65th annual Forbes Travel Guide, which a release describes as the only independent, global rating system for luxury hotels, restaurants, and spas, worldwide. Bow down to Forbes Travel Guide, bow down.

Ratings are broken into three categories: Five-Star, Four-Star, and Recommended, Five-Star being the best. The list, which comprises 1,956 properties around the world, runs heavy on hotels (1378) and spas (314), with only 259 restaurants. And for the first year, the list also includes ocean cruises.

In Texas, the list included five restaurants, 12 hotels, and seven spas, although come on who cares about spas, it's the restaurants and hotels that are most intriguing, am I right.

In a reprise of 2022, only three properties in Texas earned five stars: Carte Blanche restaurant in Dallas, Post Oak Hotel in Houston (and its spa), and the Ritz-Carlton Dallas hotel.

These are the properties in Texas that made the 2023 list, by category:

Restaurants:

Carte Blanche / Dallas: 5-star
Fearing's / Dallas: 4-star
Garrison / Austin: 4-star
The Mansion / Dallas: 4-star
French Room / Dallas: Recommended

Hotels:

Adolphus / Dallas: Recommended
Archer Hotel Austin: 4-star
Austin Proper Hotel / Austin: 4-star
Commodore Perry Estate Auberge Resorts Collection / Austin: 4-star
Fairmont Austin: 4-star
Four Seasons Hotel Austin: 4-star
Four Seasons Hotel Houston: 4-star
Hotel Emma / San Antonio: Recommended
The Houstonian Hotel Club & Spa: 4-star
The Joule / Dallas: 4-star
Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek / Dallas: 4-star
The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston: 5-star
The Ritz-Carlton Dallas: 5-star
Mokara Hotel & Spa / San Antonio: 4-star
The St. Regis Houston: 4-star

Spas:

Fairmont Spa Austin: 4 star
Mokara Spa / San Antonio: 4-star
The Ritz Carlton Spa Dallas: 4-star
The Spa at Four Seasons Austin: 4-star
The Spa at the Joule / Dallas: 4-star
The Spa at the Post Oak Hotel Houston: 5-star
Trellis Spa Houston: 4-star

The Forbes Travel guide started in 1958 as Mobil Travel Guide, a guidebook for U.S. motorists. They created the original Five-Star rating system for hospitality in the U.S.

To determine the ratings, Forbes Travel Guide's inspectors visit every hotel, restaurant, spa, and cruise ship in person, visiting anonymously as a typical guest. Participants pay a fee to be considered, but no one can buy a rating.

Photo courtesy of Hotel Emma

6 San Antonio hotels check in as best in Texas in coveted annual ranking

the inn crowd

Finding hotel accommodations for that next vacation or staycation in Texas just got a lot easier — if you have the budget. A new list released by US News and & World Report has ranked six San Antonio hotels among the best in the state. The publication collects its information through hotel ratings, customer reviews, and industry award analysis.

San Antonio's top-rated hotel on the list, Hotel Emma, made No. 4. The former brewery, more than a century old, is now one of the coolest spots for travelers in Alamo City. Its industrial style keeps the hotel from feeling pretentious, even though the whole thing is steeped in luxury and history. In addition to being visually stunning, this hotel provides easy access to Pearl foodie favorites including Larder, the hotel's own market and deli.

The next best-rated hotel in San Antonio is the Thompson San Antonio Riverwalk, at No. 7. This hotel within the Hyatt family looks more contemporary than Hotel Emma, and is known for its rooftop pool and cabanas. Landrace is one of the city's most widely known and respected restaurants, and The Moon’s Daughters, the rooftop bar, is also among the stars.

Houston’s only double five-star hotel and spa The Post Oak Hotel was awarded the No. 1 spot, known for its “tropical sanctuary” pool, nine restaurants and bars, and ultra-modern room amenities and decor. In another US News & World Report article, The Post Oak was ranked the No. 31 best hotel in the nation.

Austin had the greatest number of hotels in the top 25; Houston and San Antonio tied with six, and Dallas only garnered three, but all those cities had one each in the top four. Central Texas (considering San Antonio and hotels) contained a high occurrence of resorts that are primarily spas compared to the other regions — perhaps because of the Hill Country.

The full list of the top 25 best hotels in Texas include:

No. 1, The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston
No. 2, Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek – Dallas
No. 3, Commodore Perry Estate, Auberge Resorts Collection – Austin
No. 4, Hotel Emma – San Antonio
No. 5, Four Seasons Hotel – Houston
No. 6, The Ritz-Carlton – Dallas
No. 7, Thompson San Antonio Riverwalk
No. 8, The Driskill – Austin
No. 9, Fairmont Austin
No. 10, Four Seasons Hotel – Austin
No. 11, JW Marriott Houston Downtown
No. 12, Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa – San Antonio
No. 13, JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa
No. 14, The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa
No. 15, The St. Regis Houston
No. 16, Austin Proper Hotel & Residences
No. 17, Miraval Austin
No. 18, Lake Austin Spa Resort
No. 19, La Cantera Resort & Spa – San Antonio
No. 20, Hotel Granduca Austin
No. 21, Mokara Hotel & Spa – San Antonio
No. 22, Hotel Granduca Houston
No. 23, Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa – Austin
No. 24, The Ashton Hotel – Fort Worth
No. 25, Thompson Dallas

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Property Showcase

Famous furniture store Louis Shanks shutters last remaining San Antonio location

closing up shop

After nearly 80 years in business, family-owned Texas furniture store Louis Shanks is closing down its business.

As reported by Furniture Today, Louis Shanks will host a liquidation sale beginning Thursday, September 21, at the last remaining store in San Antonio, at 11035 IH-10 West, and its flagship store in Austin.

The furniture retailer first opened in 1945, led by its namesake Louis Shanks and John Stanford, Furniture Today said. The business had been operated by the Shanks family for four generations, with the San Antonio store opening in 1983. The company previously had a second Austin store, and more locations Houston and Sugar Land, which have all since been closed.

"An independent, regional retailer became nationally recognized by the industry and its customers for its fine furniture selection and impeccably vignetted showrooms," the industry website said.

Furniture Today reported that Planned Furniture Promotions will be spearheading the liquidation sale for Louis Shanks. Senior vice president Tom Liddell said in a statement that his company is "honored to be a part of [the] historic moment" with the long-established furniture retailer.

"This is a celebration of their decades of excellence and an extraordinary opportunity for consumers in the Austin and San Antonio areas to experience the legacy of Louis Shanks Furniture one last time," Liddell said. "This marks the end of an era, and we at PFP are thrilled they have entrusted us with this pivotal project."

A combined 200,000 square feet of merchandise will be liquidated, according to the report.

Horror film It Lives Inside sets itself apart with unique cultural details

Movie Review

Like most genres in film history, horror movies have tended to be relatively homogeneous, focusing mostly on white characters and, if it delved into religion, Christianity. As movies in general have become more diverse, so has the storytelling, something which benefits a film like It Lives Inside.

Photo courtesy of Neon

Megan Suri in It Lives Inside.

The story centers on Indian-American teenager Samidha (Megan Suri), who’s suffering to a degree with her cultural identity, indicated by the opening scene depicting her shaving the dark hair off her arms. Her self-esteem isn’t helped by her childhood best friend, Tamira (Mohana Krishnan), having turned herself into an outcast, eating lunch under bleachers and carrying a weird jar around everywhere.

Tamira claims that something lives inside the jar that has to be constantly fed, and a confrontation between the two unleashes the monster on Tamira and starts a series of scary dreams for Samidha. As the monster slowly insinuates itself into Samidha’s increasingly isolated life, she must turn to the one person with whom she’s having the most difficulty, her mother, Poorna (Neeru Bajwa).

The feature film debut for writer/director Bishal Dutta and co-writer Ashish Mehta, It Lives Inside has the familiarity of other previous mysterious force/monster movies, but sets itself apart by incorporating Indian and Hindu traditions. When Samidha confronts Tamira, she discovers a book filled with all manner of strange drawings and writing, but instead of being merely the scrawls of a possessed person, much of it is a reference to Hindu mythology.

For much of the film, Samidha shuns the traditions that her family, especially her mother, tries to keep alive. So it’s no small irony that it’s those same rituals and knowledge that may serve as the key to understanding and defeating the monster. It feels like the filmmakers are trying to tell a story about the costs of assimilation into a new country/culture as much as they’re to scare audiences.

Compared to other horror films, they do a pretty good job with the atmosphere and special effects. The monster is kept hidden in the shadows for most of the film, so there’s a solid creepy factor that keeps the tension level high. In fact, they might have done well not showing it at all; it’s only when it’s revealed that the spell is broken to a degree.

Suri is at the start of what’s shaping up to be a solid career, having co-starred in the recent Missing and on Netflix’s Never Have I Ever. She makes for a great lead character and horror protagonist. She’s aided by good supporting turns from Krishnan, Bajwa, and Betty Gabriel, who plays her teacher.

It Lives Inside more than holds its own in the scare department and ups the ante with its unique details. In a year that’s featured its fair share of intense movies, it brings a different perspective alongside its horrors.

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It Lives Inside opens in theaters on September 22.

Sudden shutters, buzzy burgers, and jam-packed events crowd San Antonio food news

NEWS YOU CAN EAT

Editor's note: We get it. It can be difficult to keep up with the fast pace of San Antonio's restaurant and bar scene. We have you covered with our weekly roundup of essential food news.

Openings and closings

A downtown pub won't be around to celebrate St. Patrick's Day 2024. Via a September 17 Instagram post, Maddy McMurphy's Irish Sports Bar announced its immediate closure after a five-year run. The watering hole teased the news a few days prior, promoting a "Last Hurrah" party on September 15. Neither bulletin offered any explanation for the move. Sibling concepts in owner Terry Corless' portfolio, including Mad Dogs British Pub and Prost Haus, will continue to operate.

Local fast-casual joint Biff Buzby's Burgers observed National Cheeseburger Day by announcing a second location. The outpost will be located at the former site of the short-lived Windmill Ice House on 2769 Nacogdoches Rd., confirming the latter's July temporary closure was permanent. Judging by Facebook photos, Biff Buzby's is nearing completion, though the owners weren't quite ready to declare an opening date. They did share that the original location's popular car shows would not be revving up at the new space.

Drive-thru coffee shop 7 Brew is also in expansion mode. A press release spilled the beans on an upcoming second San Antonio location at 6202 North I-35 Frontage Rd. The Arkansas-based company opened its first local outlet in July, introducing the Alamo City market to original creations like the Smooth 7, a white chocolate and Irish cream breve. The new location will host soft opening events September 22-29, leading up to the September 30 grand opening.

Other news and notes

While America's craft beer industry is struggling, Alamo Beer Co. is making a bold move. The Eastside brewery is merging with VIVA Beer, according to a release. The move will allow the latter to grow the brand in San Antonio and beyond.

Embracing the de facto return of fall, if not the return of crisp weather, the food scene is preparing for a flurry of events. The Big Red & Barbacoa Festival has announced the dates for its 11th year. Single-day tickets start at $10 and are available online.

Can't wait until October for festival season? The San Antonio Brunch Festival runs from 11am to 3 pm on September 23. More than a dozen local eateries will be participating, offering unlimited bites. Tickets, ranging from $85-$150, are no longer available online but will be available at the door. More details are available here.

The University of Texas San Antonio's popular Ven a Comercelebration returns on September 29. Several activities are planned to support UTSA's renowned Mexican cookbook collection, including a series of dinners at Mixtli, a DIY cookbook workshop, a community pachanga, and a party at Carriqui. As always, the event's showcase will be a fundraising dinner on September 29 featuring local chefs Alexana Cabrera and Sofia Tejeda, mezcalero Pedro Jimenez Gurria, and James Bears Award winner Iliana de la Vega of Austin's El Naranjo.

Ladino is marking its first anniversary with a grill-out party on October 1. The shindig will feature unlimited bites, a live DJ, and games for $40. Cocktails will be available for purchase.

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