Texas

Texas does everything on its own scale. Vast landscapes, historic ranches and small desert towns coexist with some of America’s fastest-changing cities, creating a design culture that is far more varied than the familiar Western clichés suggest. Austin brings Mid-Century Modernism and an independent creative spirit, Houston combines ambitious contemporary architecture with a remarkable museum culture, while the desert landscapes of West Texas have become synonymous with the minimalist art and architecture of Marfa. Across the state, old motels, industrial buildings and historic properties continue to find imaginative new lives.

Food and drink are central to the Texan experience. Barbecue and Tex-Mex remain essential, but they sit within a much broader culinary landscape shaped by Mexican, Southern, German and increasingly global influences. Austin’s food trucks and independent restaurants, Houston’s extraordinary multicultural dining scene and a new generation of cocktail bars, breweries and wine-focused restaurants make Texas one of America’s most interesting places to eat and drink.

Texas also has a particularly strong collection of hotels with personality. Revived roadside motels, historic mansions, desert hideaways and contemporary urban hotels embrace local character rather than smoothing it away. At DNA Hotels, we curate the places where architecture, interiors, food and that unmistakable Texan independence come together—hotels that prove there is much more to the Lone Star State than cowboy boots and big skies.