The Most Beautiful Boutique Hotels to Book in Texas

Located on Main Street in downtown Dallas, The Joule is a luxury boutique hotel that artfully integrates historic preservation with contemporary design. Housed in a neo-Gothic landmark building originally constructed in the 1920s, The Joule is an oasis for design lovers, art admirers, foodies, cocktail enthusiasts, and appreciators of the uncomon. The hotel features a museum-worthy art collection and distinctive architecture, such as the 8-foot cantilevered glass-front pool overlooking Main Street. Throughout the hotel, artwork adorns the walls, including notable pieces from renowned artists and large-scale mosaics salvaged from the former Mercantile Building, all displayed for visitors to enjoy. In addition to its art and architecture, The Joule is home to an award-winning subterranean spa, the acclaimed subterranean cocktail lounge Midnight Rambler, as well as Weekend Coffee, the lively Italian restaurant Sassetta, the modern Texas brasserie CBD Provisions, and a curated hotel shop offering unique items such as fragrant candles, fun puzzles, and playful ceramics—all worth exploring.

The sprawling Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex is a lot of things, but intimate isn’t one of them. The eclectic Canvas Hotel in the downtown Dallas Cedars District, however, makes a valiant effort to ward off the status quo. The renovated red stone building, constructed in 1911, houses 76 rooms steeped in a cozy loft aesthetic, with century-old exposed brick and stone columns; earth-toned rugs, sofas and throw pillows; and 12ft (3.7m) ceilings. Whimsical local Pop Art adds a splash of local color, and a rustic-industrial design across the board screams anti-chain hotel. Sweeping city views complete the picture at the heated rooftop infinity pool.

Not to be outdone by city slickers in Houston, Dallas or Austin, Texas Hill Country – the hospitality hotbed of Castroville, to be precise, 26mi (42km) west of San Antonio – affords its own rural take on boutique bed-downs at Hillside. Texas-chic decor shaped by the hotel’s own line of furnishings (the blankets, pillows, rugs, bath products, robes and all the beds and furniture are purchasable) characterizes these 38 rooms on a 13-acre (5ha) hillside. An on-site bar, restaurant, swimming pool and spa – all privy to outstanding views across the Medina River Valley – make this a one-stop boutique bonanza for Hill Country enthusiasts.

El Paso’s art-forward Stanton House is debatably more museum than hotel, with its 42 rooms and suites housing as much one-of-a-kind contemporary art than many a gallery before it. But artworks here aren’t merely wall candy – they are part and parcel of the rooms themselves, often converging to create an immersive experience wholly unlike the average place to rest your weary head. Lightwell king/queen rooms, for example, feature a shared glass wall harboring a full-motion art installation that illuminates the room. The rabble-rousing art collection dominates the landscape at this ultra-modern boutique choice, catering to a discerning, fashion-forward clientele with an eye for the provocative as a result.

An intimate choice of just 27 rooms that has adorned the San Antonio Riverwalk for over a century, Hotel Havana – as the name implies – showers guests with a small package of Cuban-inspired cordiality. Both outside (some of the cypress, palm and magnolia trees originally planted by the owner in 1914 remain on property) and inside (Bastrop pine floors, shuttered windows, original fresco-painted walls, intricate woodwork and stained glass), history is palpable in this Mediterranean Revival-style gem from a bygone era.

Occupying a former 19th-century brew space dating to 1894 that was once the largest brewery in Texas, this San Antonio landmark counts itself a Second Empire icon in the city’s craftiest district (the Pearl). Like the neighborhood, a longstanding artisan hotbed that has cultivated the work of stone masons, barrel builders (coopers) and brewers throughout its storied history, the hotel’s design drifts between its industrial past and modern South Texas nuance. Detail abounds in the 146 rooms: Spanish porcelain tile, Frette towels, custom mesquite worktables and handmade Redondo tiles are just a few of the curated elements you might encounter.

This locally owned, fiercely curated boutique hotel embodies all that’s hip and haute-y about Austin and packages that formula in the form of a trendy, 83-room destination hotel that takes up an entire block of one of the city’s coolest streets. With three unique restaurants, a coffee and bake shop, a rooftop pool, lobby bar and two retail shops, South Congress Hotel aims to be a neighborhood hub. For those coming from elsewhere, mid-century-modern minimalism is the rule across hardwood floors, bespoke bed linens, custom bathrobes and locally sourced minibars.

Austin’s Archer Hotel leaves no ambiguity when it comes to location: Texas-sized twinkling stars help form the lofty glass-and-steel ceiling over its Second Bar + Kitchen, a common theme carried out all around this 171-room boutique hotel. Horse imagery along with Spanish, Western and cowboy-themed Pop Art and warm, masculine-leaning earth tones and leathers set the tone in both common areas and the rooms, which come in six design palettes. Located well north of downtown Austin, it’s an escape from the 6th Street hubbub, but offers its own diversions in the North Austin fashion and dining hub of Domain NORTHSIDE and the Domain and the lively Rock Rose nightlife district.

Designed by award-winning architect Adam Tihany, the extravagant highlights of the Joule Dallas surpass all ordinary expectations. Showcasing works by Andy Warhol, Tony Cragg, Adam Fuss and Richard Phillips alongside a Taschen library, the Joule offers unconventional luxury with an intellectual edge in Dallas. For a unique place to stay, this boutique hotel in Texas in a must.

With a rich history as a former Victorian mansion and later, student residence, Neoclassical Hotel Ella oozes chic sophistication. In harmony with Ella’s elegant aesthetic, this newly renovated hotel exhibits sculpture by the Texan artist Charles Umlauf, designating its courtyard an open gallery.

Judging by the lavishness of ZaZa’s thematic concept suites, this eccentric hotel is not one to shy away from innovation. With design inspirations ranging from Toulouse-Lautrec’s bohemian Paris to Leonardo’s Italian Renaissance, guests may pursue literary fantasies and immerse themselves in a bygone era. An exclusive Art House & Social Gallery hosting exhibitions, installations and seminars further reinforces ZaZa’s unique cultural reputation.