Attendees at Critical Start’s internal sales kickoff event (above) loved Hilton Dallas/Plano Granite Park for its meeting spaces, the boardwalk and convenient location. Photos Courtesy of Harmland Visions

Corporate and incentive planners who like to think big often are drawn to Texas, the second-largest U.S. state in both land and population. It boasts several top cities for meetings and events, including five with more than 980,000 residents, and a huge variety of meeting spaces.

From Dallas, Fort Worth, Grapevine and Houston, to San Antonio, Plano, Arlington and Austin, if there is something Texas has — it’s grit. Since 2020, it has been building bigger and better venues and brighter attractions, with more Texas-ness than you can imagine. Across the state, you can expect western traditions like rodeos, horseback riding, dude ranches, the finest BBQs in the Continental U.S. — and the invitation to come saddle up for a good time in the cowboy capital of the world is there for the taking.

Dallas

Many planners opt for the Dallas-Fort Worth area, with its abundance of excellent meeting cities that also includes Plano, Grapevine and Arlington, among others. Tami Teaford-Williams, senior program manager, meetings and incentives for Cadence Travel in La Jolla, CA, planned a meeting for 375 attendees in Dallas in February, and says the city is “always a great choice” for the meetings she plans.

“It’s centrally located with the United States and has great flight options both in Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Dallas Love Field (DAL),” she says. “The attendees were from across the states, so as a centralized city, it worked well.”

Southern Texas offers some attractive meeting cities as well, particularly San Antonio, Austin and Houston. “San Antonio is an attendee favorite,” says Elizabeth Mansfield, vice president of Clinical Education Concepts, who planned a meeting there this year. “We get our highest attendance and best survey results when we book there.”

Teaford-Williams’ attendees stayed and met at Hilton Anatole Dallas, which provides more than 1,600 guest rooms and more than 600,000 sf of meeting space. Set near the heart of downtown Dallas, it features two atriums, a 27-story tower and one of the largest hotel art collections in the United States, with more than 1,000 exotic pieces from throughout the world.

“The property has been used previously for this client, and fits the needs well with the space and branding opportunities,” Teaford-Williams says. “There is a uniqueness to the Hilton Anatole, with so many options to not only brand with logos, but with the lighting in the main atrium and pools, as well.”

The group stayed on property the entire time, which included a game night to welcome attendees and an awards night, both of which were held in ballrooms.

The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas recently completed a $22 million renovation that included all guest rooms, the spa, dining concepts, furniture and fixtures, the corridor, the lobby and the club. The 23-story JW Marriott Dallas Arts District Hotel, which opened in 2023, features 267 guest rooms, three restaurants, a sky lobby and 22,218 sf of meeting space, including two ballrooms. Hotel Swexan, offering a mixture of Texas and Swiss cultures, also opened in 2023 and has 134 guest rooms and 12,000 sf of meeting space.

Dallas offers a plethora of other meeting hotels, including, Omni Dallas Hotel, with 1,001 guest rooms and 110,000 sf of meeting space, The Adolphus (407 guest rooms and 25,000 sf) and Renaissance Dallas (514 guest rooms, 51,753 sf).

Plano

Nicole Chattin, CMP, CMM, the strategic corporate events manager for Critical Start, chose Hilton Dallas/Plano Granite Park (299 guest rooms, 30,000 sf of meeting space) for its internal sales kickoff, which drew 110 people.

“We selected it for our meeting this year because of the central location and its proximity to major freeways,” she says. “The hotel is located in Granite Boardwalk, so attendees loved being able to walk outside and stroll along the boardwalk. The Hilton offered a competitive rate and many concessions, and the best part was the private meeting space with meals in the foyer, overlooking the lake and boardwalk.”

Chattin raved about the meeting spaces, including the entrance/lobby/bar area, which was popular for impromptu networking. “We also chose this hotel because of its private meeting spaces, with a large ballroom and open foyer area with a nice view.”

The group had wonderful dining experiences on property and at two restaurants on the boardwalk. “We hosted our final night awards dinner at the Hilton, and it was a success,” she says. “The chef was flexible with the plated meal and even provided a branded logo piece on the dessert. Everyone was very happy with the property.”

Angie McCart, an executive assistant at WealthWave, planned an event for 650 people at Dallas/Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center. She was drawn to the hotel’s 13,858-sf Trinity River Ballroom, which was able to accommodate the large group. “The facility was beautiful and the staff was wonderful to work with, and the AV is exactly what we needed for our event.”

Another excellent property for corporate and incentive meetings, Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West Hotel, which features modern décor merging Asian and Texan influences, 303 guest rooms and more than 25,000 sf of meeting space. Plano Event Center, the city’s convention center, is undergoing a $3.2 million renovation to its courtyard to significantly expand spaces for outdoor events.

Love’s Travel Stops held their LEAD Conference at Gaylord Texan Resort & Conference Center in Grapevine, TX. Courtesy Photo

Grapevine

Everything in Grapevine is within a three-mile radius, making it easy for corporate and incentive planners to book at multiple properties for attendees to enjoy offsite team bonding. This is one of the qualities that attracted Linda Tillinghast, manager of corporate meetings and events at Love’s Travel Stops, to book a meeting for 2,200 of the company’s employees from across the states.

“We have a large group, so the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center was a great option with its large amount (486,000 sf) of meeting space and (1,814) hotel rooms,” she says. “There were all plenty of great hotels nearby to accommodate all of our attendees and meetings throughout the event.”

The Love’s Travel Stops attendees also stayed at the Great Wolf Lodge (605 guest rooms, 20,000 sf of meeting space) and Embassy Suites by Hilton Grapevine DFW Airport North (329 guest rooms, 30,000 sf).

On the night before the event kicked off, support teams of around 300 people each gathered at restaurants either at the Gaylord property or elsewhere in Grapevine. Once the conference started, group activities and evening events were held at the Gaylord for all attendees.

The resort’s conference center contains recently renovated expo halls, large general session rooms and breakout rooms. “It was a great fit because it provides plenty of opportunities to meet our needs,” Tillinghast says.

She was also pleased with the F&B, with attendees commenting that this year was the best for food and beverage at their annual conference yet. “That is a big win for meeting planners. The catering department at the Gaylord Texan strives to know our attendees’ likes and dislikes, and offers suggestions to help meet expectations. They partnered with us to provide ideas, solutions and help manage our special requests as some attendees have dietary restrictions.”

Tillinghast says the attendees enjoy coming to Grapevine. “The commute from the airport is close, the climate is typically very nice for our conference and the people are very warm and welcoming. The downtown area is very charming and has lots of restaurant and shopping opportunities. We are returning next year. Some of our attendees mentioned that they plan to return on their own time for future getaways in the area.”

Fort Worth

One of the city’s leading properties for corporate and incentive meetings, Sheraton Fort Worth Downtown Hotel completed a $50 million renovation last year. It includes its 403 guest rooms, a new restaurant/bar, an updated ballroom, new work space studios for small meetings and the new West + Stone restaurant.

“Situated across from the Fort Worth Water Gardens, the Sheraton Fort Worth Downtown Hotel is your escape from the ordinary,” says Amy Brown, senior vice president of convention sales and services for Visit Fort Worth. “Fresh from the multimillion-dollar renovation, the guest rooms have undergone a modernization. The outstanding restaurant is a perfect complement to Fort worth’s bustling restaurant scene.”

Bowie House, Auberge Resorts Collection, opened last December in Fort Worth’s buzzing Cultural District. Blending the classic western personality of Texas with a modern, globally inspired sensibility, it offers regional cuisine at Bricks and Horses, a luxury spa and 10,000 sf of meeting space spread across three venues.

Arlington

Arlington is still buzzing about its recent opening of the $550 million Loews Arlington Hotel and Convention Center. The hotel added 888 guest rooms and 266,000 sf of meeting space to the 300 guest rooms and 35,000 sf provided by Live! by Loews-Arlington, TX, at the convention center campus. Both Loews Arlington Hotel and Live by Loews, Arlington, TX, are connected to the new convention center.

San Antonio

The Texas Society of Orthotic & Prosthetic Professionals keep returning to Hilton San Antonio Hill Country to hold its annual meeting, and Mansfield provides several reasons why. “We stay and meet there and they always do a fantastic job,” she says. “It is a perfect venue for our size group, with breakout and exhibit space fitting our needs. “The food is always terrific and, at least prior to the pandemic, the staff turnover was very low, which I consider to be a good indicator of how the property is run. Parking is free, it’s easy to get to and the rooms are very nice.”

Nestled among the rolling hills of San Antonio, the property features 226 guest rooms, gourmet restaurants, three pools and 12,643 sf of meeting space, divided among 13 rooms.

The Alamo City’s newest luxury meeting property, Plaza San Antonio Hotel & Spa, Autograph Collection, debuted this year. It features 253 oversized guest rooms, two restaurants, 21,171 sf of meeting space and repurposed 19th-century historic buildings that house a day spa and a unique bungalow suite.

Austin

Renaissance Austin Hotel, one of Austin’s top hotels for corporate and incentive meetings, has recently become an even more attractive option for planners. “Located in the Arboretum, it has an ideal location for corporate meetings and has added several new amenities, such as a cutting-edge cycling room, a backyard lawn with an old-fashioned food truck and a lobby restaurant with swings,” says Steve Genovesi, executive vice president of Visit Austin.

Situated in the Hill Country, Renaissance Austin Hotel provides 492 guest rooms, Texas-inspired American culinary selections at Knotty Deck & Bar, Mexican fare at Choza, a state-of-the-art Peloton room and two pools. The 73,628 sf of meeting space includes a 12,000-sf grand ballroom.

Inn Cahoots, a four-story multipurpose boutique hotel and meeting space, opened last summer. It takes up nearly an entire block and includes a boutique hotel with condo-style suites, seven event spaces totaling 32,000 sf, a food truck lot and three bars. Inn Cahoots can customize its event spaces — including a rooftop deck, bars and gardens — to meet a group’s needs.

Mayfair, a Victorian-inspired downtown nightclub, is a popular spot for groups. Available for private events, it has 6,800 sf of indoor space and a 3,000-sf outdoor terrace with a bar and amazing views of downtown Austin.

Austin also provides several options for larger meetings. These include JW Marriott Austin, with 1,012 guest rooms and more than 120,000 sf of meeting space, Hilton Austin (801 guest rooms, 112,183 sf), Fairmont Austin (1,048 guest rooms, 140,000 sf), Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa Austin (502 guest rooms, 76,000+ sf) Austin Marriott Downtown (613 guest rooms, 59,735 sf) and Hilton Austin Airport (262 guest rooms, 48,000 sf).

Houston

Much-anticipated Thompson Houston, rising 36 stories about the south bank of the city’s scenic Buffalo Bayou Park, opened this year. “The hotel features 172 guest rooms, a massive 1-acre pool deck with skyline views, a full-service spa and more,” says John Solis, senior vice president of sales and client services for Visit Houston. “Thompson is recognized as one of the premier luxury brands within the Hyatt portfolio, and this iteration should be no exception.”

Thompson Houston offers 17,000 sf of indoor and outdoor meeting space, a custom-tiled infinity pool surrounded by cabanas, a full-service spa, and a signature restaurant, Sol 7.

The hotel is planning to add two dining options in the spring: Toca Madera and Meduza Mediterrania. Chardon, a French brasserie, will open this summer, and Buck 40, an upscale supper club, is scheduled to debut in the fall.

Excellent options for large meetings in Houston include Marriott Marquis Houston, Hilton Americas-Houston, The Westin Oaks Houston and The Westin Galleria Houston.

If you are a planner who likes to think big, Texas has a lot of room for the way you work and play. C&IT