![\"Princess](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1Q0A6842.jpg\")
Princess Takamado poses in front of the Fort Worth Herd during her Stockyards visit. (Photograph by Brooks Burris for Visit Fort Worth)\nA Banner Year for a Now Top-Ranked City<\/p>\n
The votes are in \u2014 more than 661,000 this year \u2014 and Travel + Leisure\u2019s annual World\u2019s Best Awards have ranked Fort Worth No. 6 among America\u2019s best cities. Cowtown also rode away as the highest-ranked city in the Lone Star State, while both Hotel Drover and Bowie House earned top rankings from the annual awards. Local business and civic leaders have played the long game when it comes to preserving historic buildings and the city\u2019s distinctive Western heritage, and that approach is paying dividends.<\/p>\n
In recent years, significant investment in that vision has yielded Dickies Arena, Mule Alley, and other destinations that have elevated Fort Worth\u2019s profile while strengthening its appeal to discerning shoppers, diners, and travelers. To celebrate this prestigious accolade, we\u2019re revisiting the best hotels, events, restaurants, and developments that have shaped our lifestyle coverage this year.<\/p>\n
Princess Takamado poses in front of the Fort Worth Herd during her Stockyards visit. (Photograph by Brooks Burris for Visit Fort Worth)
\nA Banner Year for a Now Top-Ranked City<\/p>\n
Travel + Leisure\u2019s editors did their research when highlighting what makes our city great<\/a>. Luxury hotels, world-class art museums, diverse dining options, and events like the Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival define life in this city. With the World Cup just now receding in our collective memories, Fort Worth proved that it could host an inundation of visitors and local soccer fans throughout the city, providing an authentic Western experience and warm hospitality.<\/p>\n Visit Fort Worth launched its \u201cHowdy, World\u201d campaign to spotlight our city\u2019s cowboy heritage, and we even welcomed a princess<\/a> \u2014 Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado of Japan \u2014 to the Stockyards and Botanic Garden. Fort Worth\u2019s Sundance Square swelled with soccer fans on game days, while the Stockyards buzzed with excitement and heavy crowds of tourists throughout June and July.<\/p>\n PaperCity Fort Worth was recently invited to a three-day Range Rover House<\/a> that highlighted the city\u2019s growing influence in the luxury automaker market. Hosted at Chef Tim Love\u2019s estate, the exclusive event brought together celebrated locals like Susan Maddox, restauranteurs, and loyal Range Rover owners for the first Range Rover House event ever organized by an independent dealership.<\/p>\n Ambitious developments are reshaping Fort Worth, including private residential golf clubs like Bluejack Ranch<\/a> and Discovery Land Company\u2019s Maverick, where estates command prices in the multimillion-dollar range. We were at the groundbreaking for both the $1.7 billion Westside Village<\/a> and the forthcoming $250 million Autobahn Fort Worth<\/a>. Westside Village will transform the Near Westside with new residences, shopping, hotels, and office space, while Autobahn\u2019s sprawling campus will feature individual dealerships with architecture and amenities tailored to each automotive brand.<\/p>\n Bonnell\u2019s Fine Texas Cuisine, Lonesome Dove, Clay Pigeon, Grace, 61 Osteria, The Mont, and other world-class restaurants continue to position Fort Worth as a top destination for food, even as Almac\u00e9n El Gallo<\/a> and Beren Meze & Grill House are bringing Michelin-starred chefs to the city.<\/p>\n What makes any city great is the people, and Fort Worth continues to be shaped by leaders who understand the delicate balance between progress and preserving what makes Cowtown great. Fort Worth\u2019s Mayor Mattie Parker is a strong proponent of economic development, public safety, and preserving quality of life. For a city our size \u2014 ranked 10th in population \u2014 that\u2019s no easy feat.<\/p>\n When developer John Goff brought Fort Worth its own Crescent Hotel<\/a>, he provided the perfect luxury anchor for a Cultural District already known for world-class art. To the north, Fort Worth\u2019s Stockyards are showing that they\u2019re more than a tourist destination for twice-daily cattle drives. Dena Newell and her team launched Fort Worth Fashion Week Stockyards Style<\/a> a few years ago, and we\u2019re eagerly anticipating the return of the October event that culminates in an outdoor runway show featuring chic Western wear.<\/p>\n![\"Range](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AFW-1416-scaled.jpg\")
The event featured a whiskey tasting and fireside conversation with Jaguar Land Rover North America CEO Joe Eberhardt, Visit Fort Worth\u2019s VP of Creative, Film, and Music Tom Martens, and Tim Love. (Photo by Land Rover Fort Worth)<\/p>\n![\"Ralph\u2019s](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/07_Ralphs_Social_Club_Bar.jpg\")
Ask around and see if anyone you know is a member of Ralph\u2019s on the top level of The Crescent Hotel, which was named in honor of local icon Mary Ralph Lowe.
\nHospitality, Historic Roots, and Visionary Leaders<\/p>\n