where to travel right now
Back-to-school is just around the corner, and there's still time to plan a last-minute summer escape. From a recently opened glow-in-the-dark immersive experience in Dallas, to a pur-fect traveling cat expo in Austin, there are plenty of ways to plan a fun-filled August getaway. Houstonians can "escape" closer to home by visiting a popular water park resort after taking advantage of a one-day-only flash sale, or by booking a stay at a historic bed and breakfast in nearby Galveston.
Here are our top picks for summer travel events, hotel deals, and more in August.
Throughout Texas
Great Wolf Lodge, which has resorts in Dallas and Houston, is gearing up for the biggest sale of the year for one day only on Monday, August 4. The annual flash sale offers discounted stays starting at $84 per night for the first two guests, and additional guests will only cost $24 extra per person. The promo code "84DEGREES" will be valid for single- and multi-night stays booked through December 18, 2025. Sale prices include resort fees and unlimited access to the indoor water park.
History buffs who want to immerse themselves in Texas lore will find a home among these six bed and breakfasts. Among the legendary lodgings are Elvis' "home away from home" in Waco, Georgia O’Keeffe’s favorite hangout in the Panhandle, and Ulysses S. Grant’s East Texas escape. Find even more storied stays through the Texas Historical Commission's Historic Overnights program, which helps guests discover details about historic places and experience history in an immersive way.
Elvis became friends with the radio DJ who owned this Waco home in the 1950s. Photo courtesy of The Elvis House
Texas thrill seekers who purchase or renew Six Flags Entertainment Gold ($95) or Prestige Passes ($170) from now until September 1, 2025 will receive unlimited access to every Six Flags park in North America, which includes six Texas properties. Season passes are currently available for purchase for Schlitterbahn Galveston, Schlitterbahn New Braunfels, Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio, and Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington. Season passes for Hurricane Harbor Arlington and Hurricane Harbor Splashtown go on sale on Monday, August 4.
The Hill Country
Wine trade association Texas Hill Country Wineries (THCW) has partnered with the educators at Wine Folly to develop a free online guide exploring the Hill Country region's many vineyards and tasting rooms. The guide serves as a one-of-a-kind database for the area, with six main topic pages spanning wines, wineries, terroir (growing conditions), history, region, and travel. It also includes overviews of 62 local wineries to help visitors make an itinerary for their next journey to the Hill Country.
Austin
The Stephen F. Austin Royal Sonesta Hotel is celebrating Austin Pride Month with the unveiling of its new Rainbow Room and a "Rainbow Room Experience Package" from August 5-31. The hotel collaborated with local LGBTQIA+ artists Bode Robinson and Hailey Gearo to create themed decor and original artwork for the room. The experience package includes a waived destination fee, two complimentary Pride-themed cocktails, breakfast for two at Café Fuller, and late checkout. The hotel will additionally donate a portion of proceeds from each Rainbow Room booking in August to Central Texas LGBTQIA+ nonprofit Out Youth.
Domesticated cats are taking over Austin's Palmer Event Center from August 16-17. Pop Cats, a touring annual expo for cat-lovers, will feature several cat-themed activities including cat cosplaying, making cat toys, and more. Attendees can bring their own cats, but must follow guidelines to keep everyone safe. Tickets (starting at $25 for adults and $15 for children) are available at popcats.co.
This cat got to experience the expo firsthand…or firstpaw. POP Cats/Facebook
The Downright Austin hotel restaurant Swim Club is helping visitors prepare for back-to-school season with its free Dive-In Movie Series during the first three Thursdays in August. Screenings will include Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (Aug. 7), Fast Times at Ridgemont High (Aug. 14), and Clueless (Aug. 21). Guests can arrive as early as 7 pm and order movie-themed cocktails, and screenings will begin at 8:30 pm.
San Antonio
As the Hill Country continues to recover from the devastating July floods, The Westin Riverwalk Hotel is supporting the community by extending its "Visit San Antonio" discount on standard king and double rooms for anyone affected by the floods or helping with recovery efforts. Guests can use promo code "T4973" to receive 30 percent off stays from now through August 31. Room rates with the discount begin at $132 per night.
Several Pearl retailers will host a "Sidewalk Sale" event from August 14-15 to help visitors prepare for back-to-school season. Participating shops include clothing stores Niche, Adelante, and Dos Carolinas; footwear and accessory shop LeeLee; jewelry and gem store Ruby Road Gems; home goods sellers The Tiny Finch and Rancho Diaz; gift shop Feliz Modern Pop, and The Twig Bookshop. The sale will run from 10 am to 5 pm both days.
Dallas-Fort Worth
Glow or Go in Dallas. Glow or Go
Don't let heat exhaustion ruin an otherwise nice summer day: CultureMap has rounded up several new and unique things to help North Texans beat the heat this month, from a new waterpark attraction to a glacial facial at a lavish spa. There are also affordable ideas on the list, from visiting the UTA Planetarium to cooling off with a "chimney cake"-style ice cream cone at Crispy Cones in North Richland Hills.
Here's the point
Some properties operated by Austin-based Bunkhouse Hotels are joining the World of Hyatt rewards program. Bunkhouse has been connected with Hyatt since 2024, when the hotel giant bought Standard International, the local boutique hotel operator's 22-property parent company.
As of July 17, Austin’s Hotel Saint Cecilia and Houston’s Hotel Saint Augustine were the only Bunkhouse properties that had been fully incorporated into the Hyatt rewards program, according to a Bunkhouse statement. Other Bunkhouse properties set to be folded into World of Hyatt are:
The Hyatt program will add Houston’s Hotel Daphne once it opens this fall. It’s unclear when other Bunkhouse properties will join the Hyatt program.
“With a reputation for building memorable experiences rooted in the communities in which they exist, Bunkhouse Hotels offer authentic design, locally driven programming — from live music and poolside hangs to community-centric gatherings of all kinds — and curated food and beverage concepts alongside branded retail that spotlights regional makers and artisans,” a Bunkhouse spokesperson said.
World of Hyatt members who stay at participating Bunkhouse hotels will receive:
In conjunction with the Standard deal, Hyatt debuted a lifestyle group that is based in New York City and maintains offices in Austin and Bangkok.
“The beauty of the [Hyatt and Standard] combination is that Hyatt respects the creativity and freedom required to deliver the experiences we do, and we respect the value of Hyatt’s storied history, global infrastructure, and best-in-class commercial services,” Amar Lalvani, then a Standard executive and now a Hyatt executive, said last year.
