Only one Texas spot made TIME Magazine’s 2025 Greatest Places in the World list, and it is right here in Dallas.
This year’s list included Hôtel Swexan, which opened in Dallas’ Harwood District in 2023. The guide describes the iconic hotel as “a bold fusion of sophistication (Swiss) and bluster (Texan)—plus a welcome dose of whimsy.”
As previously detailed in The Dallas Express, the hotel combines Old World accents with a modern twist. On the rooftop, guests are treated to a pool with a 180-degree view of the city’s skyline.
To produce the annual guide, the authors seek out “one-of-a-kind spots and experiences around the globe.” The list includes restaurants, cruises, hotels, attractions, and more.
Hôtel Swexan was designed by renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. The guide calls out the hotel’s contrasting minimalist exterior with the “maximalism found inside.”
“On the basement floor, the speakeasy Babou’s is inspired by Salvador Dalí and named for his pet ocelot. Its adjunct-room, The Library at Babou’s, is lined with antique books. Isabelle’s, a martini bar on the lobby floor, has Parisian vibes,” reads the listing.
“Upstairs, the Michelin-recommended Stillwell’s exudes mid-century steakhouse swagger, serving beef from the Harwoods’ own ranch,” the description continues.
The hotel was also highlighted for its oversized bathrooms accompanying every room and suite. However, it was the public bathrooms that impressed the authors the most.
“Still, the marquee attraction is surely Hôtel Swexan’s 24 uniquely themed public bathrooms. Playful and hedonistic, they delight with details such as recycled French horns used as urinals in one and black-and-white Pierre Frey wallcoverings with a Texas cacti landscape pattern in another. Each restroom, like Hôtel Swexan itself, reigns as a work of art.”