5 Best Hotels in Marfa, West Texas and the Panhandle

A continual stream of global celebrities have arrived by private aircraft on the airstrip at this luxury ranch. It was converted from a military fort by a 19th-century cattle baron and occupies 30,000 acres of a volcanic caldera cupped by the Chinati and Cienega mountains. You'll be welcomed as a friend and relax in one of three 1800s-era forts, each at a different site, but all beautifully restored. Everything here is first-class, authentic, and memorable, including meals featuring international flavors based on ancient Mexican culinary traditions. You can choose the pace for your activities: ride a horse or read a book; jump in a Humvee or slide back under the covers; go bird hunting or bird-watching.

Once the playground of Liz Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean, who stayed here while filming Giant, the Paisano has maintained its glamour with glistening Mediterranean architecture, a fountain in the courtyard dining area, and dress and jewelry shops in downstairs hallways. Completing the scene, big-band music from the 1940s wafts through the lobby, and both locals and visitors love dining in stylish Jett's Grill. The most popular booking is the room in which Dean stayed while filming the movie. The hotel is amid downtown Marfa's quirky buildings and just down the street from the historic courthouse. There's a small pool open late April through early October.

A National Historic Landmark, this 1930 Spanish baroque–style hotel provided the set for the 1956 movie The Giant, starring Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor. Rooms vary in size and amenities. The small pool, lounge, courtyard, gallery, gift shop, restaurant, and memorabilia room where you can watch The Giant make for a pleasant stay.