Plano Accolades

Updated: 4/12/2024

Plano cherishes its quaint, historic beginnings yet embraces its modern, cutting-edge transformation, making it one of the best places to live in the United States, according to CNN Money Magazine and AreaVibes; America’s safest city, according to Forbes; and arguably one of the best places to visit and do business. View our list below of Plano’s recent accolades.

2024

Visit Plano Accolades

  • Visit Plano received a Bronze Adrian Award in the PR/communications online print feature category from the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International. Highlighting the city’s many independent local ice cream shops, the winning story ran in the digital edition of Texas Highways in July, which is National Ice Cream Month.
  • Visit Plano received a Texas Travel Award for the 2023 Taste of Plano campaign in the Destination Marketing Campaign category for Big Market.

2023

Visit Plano Awards

  • Visit Plano received a Best Of award from Meetings Today given to the top meeting facilities and destination marketing organizations in North America.
  • Visit Plano was honored by the Texas Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus with one second place People’s Choice award in their annual Destination Excellence Awards for their Let’s Go multi-media campaign.

Plano Hotel Accolades

  • The Hilton Dallas/Plano Granite Park has been chosen as the best in the category of “Best Hotel” by the Texas Travel Counselors during their five-day Study Tour of the Northeast Texas Region October 22-26, 2023.
  • Dallas/Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center ranked #1 for Food & Beverage Quality (by Guest Satisfaction Surveys) and Catering Quality (by Event Satisfaction Surveys) out of over 300 Marriott brand hotels in the country.
  • Dallas/Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center ranked in the top 25 for Cleanliness and Intent to Recommend (by Guest Satisfaction Surveys) out of over 300 Marriott brand hotels in the country.

2022

Plano Hotel Accolades

  • TownePlace Suites by Marriott Dallas Plano/Richardson was awarded the 2021 Platinum Circle Award for Guest Satisfaction (Top 5% of TownePlace Suites Brand), awarded October 2022.
  • TownePlace Suites by Marriott Dallas Plano/Richardson was awarded the 2021 Guest Satisfaction Award for Elite Appreciation for TownePlace Suites Brand, awarded October 2022.
  • The Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West was named Hotel of the Year by the Hotel Association of North Texas at the annual HOSPY Awards Gala. 
  • The Dallas/Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center General Manager, Mary Lavelle, received General Manager of the Year from the Hotel Association of North Texas at the annual HOSPY Awards Gala.
  • Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West ambassador, Robyn Ahrens, was named Front of the House Manager of the year by the Hotel Association of North Texas at the annual HOSPY Awards Gala. 
  • U.S. News & World Report ranked the following hotels as part of their ranking of the Best Hotels in Texas: Hilton Dallas/Plano Granite Park (#56), Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West (#87), Marriott Dallas/Plano at Legacy Town Center (#146), Sandman Signature Plano-Frisco Hotel (#225), NYLO Dallas Plano Hotel, Tapestry Collection by Hilton (#271), and Courtyard by Marriott Dallas Plano/Richardson (#366).

Visit Plano Awards

  • Visit Plano was recognized by ConventionSouth magazine as a 9x winner of their Readers’ Choice Award.
  • Visit Plano received a Best Of award from Meetings Today given to the top meeting facilities and destination marketing organizations in North America.
  • Visit Plano was honored by the Texas Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus with one first place Judge’s Choice award and two Peer Recognition awards in their annual Destination Excellence Awards.
  • Visit Plano received a 2022 Texas Travel Award in recognition for their Visitor Center in the Big Market category.

2021

Plano hotel accolades

Visit Plano awards

  • Visit Plano won a Bronze HSMAI (Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International) Adrian Award in the Integrated Marketing Campaign division for their 2021 Taste of Plano campaign.
  • Visit Plano honored with five first place “People’s Choice” Idea Fair awards by the Texas Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus.
  • Visit Plano & Plano Event Center honored with 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards from ConventionSouth magazine. 

2020

Plano hotel accolades

Visit Plano awards

  • Visit Plano has been honored with five first place “People’s Choice” Idea Fair awards by the Texas Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus.
  • Visit Plano & Plano Event Center are 7x winners of the ConventionSouth Magazine Readers’ Choice Award.

2019

Visit Plano awards

  • Visit Plano received a Bronze Telly Award for Social Video: Culture & Lifestyle and a Bronze Telly Award for Social Video: Food & Beverage.
  • Visit Plano received first place in Tourism Promotion for its Plano Insiders blog, first place in Local Awareness for its Influencer Social Media Takeovers, and first place in National Travel & Tourism Week for its Happy in Plano campaign at the Texas Association Convention & Visitor Bureau’s Idea Fair. In addition, Visit Plano took home second place in Video for That’s Tempting, and a Judges’ Choice award for National Travel & Tourism Week.
  • Visit Plano’s SMERF & Government Sales Manager, Blaire Zahn, received her Texas Destination Marketer from the Texas Association Convention & Visitor Bureaus.
  • Visit Plano Executive Director, Mark Thompson, received the prestigious Marion Szurek Legacy Award from the Texas Association Convention & Visitor Bureaus.
  • Visit Plano received a Gold Adrian Award for their That’s Tempting campaign and a Silver Adrian Award for their Pooch Perfect PR pitch from the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International.

2018

Visit Plano awards

  • Visit Plano received the James Farrell Award of Excellence presented by USA Softball for hosting two of their highest rated championships, the 2018 USA Softball 16-U GOLD Nationals and the 2018 USA Softball 18-U GOLD Nationals in July 2018.
  • Visit Plano won People’s Choice and Judge’s Choice for Best Tourism Promotion at the Texas Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus (TACVB) Annual Conference for the #PlanoPup campaign. Visit Plano also won the People’s Choice award for Advertising, the People’s Choice award for Website Design, and the Judge’s Choice award for Website Design in their respective budget category.
  • Visit Plano & Plano Event Center were awarded the ConventionSouth magazine Readers’ Choice Award for the fifth consecutive year.

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

  • Second Most Educated city by Men’s Health magazine.
  • The Happiest City by Men’s Health magazine.
  • The Most Tech-Friendly City by Men’s Health magazine.
  • Third Best City for Men by Men’s Health magazine.
  • Fifteenth city with the Most Brain Power by the Business Journal.
  • Tenth Most Inventive City by The Daily Beast.
  • Eleventh Best Place to Live by Businessweek.
  • Best Place to Live in America by AreaVibes.
  • Top 20 Longest-Living Cities by The Daily Beast.
  • Voted Most Family-Friendly City by the readers of DallasChild magazine.
  • Forbes ranked Plano #20 in America’s 25-Best Performing Cities.
  • Forbes ranked Plano the Safest City in America.

For things to do, places to go, where to eat, and where to stay, explore our website for all your Plano travel inspiration.

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