Hotels (Dallas: restaurants, shop, pool)

[pepper131]

Uptown hotels first.
Then Palomar.

[Lakewooder]

Originally Posted by Dallas native

Shoot for Uptown first!!! It's the most walkable area and it also has the most bars & restaurants in a condensed area. If you have no luck there, then try Downtown or Oak Lawn/Turtle Creek. You can always hang in a hotel bar or take a taxi a short distance. If you look on one of the discount hotel websites you can probably find something at any of the places that I mentioned above that will average $250/night or less. All of the aforementioned hotels will be quite posh, so I would just go for the best location (Uptown) and price. The Ritz Carlton would be my first choice if someone else were paying my bill :-)

I got a deal on a room at the Ritz (y'all know I love a bargain) for something like $159 (which ended up being closer to $200) and the room, even though I was upgraded was kinda blah..nice bathroom but water pressure not that great and water not that hot...however, it's a great base as you can wander up and down to the Live Oak and Rattlesnake Bars (Sambuca across the street - great time for the patio there -- same for Za-Za - lots of places to walk)
Also, I'd like to stay at The Joule sometime -- been to the lounge in the basement but not upstairs to the pool:

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[ExitNY]

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

I got a deal on a room at the Ritz (y'all know I love a bargain) for something like $159 (which ended up being closer to $200) and the room, even though I was upgraded was kinda blah..nice bathroom but water pressure not that great and water not that hot...however, it's a great base as you can wander up and down to the Live Oak and Rattlesnake Bars (Sambuca across the street - great time for the patio there -- same for Za-Za - lots of places to walk)
Also, I'd like to stay at The Joule sometime -- been to the lounge in the basement but not upstairs to the pool:

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Nice pool!! With my luck there would be an earthquake just at the point of finishing the first lap.

I've been looking online at the hotels, many very nice. I'd have to say my tastes would be more "casual high end" than some of the more fancy places.

Are there any hotels of a historical nature within walking distance to some decent nightlife/bars restaurants?

[TurtleCreek80]

Have you checked the Belmont Hotel? It's west of downtown and is a funky restored 1930's motor lodge built by renowned Texan architect Charles Dilbeck. Great pool, good restaurant & patio bar with a killer view of downtown Dallas.

It's not walking distance to anything, but a quick cab ride into North Oak Cliff's Bishop Arts District for restaurants & shopping (wonderful locally owned places) or downtown & Uptown.

[Dallas native]

Originally Posted by ExitNY

Nice pool!! With my luck there would be an earthquake just at the point of finishing the first lap.

I've been looking online at the hotels, many very nice. I'd have to say my tastes would be more "casual high end" than some of the more fancy places.

Are there any hotels of a historical nature within walking distance to some decent nightlife/bars restaurants?

The Belmont is the only historical hotel that I can think of that also has an upscale casual vibe. They do have a nice restaurant (Smoke) that specializes in BBQ and a really cool bar with a patio that overlooks Downtown Dallas. Another historical hotel would be the Adolphus Hotel (circa 1912) in Downtown, but there's nothing casual about it. Very opulent. A good compromise might be the Stoneleigh Hotel (1920's) in Uptown. It was fully renovated about 2 years ago. It's a smaller, more intimate hotel that is within walking distance of some great restaurants and bars. The Melrose Hotel (1920's) is upscale and might be a bit more casual than the Downtown or Uptown choices. The Library Bar in the Melrose is a great place to hang out on any evening. It's in the heart of the Oak Lawn gayborhood, so there's no shortage of bars/restaurants.

[ExitNY]

Originally Posted by Dallas native

The Belmont is the only historical hotel that I can think of that also has an upscale casual vibe. They do have a nice restaurant (Smoke) that specializes in BBQ and a really cool bar with a patio that overlooks Downtown Dallas. Another historical hotel would be the Adolphus Hotel (circa 1912) in Downtown, but there's nothing casual about it. Very opulent. A good compromise might be the Stoneleigh Hotel (1920's) in Uptown. It was fully renovated about 2 years ago. It's a smaller, more intimate hotel that is within walking distance of some great restaurants and bars. The Melrose Hotel (1920's) is upscale and might be a bit more casual than the Downtown or Uptown choices. The Library Bar in the Melrose is a great place to hang out on any evening. It's in the heart of the Oak Lawn gayborhood, so there's no shortage of bars/restaurants.

I think I'll opt for the Stoneleigh. When i took a stroll in front of it via google earth, it didnt look like much was in its immediate vicinity. But since you say its within walking distance to restaurants and bars, seems like the best choice. Thanks for all your advice.

[lifesprecious09]

The magnolia downtown Dallas, I like their hotel and they offer a complimentary shuttle.

[Dallas native]

Originally Posted by ExitNY

I think I'll opt for the Stoneleigh. When i took a stroll in front of it via google earth, it didnt look like much was in its immediate vicinity. But since you say its within walking distance to restaurants and bars, seems like the best choice. Thanks for all your advice.

I love the Stoneleigh. It's across the street from a great steakhouse called Nick & Sam's Nick & Sam's which also has a great bar scene. It's also a couple of blocks away from Nick & Sam's Grill and Coal Vine's Pizza, both of which attract quite a scene. The Capital Grill, Nobu, Fearing's at the Ritz Carlton and many other places are within a 10 minute walk of the Stoneleigh. You can also walk about 5 blocks to McKinney Ave and take the free trolley further into Uptown or into Downtown for more bars/restaurants.

[Lakewooder]

And there's Stoneleigh P Restaurant - Dallas, TX across the street - I had the room on the right for my 40th birthday party - at least the pre-party!

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by ExitNY

I think I'll opt for the Stoneleigh. When i took a stroll in front of it via google earth, it didnt look like much was in its immediate vicinity. But since you say its within walking distance to restaurants and bars, seems like the best choice. Thanks for all your advice.

As others have said, it's a 1 block walk to the heart of Uptown. You can walk to American Airlines Center for a concert, to the Crescent for an excellent dinner at Nobu/ Capitale Grill/ Arcordoro-Pomodoro/ Palomino or luxury shopping at Stanley Korshak. It's also a short 2-3 block walk to the Quadrangle for the theatre (Theatre Too & Theatre Three) or to McKinney Ave to catch the Trolley which will connect you to the West Village, Arts District downtown, etc. Tons of Art Galleries are on Fairmont (one block south of the Stoneleigh) between the Stoneleigh and McKinney Ave. You can hop on the Katy Trail for some exericise by walking about 2 blocks to the west, or down to Reverchon Park for tennis or Jazzercise at the rec center there.

I don't think you'll be disappointed!