In January 2020, we launched a new local travel feature.
Yet by March, suddenly the word staycation meant ordering room service from Uber Eats, wearing a robe all day and not leaving your own living room (but maybe dropping an umbrella in a cocktail for a bit of whimsy).
Soon, our second and final Staycation of the Month selection inadvertently became our first-ever Staycation of the Year.
Well, with vaccinations in play and travel a reality again, we’re relaunching these reviews under the Sleeping Around Dallas banner because we may want to feature more than one property a month, or go a few months between stories if we haven’t stayed anywhere noteworthy to recommend.
Naturally, we wanted to stay somewhere truly fabulous for our return to the world of turndown service, daily housekeeping and tiny bottles of shampoo, so what better place to kick things off than The Ritz-Carlton Dallas.
We were invited in for a weekend in early June and it wasn’t long before we remembered how much we love this hotel property. As you’d expect from the 5-star brand, service shines from the valet all the way to the bellman carrying our bags over the threshold like a Samsonite bride.
They upgraded us to a suite with Uptown views and it was immaculate and beyond comfortable. We could stay for hours in the soaking tub watching talk shows in the bathroom mirror TV, but there was too much else to do.
First, we hit the fitness center for a quick but intense workout in anticipation of all the calories we knew we headed for our lust handles. Besides, the tension in our muscles would soon be relieved as we headed a few steps down the second-floor hallway to The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Dallas.
We booked a relaxation massage, which stayed true to its promise. So much so that we drooled through the cushioned face donut while drifting in and out of consciousness. And that’s all before we spent another hour in the men’s wet area, bouncing between the multi-man jacuzzi, rainforest shower, steam room and sauna. Champagne came on (polite) demand and once again, it was difficult to imagine ourselves ever leaving.
But the pool beckoned and for a brief while after a rain shower, we had it all to ourselves. Once the kids started to arrive, that was our cue to head out on the town and explore Klyde Warren Park and the Dallas Arts District, two areas we don’t get to often enough.
Then, it was time for a quick nap before Chef Dean Fearing loaded us up with Buffalo tenderloin and pan-seared halibut (and more champagne) at his namesake restaurant. After dinner, we enjoyed the live music in the lobby (usually it’s on the patio, but it was raining) and headed up to our room for a nightcap—a complimentary in-room amenity made by local craft cocktailer On The Rocks.
The next morning, we woke up early and skipped the fitness center in favor of a miles-long walk around Victory Park, the West End and downtown before they became overrun with people. We rewarded ourselves with Sunday brunch back at Fearing’s, but more on that in an upcoming Brunch of the Week.
All in all, it was one of the best staycations we’ve ever had in Dallas—and one of the most enjoyable night’s sleep in our long and crazy travel history.
When you’re ready to treat yo self, this is most definitely the place.
The Ritz-Carlton Dallas
Main image courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton Dallas
2121 McKinney Avenue, Dallas,
ritzcarlton.com
