Nuthin' Fancy But a Solid Value for Dallas's Market Center Area
Written: May 28 '03 (Updated May 28 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Reasonable rates, free parking, extra perks
Cons: Plain decor, dated exterior appearance, limited amenities
The Bottom Line: If you're not the kind of traveler who wants to pay for concierges and fancy meeting rooms, check out Holiday Inn for solid values around Dallas Market Center.
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| mrkstvns's Full Review: Holiday Inn Dallas Market Center |
After taking care of business in Dallas recently, I wanted to hang out with some friends for a couple days and do some fun stuff in the area (especially catch a Texas Rangers game), so I decided to cash in a couple days of comp time and stay over. Since the bonus nights were on my own dime, and I wasn't about to pay fancy schmancy hotel prices (I do call myself "The Worlds Cheapest Traveler(tm)" ya know), I moved to a nearby Holiday Inn.
Amenities In and Around the Hotel...
This is a smaller hotel, so don't expect a lot of amenities, but there's still some things here worth noting.
There's plenty of free parking and the lots are set back from the road so they feel fairly secure. In this section of town, no hotel should charge for parking, but ask before making reservations around here because at least one pompous chain is starting to inflict those unwarranted fees on their guests.
Holiday Inn's swimming pool is excellent -- it's outdoors and very large with a genuine deep end and surrounded with mature towering oak trees that provide plenty of shade and a tranquil atmosphere. Because the pools is set in a courtyard type area, it is quiet and pleasant, without the constant traffic noise that plagues some newer chain hotels. The only thing I didn't like about it was the sign saying hours are 10am to 10pm. I'm one of those people who sometimes likes to do early morning laps, and the hotel discourages that kind of activity.
A small exercise room is located off the main lobby. It includes a treadmill, a stair stepper, and one of those exercise bikes, and that's about it. Functional and adequate.
Food and Drink
Food service isn't a big priority at this smaller hotel. The informal Courtyard Restaurant is functional rather than inviting and its hours and menu reflect that priority. The restaurant is open for a few hours in the morning for breakfast, and about 4 hours in the evening for dinner -- no lunch service or late night room service is available.
The dinner menu centers around your three basic fried foods: fried chicken, fried catfish, and of course, country fried steak. (I exaggerate only slightly -- there is also a grilled steak and a shrimp with pasta -- that is pretty much the extent of evening dining). Breakfast is either a buffet or a limited menu of eggs, pancakes, and "skillets" (read eggs over diced potatoes and onions). For a quick morning pick-me-up, it's acceptable, especially given that the alternative is to walk across the street to Dennys, which isn't exactly a step up in variety and imagination.
There is a lounge off the main lobby, but it was closed one night, and the next night the doors were open, but nobody was there, and I just can't abide drinking alone...
Room service is available when the restaurant is open, and is really only a useful service for breakfast. If you're a Priority Club member, the hotel throws in the breakfast for free (I really don't know why anyone who stays at any Six Continents hotel wouldn't join -- the perks are frequent and provide an excellent value).
In My Room...
The furniture is a dark hardwood (probably cherry) in a contemporary style with clean, unadorned lines. It is not particularly fancy, but it is servicable. My king bed is comfortably firm and the bathroom adequate, but not fancy, with a plain white bathtub.
I like the way the room is equipped with a coffee maker, ironing board, clock radio, etc. The TV is very large (looks like a 25-inch model). There is ostensibly cable, but it really gets only a handful of the most average (some might call them "popular") channels, like HBO, ESPN, CNN, etc. I'm very disappointed that they couldn't provide so much as one single spanish-language channel, not even Univision, which even has a local broadcast station in Dallas -- if all the hotel had done was to get all the local stations, I'd have been happy on this count, but they only bother to pick up the major networks plus UPN -- big whoop.
They said they'd give me a newspaper in the morning, but they didn't -- just a copy of USA Today (official motto, "You Don't Have to Be an Idiot to Read USA Today, But It Sure Helps") so I still had to go hunt down a copy of the Dallas Morning News so I could at least read something written by journalists, not to mention getting useful local info, like lineups for tonight's Rangers game and reviews of new, local restaurants. Fortunately, I don't have to hunt too hard since there's a vending box for the Morning News just off the lobby.
What's That? Service? What a Concept!
This hotel is much better than most Holiday Inns I've stayed in when it comes to personal service. When I'm paying top dollar for my rooms, I demand a very, VERY high level of service, but when I'm paying average or below prices, I'm quite forgiving. I was prepared to forgive a lot of shortcomings in the service department, but this property surprised me by paying attention to details that even some luxury hotels forget about these days.
Take the turndown service. I expect that when I'm staying at the Ritz. I do not expect it at a Holiday Inn -- yet, when I'd come back from dinner at around 8:30, the light was on in my room, the blankets turned down, and a small snack was resting on the pillow.
Small potatoes, I know, but details that will make me likely to want to come back to this hotel next time, even though I know perfectly well that there are a lot of lodging opportunities on this side of Dallas.
Location, Location...
This hotel is located about 5 minutes from downtown, just off the Stemmonds Freeway (I-35) at Market Center Blvd. It's about 10 minutes from Dallas Love Field, or about 25 minutes from DFW. The area is fairly nice and modern along the freeway, but it becomes rather grungy and industrial only a few blocks off either side of the freeway. It's an area that's best for people with a car.
The Market area is popular for business events, with several exposition and conference venues nearby. The Holiday Inn is an easy 100-yard walk to the Wyndham Anatole or about 2 blocks to the Market Hall. Personally, I prefer genuine downtown locations, but in this case, I'd rather take the discounted rates.
Value Proposition...
Anyone who values good value should take a serious look at the Holiday Inn Market Center before booking a room at some of the very expensive neighboring properties, like the Wyndham Anatole or the Rennaissance. Those hotels are nice, but super pricey.
The Holiday Inn is plainer, simpler, and smaller, but with price tags that are typically 1/3 what nearby big hotels charge. Considering that the Wyndham is now charging unwarranted parking fees on top of their already huge price tags, I just can't in good conscience recommend that anyone stay there. Instead, book at the Holiday Inn. Your wallet will thank you.
If you want more options, there is a Best Western next door and a Fairfield Inn, Ramada Limited, and a Sheraton Suites across the street. All of these are easy walking distance to any business venue in the Market Center area.
Bottom Line...
Nothing fancy, but some nice perks and a very good value, overall.
Recommended:
Yes
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