The Amerisuites I stayed at last week had proven pretty uninspired accommodations, so this time I took matters into my own hands when it came to booking lodging for my Dallas business trip. I stopped by good old Travelocity.com to get some hotel names near the Las Colinas office park area, then went straight to the websites for a couple of chains. The optimum location - good price combined with convenient location - turned out to be a Wyndham Garden Hotel immediately across the freeway from the office park. Using my old fart discount (AARP) got me a room for just $7/night more than I'd paid at Amerisuites, too!


The Property

I've stayed at a couple of Wyndham Hotels before - big, twenty-story high-rises - but this was my first visit to a "garden" property. This particular spot is a large, two-story square with a third, "garden-level" floor on one side and an open-air courtyard in the center. There are about 170 rooms in all. Rooms around the outside of the building are typical motel-style rooms; those on the inside of the building have balconies overlooking the courtyard or, on the ground floor, walkout patios. The courtyard is a nice, shady space of about two-thirds of an acre, with plenty of shade. The Wyndham has laid out flagstone paths, with benches and tables scattered over the grounds.

Public areas - lounge, restaurant, and meeting rooms - are at one end of the building on the ground floor. There's a good-sized swimming pool at the opposite end of the building, with access to the courtyard. Parking is entirely on the lobby end of the building except for a few spaces along the back side of the building, where there is a door into the midst of the meeting rooms.

The building sits on nicely landscaped grounds, which imparts a feeling of privacy even though you're only two hundred feet off a freeway. The trees and shrubs also act as sound baffles, making the street-side rooms quieter. The property is about the same age as the Las Colinas office park; having been built in the mid-1980s. In a few places, it's starting to show its age: the tiles in my shower stall were buckled and uneven, and the main hall carpeting was a bit worn in places.


The Room

I stayed three nights in a King room. In addition to the big, comfy king-size bed that dominates the room, there's also a recliner, desk and chair, and armoire/entertainment center. Climate control comes by way of a window unit. You'll find the usual in-room equipment: television, clock-radio, iron and board, hair dryer, and coffee maker. Pay movies are available, as are games and internet access on the television (with an infrared keyboard). There's no premium cable channel (HBO, Cinemax, Showtime), only AMC. Each room has high-speed internet access for $9.95/day; bring an ethernet card and cable.

Besides the single room, there are also suites; these are recognizable by their sidelights - windows next to the door. My room was clean and very quiet: I don't think I ever heard a slamming door or running water from any of my neighbors. The public areas were also quite clean throughout my stay.


Amenities

There's a small restaurant at the lobby entrance and an even smaller adjoining bar, which overlooks the courtyard. The restaurant is open for all meals, and the kitchen also serves room service meals. In keeping with my usual policy, though, I didn't visit either facility. Neither did anyone else, apparently, for the restaurant was almost always empty, as was the bar. You'll also find a concierge stand near the reception desk, where you can arrange transportation and make airport shuttle reservations.


Location

Wyndham Garden Hotel Las Colinas faces TX 114, immediately west of the O'Connor Street Exit. It's about six freeway miles to the north entrance to DFW airport, and perhaps ten miles (mostly through town) to Dallas Love Field. Shuttles are available to both airports.

Nearby attractions include Texas Stadium (where the Cowboys play), about three miles to the east, and the mustang sculptures at Williams Square, about a half mile north on O'Connor. Las Colinas Country Club is perhaps a mile south on O'Connor. Nearby businesses include Oracle, Boy Scouts of America HQ, the VHA, a General Motors facility, and all of the offices in Las Colinas Office Park.

Should you decide to forego the hotel restaurant, may I suggest the following schedule:
* breakfast at Le Peep (1/4 mile south on O'Connor)
* lunch at the Granada Market, Las Colinas at Westfork
* Dinner at Jinbeh (Japanese) on Las Colinas or Krishna (vegetarian Indian) on O'Connor

If you're more partial to chain restaurants, there are a Chili's and a Bennigans just across the intersection at O'Connor, and a Pizza Hut for delivery or pickup is a quarter mile to the south.

Nearby shopping is rather limited, but Grapevine Mills Mall is about ten miles west (past the airport) and the high-end Dallas Galleria is a similar distance north and east at I-635 and Inwood. Knock yourself out! The closes grocery stores are north on MacArthur Street, where you'll also find Old Navy, Ross, and a slew of other common strip-mall stores and restaurants.


Recommendation

This is a clean, quiet, and convenient hotel - the three things I value most in lodging for a business trip. If you're a member of their frequent guest program (Wyndham by Request), you get additional perqs, including free internet access. Even if you're not, you still get fast and efficient service.

You may pay slightly less just up the road to get a room that includes "continental breakfast" (under-ripe fruit and freezer bagels) but you're going to get a more comfortable and quieter room at the Wyndham Gardens. If you ask me, not getting breakfast is preferable to not getting sleep! This one's a good place to stay if you have business nearby; only the Omni Mandalay and a Marriott (both quite expensive) are closer to the offices in Las Colinas. Why not hang your hat here!

Recommended: Yes