Arrival/Check-In: I arrived at DFW late in the afternoon and took an Uber to the property. My colleague was staying nearby and had rented a car for our meeting in the Big D. I chatted with my Uber driver, originally from Houston, so we had a lot of subject matter to cover based on the recent storms. The Ritz-Carlton is located alongside Dallas’ historic McKinney Avenue, which has seen a great deal of growth and resurgence in recent years. When I was dropped off, the friendly front door staff escorted me into the registration area. Check-in was swift, and I was told I had a nice upgrade to a suite. This often happens to me when I have fewer than 12 hours to stay in a property. The lobby is grand and in the Ritz-Carlton style; off the lobby are the popular Rattlesnake Bar and Fearing’s Restaurant.

Guest Quarters: I stayed in room 325, down the hallway a bit and tucked into a corner of the building, affording a corner office-type layout for the suite. Once I entered the door, a long hallway and a turn to the right brought me into the suite. To the left, the large bathroom included twin sinks with black marble tops. A separate tub sat by the window, but there was no view to speak of, as it faced a flat roof. The bathroom also had a large, comfortable, separate shower with a generous rain showerhead and a shaving mirror. Bathroom amenities included Asprey shampoos, conditioners and lotions.

Opposite the bathroom, a hall table acted as the minibar and held a Nespresso coffee station. The room was quite large with a king-sized bed and a desk. Two chairs sat on either side of the desk, and a more comfortable overstuffed chair occupied the far corner near the windows. The room was on the outside corner, allowing for a lot of natural light. A credenza on the far side of the non-windowed wall held a flat-screen TV and entertainment system.

Services/Amenities: The cleaning service always made sure I had plenty of bottled water and respected the do not disturb sign when I was working in the room — which I really value. Although we did not have the opportunity to try Fearing’s, I hear it is one of the best steakhouses in Dallas. We did have some libations at Rattlesnake (a fantastic name), part of Fearing’s. I asked some colleagues to meet me at Rattlesnake, and the name is so hidden, they had to ask where it was. Michael took good care of us, serving pre- and post-dinner wine selections.

TOP TAKEAWAYS:

◆ Make Rattlesnake’s name more prominent! Great place to meet.

◆ Great location and comfortable guestrooms, a Dallas tradition.

THE RITZ-CARLTON, DALLAS

2121 McKinney Ave.
Dallas, TX 75201
tel 214 922 0200
ritzcarlton.com