I recently rode the train from Oklahoma with my two daughters, who were on Spring break, and wanted a hotel close to the station. The Park Central was the only one within walking distance that was reasonably priced, so I took a chance despite some iffy reviews elsewhere.
The room was reasonably clean, with fresh sheets and towels daily. The entire staff was friendly and helpful, from the desk clerks to the bartender who also took our food order late one night. The room definitely showed some signs of wear and tear, as the security latch was coming loose and one end of the (window) curtain rod was hanging down, but nothing I couldn't live with. We had double beds and I found the mattress a little hard, but my kids slept like logs. The A/C was supplied via a central chiller system, so you are somewhat at the mercy of the chiller settings, as we found the first night when it got chilly and there was no heat to speak of, but a couple of nights later when it got colder the heat finally kicked in to where we had to turn it down. The free (wired) high-speed internet access was an unexpected plus and there are plenty of cable TV channels, although we had a smallish (19"?) TV. The clock-radio was great as a clock, terrible as a radio - bring your own tunes is my advise.
The location can't be beat for anyone looking for proximity to the Convention Center as it is right across the street to the west of the main (north) entrance. The hotel is located just a few blocks south of the popular Sundance Square area and we walked up there numerous times during our stay. You can also catch the bus going about anywhere at a nearby stop and all bus rides within the downtown area are free, but we had to go back to the train station to catch the special Zoo Shuttle trolley. The area around the hotel is busy city streets so expect some noise until later in the evening, when it is pretty quiet except for one night (Thursday) when they had a live band in the patio off the bar. The bar itself is tiny (we ate there one night) but the food was decent, and the patio is huge (and covered) and would be a great place to eat/drink on a pleasant day. We didn't try the restaurant or the pool area, but they looked nice. There is a tiny park area with a small fountain adjacent to the hotel, but it's nothing special. The 'flatiron' building next door is interesting to look at, but you can't go inside (I don't think). The famous Ft. Worth water gardens are about two blocks south but were closed when we were there.
Overall, I'd say this is a decent place to stay if you're not looking for anything fancy, just a place to sleep. Rooms are clean but a little run down, again nothing fancy. The restaurant/bar are handy if you're bone tired and don't feel like getting out for something else, but the abundance of restaurants, bars and pubs just a few blocks away at Sundance Square are a better choice. There is free parking, but it is limited (some is even covered), but if you're traveling by train/bus/taxi, the location can't be beat.
