During the inaugural weekend for The Ritz-Carlton Dallas, I booked a Club Executive Suite and a Club Deluxe Room for my family. We actually live in the Dallas area, but I wanted to see for myself if this newest addition to the luxury hotel scene in Dallas measured up to the other Ritz-Carlton properties (New York Central Park, Bachelor Gulch, Boston Common and Washington, D.C.) that we have enjoyed so immensely in the past.

I've pleased to report that The Ritz-Carlton Dallas met and even exceeded my expectations. And this was after the hotel had only been open a couple of days! We were greeted with a warm Texas welcome by the doorman, bellman and front desk staff as we arrived for the weekend. Check-in went very smoothly, and we were promptly escorted to and shown our adjoining suite and room. Throughout our stay, every single staff member we encountered made us glad that we were staying at a hotel that obviously emphasizes the philosophy of making guests feel welcome and at home. The hotel management even left a welcoming gift for us in our rooms.

The public areas of the hotel are elegant yet inviting. I especially liked the modern art mixed with the traditional decor in those areas. The rooms are very spacious, extremely comfortable and well appointed. Our rooms even had in-mirror televisions in the bathrooms! We probably would have been perfectly content had we stayed in our rooms all weekend. The fitness center rivals that of any other hotel I've ever seen (very spacious with lots of machines and equipment), and the well-designed pool area is most inviting. The food presentations in the Club Lounge were tempting and enticing, and all of us made multiple trips there to partake of the offerings.

The hotel is located in the Uptown area of Dallas, and several great restaurants are within walking distance. Fearing's Restaurant is located in the hotel, and we enjoyed a wonderful Sunday brunch there during our stay. The selections were sophisticated yet true to the Dean Fearing's well-known Southern roots. The scene at the Rattlesnake Bar (part of the restaurant) on Friday and Saturday nights looked exciting, although our group (which included my teenage nephew and my "tween-age" niece) didn't participate.

Although it wasn't open yet during the first few days after the hotel opened, the spa has since opened, and I have already become a regular visitor. It is very very large (12,000 square feet, I believe) as well as peaceful, clean and relaxing. The men's locker room is one of the nicest I've ever seen in the many hotel spas I've visited over the years. Marcus, one the massage therapists, provides one of the best treatments you will ever experience. The entire staff is extremely friendly and welcoming.

All in all, I can enthusiastically recommend The Ritz-Carlton Dallas to anyone visiting Dallas for pleasure, business or a mixture of the two. My family enjoyed our stay so much that we've already booked a return visit during the Christmas holidays.

My husband & I just returned from our stay. We booked directly with the hotel's online reservations. I had mentioned to a staff member via email when inquiring about specific spa services that my husband & i would be celebration our 10th ann & his bday. In the evening after we had checked in they had brought up a lovely chocolate & fruit desert which we thoroughly enjoyed. The entire staff was very helpful & cheery. Beautiful hotel. This is a new hotel so it was neat being the first one to stay in our room. It is in good location. We either walked were we wanted to go or took the trolley. We did have to take cabs a few times for a few things. Increase the cab rate about $5-$15 from what the hotel tells you. They said cab would be $35 from airport--it was $48. They said cab would be $15 to Northpark Mall--it was $22. Food in Ritz restaurant--ok, this was a disappointment for us. To ecclectic & just not very good. But service was great & again when they found out we were celebrating our ann./bday they brought us out these complimentary little deserts which were very good. Spa----excellant! If I had to come up with a complaint on this hotel it would only be that in our room the TV was on the dresser to the side of the bed rather than in front so if you are watching a movie, after awhile it becomes uncomfortable. But this was minor.
Overall--we thoroughly enjoyed this hotel. Dallas--well, not too much to do......

This is a beautiful, brand new hotel in a great area in Dallas. Four of us went for my husband's birthday during the hotel's grand opening weekend (which may explain some of the service issues). We had a lovely time.

The rooms (even the standards) are incredibly large, with well-planned, spacious bathrooms. The decor of the rooms is pretty stuffy and boring, but what you'd expect from a Ritz. The lobby and common spaces are very beautiful, but Fearing's restaurant is stunning. We had dinner here and the food and service were incredible. Afterward, we went to the bar off the lobby (the outside bar wasn't open yet, but looked cool). It was packed, and had a great time people-watching and enjoying drinks poured by the very generous bartenders.

What doesn't work at this hotel is the pool. It looks like not much thought went into it. It's actually pretty ugly out there. There weren't enough lounge chairs and only one waiter. We had to wait 20-30 minutes for drinks, including water. If you're a pool person stay somewhere else. Our other gripe is the fact that there was no doorman. We had to struggle with the heavy doors while juggling our bags, which is not what you expect from the Ritz. On the way out someone offered to carry our friend's suit bag, which was never put in his car. The bag finally reached him about a week and five angry phone calls later.

We would definitely stay here again, if only to experience Fearing's and the fun bar scene again. If you're looking for a luxe, hip hotel with a great restaurant and bar, and outstanding service, try the Palomar.