A Girl’s Weekend in Dallas: Part I – Where to Stay

My out-of-state friend recently asked for recommendations for a girl’s weekend. One option in DFW and one in Austin. So of course I can’t just send her a list of hyperlinks. I have to start a blog about it.

So here’s my recommendation for an amazing weekend in “the city where big things happen.” This part is all about where to stay. I’m devoting an entire blog to this topic because, let’s face it, Dallas is not a very walkable city. There’s also not the greatest public transit. It’s going to be a bit of a pain to visit and travel all about the city without renting an econo-van and who wants to do that on a fabulous girl’s weekend!?

Whenever I travel somewhere new I start thinking first about logistics:

Where can I stay that is safe? That is walkable to lots of cute restaurants and shopping?
Will I need to rent/park a car or can I use public transit?
What alternative modes of transportation are available to me? Scooters, Uber/Lyft, transit, etc.

In the DFW metro area there are a couple of hotels in neighborhoods that fit my top requirements and those include the following.

Splurge:

For historic vibes and a great spa: The Adolphus in historic downtown
For trendy swank and the famous pool over the street: The Joule in historic downtown
For pure luxury and comfort: Hotel Swexan in the Hardwood district
For the lux cowgirl: Hotel Drover in the Stockyards

Cute but not as expensive:

Bishop Arts Lofts (Check these out on VRBO, can squeeze into one or book multiple units within the building)
The Beeman Hotel in Highland Park
Canvas Hotel Dallas

Party-ready:

Virgin Hotels Dallas in the Design District
Lorenzo Hotel just south of downtown

That being said, for a large group, there are many great AirBnB’s in DFW with pools and amenities. I’d pick one of the below neighborhoods if it were up to me:

Highland Park (near Highland Park Village for great luxury shopping/restaurants)
Lower Greenville for great shopping/dining/possible walkability
Oak Lawn for great food
Downtown Historic District to be right in the heart of downtown
Deep Ellum if you’re looking for a good club and party scene with a side of transitional neighborhood
Oak Cliff for older traditional neighborhood close to Bishop Arts but be careful where you stay because parts are beautiful and parts are very transitioning
Bishop Arts if you can stay right in the Arts district there are really cute houses and several great restaurants/shopping. This is one of my favorite neighborhoods of Dallas, but there are a lot of transitioning streets around.

The Adolphus Hotel

Adolphus Hotel from ATT Square at twilight

The first hotel to really catch my eye downtown was the Adolphus. Not only is the exterior gorgeous, there’s just something about the property that drew me to it.

Here are more reasons to love the Adolphus:

It is beautiful, luxurious and has room for fun
It has a beautiful rooftop pool
The spa is small but lovely
It is in the heart of downtown Dallas so you can walk to many of the fun sights and restaurants
It’s iconic to Dallas history
It’s close to the booming Dallas arts district
Marriott points
If you’re into tea, there’s a pretty amazing tea room onsite; plus you don’t have to leave the property to enjoy incredible cocktails at the Social Lobby or French Room bar, a caffeine hit at Otto’s, delicious sushi at Sushi by Scratch, or fun cowboy vibes and hangover-curing food at the Rodeo Bar, and more…
It’s a short Uber ride from all of my favorite downtown neighborhoods

Next up on the hotels of DFW list is The Joule

Walking through the lobby at The Joule feels like you’re in a modern art gallery. While the pool and deck is a bit small, the views are gorgeous. I wonder if I would be brave enough to swim in the pool! Here are my top reasons I’d recommend the Joule:

It is beautiful, trendy and luxurious
It has a rooftop pool/bar (double points)
It is in the heart of downtown Dallas so you can walk to many of the fun sights and restaurants
It’s iconic to Dallas history (it was built in the 1920s, get the full story here)
It’s close to the booming Dallas arts district
It’s a short Uber ride from all of my favorite downtown neighborhoods
It is funky/artsy and hip
The spa was just upgraded in 2024 and it is gorgeous
It also boasts several restaurants on property including the ultra-hip CBD Provisions and vibey subterranean cocktail lounge, Midnight Rambler

Hotel Drover at the Stockyards

Hotel Drover at the Forth Worth Stockyards

If you’re looking to escape the big city and stay somewhere a little unique and that has all the modern conveniences of a new hotel, while being smack dab in the midst of the most country DFW vibes, then look no further than Hotel Drover. The Fort Worth Stockyards are about a 45-minute drive outside of Dallas, but if you’re looking to visit the world’s largest honky tonk, take your drinks with you on the streets, and shop at some of the best western and boot shops in all of DFW, you may want to consider Fort Worth and the Stockyards over Dallas.

Hotel Drover at the Stockyards in Forth Worth it has the following qualities that bump it to top of my list:

Charming
Marriott points
Walkability
Luxurious but comfortable setting
Great pool
Delicious onsite dining
Insta-worthy
Super comfy rooms

Depending upon the type of girls weekend you’re looking for, DFW has a little bit of everything. In my next article I’ll break down some of my favorite restaurant, shops, and things to do in DFW.