Even in pre-COVID times, a little space from your family doesn’t hurt during the holidays. In 2020, having your out-of-towners stay in a hotel is even more important. It’s a setup that offers the best of both worlds: your visitors will be close enough to attend every outdoor celebration, then have their own space to distance themselves after the festivities wrap up. Here are five local accommodations–some new, some tried-and-true–that can be their home-away-from-home this holiday season.
Thompson Dallas
Downtown 205 N. Akard St.
New or Reno: Opened November
Claim to Fame: It’s part of the $460 million reno of the landmark First National Bank Tower, which was designed by noted Dallas architects George Dahl and Thomas Stanley, and built in 1965.
Decor: Titanic art deco luxe, with plenty of brass and leather trimmings
Celebrity Chef: Chef Jeramie Robison (Uchi, Rosewood Mansion) oversees Nine at The National and Catbird, a lounge and rooftop bar.
Water Feature: 2-acre rooftop deck and resort-style pool on the 9th floor
Added Amenities: Hair lounge, a three-chair barbershop run by Derek Ortiz; The Botanical Mix, a floral design studio and workshop in the lobby; and a holiday Lucchese pop-up
Price: $250+
Kimpton Pittman Hotel
Deep Ellum 2551 Elm St.
New or Reno: Opened August
Claim to Fame: The Knights of Pythias building was designed by William Sidney Pittman, Dallas’ first Black architect and son-in-law of Booker T. Washington, and built in 1916.
Decor: Industrial loft chic, like Olivia Pope’s fictional office
Celebrity Chef: Wayward Sons’ Graham Dodds turns out farmhouse-inspired eats at Elm & Good.
Water Feature: Ground-floor pool to be completed in 2021
Added Amenities: The 24-hour fitness center includes Peloton bikes and TRX training machines, or take your workout outdoors with PUBLIC bikes and curated running maps.
Price: $300+
Virgin Hotel Dallas
Design District 1445 Turtle Creek Blvd.
New or Reno: Opened December 2019
Claim to Fame: Accompanied in the saddle by Miss Texas 2016, billionaire Sir Richard Branson wore an on-brand red cowboy hat and rode a white horse to the groundbreaking ceremony.
Decor: MoMA meets Sweet Tooth Hotel in Palm Springs
Celebrity Chef: Matt McCallister oversees the menu and Jared Harms serves as executive chef at The Kitchen at Commons Club.
Water Feature: Umbrella drinks and daybeds garnish the 4th-floor Pool Club.
Added Amenities: The Funny Library Coffee Shop is the perfect communal workspace to grab a pastry and a cortado. People-watching and celebrity-spotting are added perks.
Price: $300+
Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek
Uptown 2821 Turtle Creek Blvd.
New or Reno: Renovation finished in October
Claim to Fame: Built by cotton and oil baron Sheppard W. King as a private residence in 1925, the palatial estate included the city’s first private elevator. And a silver and fur vault.
Decor: Italian Renaissance Revival with a splash of bourbon
Celebrity Chef: Sebastian Archambault has been the executive chef of the storied Mansion Restaurant since 2018.
Water Feature: The heated Mediterranean pool is open year-round.
Added Amenities: Possible upgrades include private access to the latest Neiman Marcus collections and in-room Christmas trees.
Price: $450+
The Beeman Hotel
Upper Greenville 6070 N. Central Expwy.
New or Reno: Renovation finished in September
Claim to Fame: It started life as a Radisson Inn, then a Holiday Inn, then a Magnolia. Now, after a $20 million reno, it has been renamed after James Beeman, one of the first White Rock Creek settlers in 1842.
Decor: Mad Men on a budget
Celebrity Chef: Seely’s Mill uses an on-site smoker to produce barbecue standards alongside Tex-Mex and Southern sides.
Water Feature: The updated indoor pool now opens to an outdoor patio.
Added Amenities: The hotel offers discounts with a number of local vendors, such as Mutts Canine Cantina and Milk and Honey.
Price: $100+