"When it opened in 1969, the FairmontDallasset the bar high for luxury hotels, dazzling visitors with opulent interiors, a Neiman Marcus outpost in the lobby, and 11 separate kitchens. Its legendary Venetian Room hosted acts like Ella Fitzgerald, Jerry Lewis, and Ike & Tina Turner. Now an integral part of the downtown skyline, the hotel remains a favorite for a whole new generation. The 545 rooms are bright and sophisticated, with city views, marble bathrooms, and minibars stocked with organic options. In a nod to its Arts District location, the hotel hosts a unique local artist-in-residence program, and the Four Diamond–rated Pyramid Restaurant and Bar pulls ingredients from a 3,000-square-foot rooftop vegetable and herb garden for its “terrace-to-table” modern American fare. There’s no spa, but wellness is represented with a 24-hour gym and a Junior Olympic–size pool, where guests can also enjoy family-friendly “dive-in movies” and evening DJ sets in the summer."

"Though technically in Irving, midway betweenDallasand Fort Worth, this Four Seasons outpost has honorary Big D status: Opened in 1986, it was a pioneer in the city’s luxury hotel scene, with Spanish Colonial–style vaulted walkways leading to 12 tennis courts, three pools, and two 18-hole golf courses (the resort’s Hall of Champions displays memorabilia from pro player Byron Nelson’s private collection). The 16-room Well & Being Spa was the first in a Four Seasons hotel and lives up to the honor with standout facilities, including wet and dry saunas, an eight-head Vichy shower, and a thermal area with hot and cold pools. If you’re feeling more active, the 6,000-square-foot gym features indoor­–outdoor jogging tracks, AntiGravity yoga, a half-court for basketball, and a schedule of more than 40 fitness classes every week, from barre boot camps to TRX. After all the fun, retire to one of the 431 rooms and suites, which are located in both the main tower and a series of low-rise villas. Each one is outfitted in a residential style and has the perks you’d expect from the brand, but villa options kick it up a notch with fire pits or gas fireplaces, deep-soaking tubs, and views of the pool or golf courses. Come dinner time, savor refined Texas-inspired cuisine at LAW (Land, Air, Water), which highlights the best regional produce, or enjoy drinks and casual fare at OUTLAW Taproom, where you can also play pool on an heirloom 1891 table inlaid with mother-of-pearl."

"For evidence of the “everything is bigger in Texas” trope, look no further than this urban resort, which—with 1,606 Asian-accented guest rooms and suites spread out over 45 acres—is one of the largest in the south. Its location in the Design District, not far from the Dallas Convention Center and the office towers of downtown, makes it popular with the business-meeting crowd (as does the 600,000 square feet of on-site event space), but there’s plenty to tempt leisure travelers, too. Paired with an outdoor sculpture garden, more than 1,000 international works displayed throughout the property make up one of the biggest hotel art collections in the world.Guests can dine on everything from steak and seafood to pizzas, salads, and grab-and-go snacks at the eight restaurants and bars, or make a night of it with specialty cocktails and fine wines. They can also relax with treatments at the VSpa, or work off indulgences at the whopping 80,000-square-foot Verandah Club & Fitness, equipped with indoor and outdoor pools; basketball, squash, and racquetball courts; a cross-training and boxing gym; and more. In the summer, the sprawling Jadewaters pool complex—with lazy river, swim-up bar, 180-foot water slide, and kids’ activities—is as close as you can get to a water park in the heart of the city."

"A trailblazer of the boutique hotel scene, Hotel ZaZa has become a Texas-grown mini-chain over the last decade, with two properties inHoustonand one in Austin. But this Uptown outpost remains a true original. The Mediterranean-inspired main building houses the bulk of the 168 accommodations, which include well-sized rooms with generous seating areas, plush king beds and, in some, private balconies. The real ZaZa flair, however, is reflected in the higher categories: 19 Concept Suites are done up in styles like“Bohemia,” “West Indies,” “Opium,” and “Shag-a-Delic;” upgrade further to a super-sized Magnificent Seven Suite (in themes like “Leonardo,” “Crouching Tiger,” and “Rock Star”), or one of the 12 one- and two-bedroom Bungalows, which are set in a 1930s-era former home away from the main hotel and feature individual touches like a vintage 1960s VW Bug tailgate, a 1940s TV fitted into a wooden cabinet, and furniture and artwork handpicked from around Texas. Guests of all rooms have access to free champagne and snacks in the lobby, the ZaSpa wellness retreat and gym, the lively Dragonfly restaurant, and the cabana-ringed pool, which turns into a party scene with DJs spinning after 10 p.m. Another ZaZa signature is the “Magic Carpet Ride,” the hotel’s version of a complimentary house car, which ferries you within five miles of the property in a decommissioned highway patrol car or a Cadillac hearse."

"It took a 1920s cotton magnate and a 1980s oil heiress to create the city’s most iconic stay, the former incorporating hallmarks of European design into a 10,000-square-foot house the likes of which had never been seen in Dallas—think Italian marble columns, 19th-century Spanish cathedral doors, and a ceiling inlaid with 2,400 separate pieces of wood. The latter transformed it intothe Mansion Restaurant, which remains an award-winning favorite, adding a new wing with 143 guest rooms and suites and establishing the first property in the now-global Rosewood chain. Past the signature peach facade, the since renovated accommodations mix modern technologies with gracious amenities, historic touches, and residential-style décor—a combination that’s proved a hit with visiting dignitaries, international business travelers, and privacy-seeking celebs. A small pool, fitness center, and massage treatment rooms round out the facilities in the new wing, while meeting rooms and event spaces are located in the mansion’s gorgeous former living quarters. Young professionals flock to the leather-walled Mansion Bar for after-work craft cocktails and live music on weekends, while the brunch crowd heads to the Terrace restaurant to dine around outdoor fireplaces and oak trees hung with lanterns. Just don’t pass up ordering thelegendary tortilla soup at The Mansion."

"Opened by Anheuser-Busch cofounder Adolphus Busch in 1912, the city’s first grande dame has witnessed a lot of history. For several decades beginning in the 1930s, the property was home to the Century Room—a legendary club where performers like Benny Goodman and Tony Bennett played to packed crowds—and has hosted everyone from U.S. presidents to Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip when they visitedDallasin 1991. Now a member of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, The Adolphus received a comprehensive redo in 2017 that transformed the lobby, public spaces, and 400-plus rooms and suites, all of which feature a refined style accented by warm woods, leather club chairs, and bold rugs. Also new is the chic, top-of-the-line spa—one of the best in Dallas, with private changing suites and outdoor relaxation lounges—and the seventh-floor pool and bar, surrounded by cabanas and fire pits. Even the hotel’s award-winning French Room restaurant and popular afternoon tea service have been refreshed to please the next generation of regulars. If you prefer something more laid-back, there are several other eateries and bars on site, including a Viennese-style coffee shop that serves as a reminder of the Beaux Arts building’s European influences."

"One of the first properties to join Hilton’s Curio Collection, The Highland received a multimillion-dollar renovation in 2016, giving spaces a warm, sophisticated vibe with lots of wood and stone and splashes of Texas chic (think fur in the elevators, longhorn motifs in the bathrooms, and carpets emblazoned with abstract maps of downtown Dallas). The 198 rooms vary in size and shape, but all feature a clubby aesthetic, custom-designed headboards, plasma TVs, gourmet minibars, and city views. Owing to its locationnear the upscale Mockingbird Station retail and restaurant complex and Southern Methodist University’s lush campus, the hotel attractsa mix of corporate clients during the week and leisure travelers on the weekends and is outfitted with meeting rooms, a small gym with Peloton bikes, and a heated pool with hot tubs, cabanas, and a weekend bar. (Note that the pool is shared with residents from the adjacent apartment tower.) The lobby often hosts a live jazz trio, while noted chef John Tesar’s upscale Knife steakhouse has earned raves for its Texas-raised meat, extensive charcuterie menu, and garden lounge. Guests also have access to—and receive discounts for—the Exhale spa and fitness studio, setnear the hotel’s front doors."

"You’d be hard pressed to find a more stylish stay downtown than The Joule. The independently owned hotel is spread out over three interconnected buildings—a classic revival-style from 1913, a former Salvation Army built in 1911, and a neo-Gothic onetime bank—which have been integrated under the direction of renowned interior designer Adam D. Tihany. His touch can also be seen in the 161 rooms and suites, each decorated with serene jewel or earth tones, contemporary furniture, hand-picked art and photography, and plenty of natural light from oversized windows. Frette bedding, glass-enclosed showers and soaking tubs, and 47-inch flat-screens equipped with Apple TV round out the comfortable digs. You’ll spy pieces from the hotel’s extensive art collection inthe public spaces, as well as the outdoor sculpture garden across the street. The block-deep lobby buzzes with an outpost of Weekend Coffee (using Victrola beans flown in weekly from Seattle), a library curated by TASCHEN, and chic boutiques like TenOverSix and Traffic LA, while the popular CBD Provisions draws a local crowd with its modern Texas fare and regional drinks list. The 8,000-square-foot subterranean spa features a vitality pool, crystal steam room, and glass-walled sauna to enjoy before or after treatments, and there’s also a fitness center with a cycling studio and group classes. Two things not to miss: the original historic bank vault in the lobby, and the much-Instagrammed rooftop pool, which cantilevers eight feet off the side of the building."

"This uptown tower is nicknamed “the living room of Dallas” forthe dedicated local crowd that frequents its bars and restaurants—chief among them the award-winning Fearing’s, where the menu features elevated Southwestern flavors, and the Rattlesnake Bar, which hosts a weekday happy hour with tacos and live music. But there’s another, more fitting reason: complimentary mini margaritas and guacamole are served house party–style every evening in the swanky lobby lounge. The drinks are made with a different spirit each night, sourced from the hotel’s stocked Tequila Vault, while the dip is handcrafted by, wait for it, the on-staff Guacamologist. Though the 218 luxe rooms aren’t particularly Texas-themed—think calming color schemes, cushy furnishings, and Asprey toiletries—you’ll never forget where you are thanks to the sweeping city views. For the best vistas, book one of the corner kings, which feature windows in the bathroom; the club-level rooms offer even greater perks, including access to the food-and-drink–stocked Club Lounge. But you can get your Texas fix with homegrown FarmHouse Fresh products at the spacious spa, which leads to a fitness center and heated saltwater pool."

"Though Dallas’ public transportation network is expanding, it’s still tough to really enjoy the city without a car—which makes the W all the more appealing. Just a short stroll from the American Airlines Center, the hotel is the ideal home base for attending games or concerts. It’s also within a leisurely 20-minute walk of major attractions likethe Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Dallas World Aquarium, Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, and Sixth Floor Museum. Between stops, you can relax in one of the 252 rooms and suites, each outfitted with downtown views, Bliss bath products, 42-inch TVs, and cheeky Southern accents like snakeskin-patterned curtains and bandana-inspired throws. Other W signatures draw a steady local crowd, including the Bliss Spa and the 16th-floor Wet Deck, with its infinity pool, bar, and skyline views, and the Living Room lounge packs the after-work set in with happy hours, live music, and DJs (a local radio station even broadcasts from here every Friday evening). If that all feels like too much of a scene, retreat to Cook Hall gastropub to sample craft beers and cocktails alongside a selection of globally inspired small plates."