Luxury Hotels in Dallas, Texas
Guests at some Dallas hotels can live like kings -- for a price
Dallas Business Journal - by Lisa Tanner Staff Writer
Courtesy Photo EXPENSIVE DIGS: The Fairmont Hotel's presidential suite has a nightly rate of $699 to $1,500.
Big spenders take note: Area hotels and resorts are eager to welcome you to their priciest accommodations. They have lush digs just right for presidential candidates, titans of industry and even rock stars.
Whatever the property, the aim is to give high-rolling guests all the comforts of home, and then some, offering amenities designed to make guests forget they're in a hotel room, until they pick up the phone and find hotel employees eager to grant their every wish.
Hotels are seeing competition increase in the luxury accommodation segment. Of the 38 new hotel brands introduced in the United States in the last 38 months, 20 are luxury brands, said Bjorn Hanson of PricewaterhouseCoopers' hospitality and leisure practice.
"Hotels are trying to define 'luxury,' " Hanson said. "Five star properties of years past may not attract consumers now, who have upgraded their own homes to high standards and now expect the same top choices at a hotel, in everything from linens and bedding to electronics."
To meet those expectations, and competitive pressures, hotels are upgrading their own luxury offerings, he said.
Each local property has its own take on comfort and every convenience, with price tags to match. They come with lavish baths, sometimes boast a large terrace and even a billiard table or baby grand piano. And the space offers guests a chance to impress their friends or business associates by hosting gourmet dinners prepared by a private chef.
Many hotels decline to discuss current or past guests. But others acknowledge their big-name guests, at least after the fact.
The terrace suite, the top accommodation at the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, for example, has played host to a diverse group that includes actor Larry Hagman, singers Julie Andrews and Jewel, American Idol judge Simon Cowell and rocker Mick Jagger.
The new presidential suite at the Fairmont Hotel in downtown Dallas hosted presumptive Republican presidential candidate John McCain on his primary swing through Dallas.
Luxury suites represent a top marketing opportunity for the hotels, and they're one way hotels keep themselves competitive in a growing hotel market. Within the past year, several boutique hotels and high-profile properties have opened in the Dallas market, including the W Hotel and Ritz-Carlton Dallas, raising the bar for competing properties.
"In North Texas, we've seen a lot of high-end luxury and boutique hotels come into the market, and that challenges the other properties to renovate, update and upgrade the products they offer," said Brooke Dieterlen, executive director of the Hotel Association of Greater Dallas. "It's important to offer travelers what they want."
Often, guests renting the pricey accommodations are not household names, just well-heeled individuals.
The presidential suite at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Conference Center on Lake Grapevine sports a Texas-size price tag, up to $10,000 per night, although the actual charge varies depending on occupancy and time of year. The suite is the most expensive suite listed on the Dallas Business Journal's list of D-FW Metroplex hotels.
It offers something other properties can't, a large balcony that overlooks the interior of the massive resort, giving guests a view of the resort's Lone Star atrium, with lush gardens, winding pathways and sparkling waterfalls, said Martha Neibling, director of public relations.
The suite's great room features a baby grand piano, with someone to play it upon request. It also includes a full-size kitchen, dining room with seating for 12, private study, master bedroom with a sitting area and plush bath with soaking tub for two and a steam/sauna shower. Guests can arrange for a variety of VIP services to be delivered within the 2,000-square-foot suite, Neibling said, from in-room spa treatments and turn-down service with chocolates placed on the pillows and rose pedals on the bed and in the bath.
At the Westin Stonebriar Resort in Frisco, 572 couples, or about 76 for each year of the hotel's existence, have spent their honeymoon night in the hotel's top suite. Called the chairman's suite, it boasts nearly 2,200 square feet and features an 800-square-foot balcony with a view of the resort's Tom Fazio championship golf course.
The suite rents for $2,500-$3,500 depending on the time of the year, and includes large living and dining rooms, a separate study, private bedroom with a bathroom with a circular tub and a guest bathroom.
"We are sold out quite a bit and wish we had another chairman's suite," especially when several large groups are meeting in the hotel's extensive conference facilities, said Valerie Mortimer, sales and marketing director. Those who don't get to luxuriate in the chairman's suite can console themselves with the hotel's 1,288-square-foot presidential suite, which rents for $1,288.
Brand new
The Fairmont Dallas has unveiled a new presidential suite as part of its recently upgraded Fairmont Gold floors, a $14 million renovation that created a hotel within a hotel concept with private check-in and amenities, including dedicated staff and concierge and butler service. Stearns & Foster beds, Egyptian cotton linens and a menu of pillow choices are some of the accompanying amenities, as are Bose MP3 docking stations and 42-inch high definition flat-screen TVs.
The presidential suite is the most lavish of the 47 rooms and rents from $699, on some slower weekends, to $1,500. Complete with a view of nearby Victory Park, the 1,100-square-foot suite drips luxury, including a grand dressing area and spa-like bathroom.
Often it's rented by people who value the luxurious space and top amenities and favor the privacy that the suite affords them, said Shannah Milstead, director of sales and marketing.
When a head of state comes to Dallas, they often set up camp in the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek's terrace presidential suite. But it's also used by local residents.
"It's so spacious and picturesque that it is often booked for weddings," said Erika Gonzalez, public relations manager. The suite, 1,350 square feet and $2,400 a night, features high ceilings and luxe finishes including stone molding and marble. Furnishings include antiques and original art. The suite's bedroom is appointed with a king-size, canopy bed and cozy sitting area. Guests can also make use of a full kitchen with a pantry that is stocked upon request, accessible by a private staff entrance so that guests aren't disturbed. The suite's private terrace gives guests spectacular views of the downtown Dallas skyline.
At the Adolphus Hotel in downtown Dallas, the presidential suite was once the home to the hotel's resident manager. At about 1,000 square feet, it features a great room, large, full kitchen, a full-size billiard table and flat panel television.
"The suite also includes a separate book shelf lined study allowing guests to separate business from the pleasure of entertaining," said Ken House, reservations manager.
The suite, which includes a terrace overlooking Commerce Street, rents for $1,700 nightly.
The Ritz-Carlton Suite, the top accommodation at the new Ritz-Carlton Dallas, is an "urban retreat for high level executives, celebrities, brides and grooms or guests who want to indulge," said Lauren Cason, director of public relations.
But the versatile 1,700-square-foot room is also used for important meetings and business dinners. Featuring a panoramic view of Dallas, the suite rents for $3,500, and includes a plush bedroom and a bathroom complete with an in-mirror television and lavish bathtub. Guests enjoy a separate living room with vaulted ceilings, a dedicated dining room with seating for eight and a separate kitchen area used for hosting private dinners with custom menus created by the hotel's chefs. Guests staying in the suite receive access to The Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge, which offers complimentary gourmet food and beverages, concierge and other services.
At the Four Seasons Resort and Club in Irving, the presidential suite is named for legendary golfer Byron Nelson, also the namesake of the resort's premier golf tournament. The late Nelson and his wife often celebrated special family occasions in the 2,500-square-foot suite named in his honor.
But others who've stayed in the $3,000 suite include famous actors, singers, politicians, powerful corporate executives and honeymoon couples, plus "the not so famous but extremely discerning," according Angela Enright, director of public relations.
It's not unusual for those staying in the suite to host a private dinner party and one guest brought a collection of her own silver candelabras as a table centerpiece to add her personal touch to the space.
Another guest had the staff provide exercise equipment in an adjoining guest room so she could work out in private after her concert performance and another celebrity had the hotel black out the windows in the suite so he could sleep during the day and perform at night. One guest prefers foods from his native country and works with a hotel chef who hails from that same country to customize meals just to his liking, Enright said. "We can provide just about anything you'd want."
Source:
American Business Journal
Dallas Business Journal - by Lisa Tanner Staff Writer
Courtesy Photo EXPENSIVE DIGS: The Fairmont Hotel's presidential suite has a nightly rate of $699 to $1,500.Big spenders take note: Area hotels and resorts are eager to welcome you to their priciest accommodations. They have lush digs just right for presidential candidates, titans of industry and even rock stars.
Whatever the property, the aim is to give high-rolling guests all the comforts of home, and then some, offering amenities designed to make guests forget they're in a hotel room, until they pick up the phone and find hotel employees eager to grant their every wish.
Hotels are seeing competition increase in the luxury accommodation segment. Of the 38 new hotel brands introduced in the United States in the last 38 months, 20 are luxury brands, said Bjorn Hanson of PricewaterhouseCoopers' hospitality and leisure practice.
"Hotels are trying to define 'luxury,' " Hanson said. "Five star properties of years past may not attract consumers now, who have upgraded their own homes to high standards and now expect the same top choices at a hotel, in everything from linens and bedding to electronics."
To meet those expectations, and competitive pressures, hotels are upgrading their own luxury offerings, he said.
Each local property has its own take on comfort and every convenience, with price tags to match. They come with lavish baths, sometimes boast a large terrace and even a billiard table or baby grand piano. And the space offers guests a chance to impress their friends or business associates by hosting gourmet dinners prepared by a private chef.
Many hotels decline to discuss current or past guests. But others acknowledge their big-name guests, at least after the fact.
The terrace suite, the top accommodation at the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, for example, has played host to a diverse group that includes actor Larry Hagman, singers Julie Andrews and Jewel, American Idol judge Simon Cowell and rocker Mick Jagger.
The new presidential suite at the Fairmont Hotel in downtown Dallas hosted presumptive Republican presidential candidate John McCain on his primary swing through Dallas.
Luxury suites represent a top marketing opportunity for the hotels, and they're one way hotels keep themselves competitive in a growing hotel market. Within the past year, several boutique hotels and high-profile properties have opened in the Dallas market, including the W Hotel and Ritz-Carlton Dallas, raising the bar for competing properties.
"In North Texas, we've seen a lot of high-end luxury and boutique hotels come into the market, and that challenges the other properties to renovate, update and upgrade the products they offer," said Brooke Dieterlen, executive director of the Hotel Association of Greater Dallas. "It's important to offer travelers what they want."
Often, guests renting the pricey accommodations are not household names, just well-heeled individuals.
The presidential suite at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Conference Center on Lake Grapevine sports a Texas-size price tag, up to $10,000 per night, although the actual charge varies depending on occupancy and time of year. The suite is the most expensive suite listed on the Dallas Business Journal's list of D-FW Metroplex hotels.
It offers something other properties can't, a large balcony that overlooks the interior of the massive resort, giving guests a view of the resort's Lone Star atrium, with lush gardens, winding pathways and sparkling waterfalls, said Martha Neibling, director of public relations.
The suite's great room features a baby grand piano, with someone to play it upon request. It also includes a full-size kitchen, dining room with seating for 12, private study, master bedroom with a sitting area and plush bath with soaking tub for two and a steam/sauna shower. Guests can arrange for a variety of VIP services to be delivered within the 2,000-square-foot suite, Neibling said, from in-room spa treatments and turn-down service with chocolates placed on the pillows and rose pedals on the bed and in the bath.
At the Westin Stonebriar Resort in Frisco, 572 couples, or about 76 for each year of the hotel's existence, have spent their honeymoon night in the hotel's top suite. Called the chairman's suite, it boasts nearly 2,200 square feet and features an 800-square-foot balcony with a view of the resort's Tom Fazio championship golf course.
The suite rents for $2,500-$3,500 depending on the time of the year, and includes large living and dining rooms, a separate study, private bedroom with a bathroom with a circular tub and a guest bathroom.
"We are sold out quite a bit and wish we had another chairman's suite," especially when several large groups are meeting in the hotel's extensive conference facilities, said Valerie Mortimer, sales and marketing director. Those who don't get to luxuriate in the chairman's suite can console themselves with the hotel's 1,288-square-foot presidential suite, which rents for $1,288.
Brand new
The Fairmont Dallas has unveiled a new presidential suite as part of its recently upgraded Fairmont Gold floors, a $14 million renovation that created a hotel within a hotel concept with private check-in and amenities, including dedicated staff and concierge and butler service. Stearns & Foster beds, Egyptian cotton linens and a menu of pillow choices are some of the accompanying amenities, as are Bose MP3 docking stations and 42-inch high definition flat-screen TVs.
The presidential suite is the most lavish of the 47 rooms and rents from $699, on some slower weekends, to $1,500. Complete with a view of nearby Victory Park, the 1,100-square-foot suite drips luxury, including a grand dressing area and spa-like bathroom.
Often it's rented by people who value the luxurious space and top amenities and favor the privacy that the suite affords them, said Shannah Milstead, director of sales and marketing.
When a head of state comes to Dallas, they often set up camp in the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek's terrace presidential suite. But it's also used by local residents.
"It's so spacious and picturesque that it is often booked for weddings," said Erika Gonzalez, public relations manager. The suite, 1,350 square feet and $2,400 a night, features high ceilings and luxe finishes including stone molding and marble. Furnishings include antiques and original art. The suite's bedroom is appointed with a king-size, canopy bed and cozy sitting area. Guests can also make use of a full kitchen with a pantry that is stocked upon request, accessible by a private staff entrance so that guests aren't disturbed. The suite's private terrace gives guests spectacular views of the downtown Dallas skyline.
At the Adolphus Hotel in downtown Dallas, the presidential suite was once the home to the hotel's resident manager. At about 1,000 square feet, it features a great room, large, full kitchen, a full-size billiard table and flat panel television.
"The suite also includes a separate book shelf lined study allowing guests to separate business from the pleasure of entertaining," said Ken House, reservations manager.
The suite, which includes a terrace overlooking Commerce Street, rents for $1,700 nightly.
The Ritz-Carlton Suite, the top accommodation at the new Ritz-Carlton Dallas, is an "urban retreat for high level executives, celebrities, brides and grooms or guests who want to indulge," said Lauren Cason, director of public relations.
But the versatile 1,700-square-foot room is also used for important meetings and business dinners. Featuring a panoramic view of Dallas, the suite rents for $3,500, and includes a plush bedroom and a bathroom complete with an in-mirror television and lavish bathtub. Guests enjoy a separate living room with vaulted ceilings, a dedicated dining room with seating for eight and a separate kitchen area used for hosting private dinners with custom menus created by the hotel's chefs. Guests staying in the suite receive access to The Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge, which offers complimentary gourmet food and beverages, concierge and other services.
At the Four Seasons Resort and Club in Irving, the presidential suite is named for legendary golfer Byron Nelson, also the namesake of the resort's premier golf tournament. The late Nelson and his wife often celebrated special family occasions in the 2,500-square-foot suite named in his honor.
But others who've stayed in the $3,000 suite include famous actors, singers, politicians, powerful corporate executives and honeymoon couples, plus "the not so famous but extremely discerning," according Angela Enright, director of public relations.
It's not unusual for those staying in the suite to host a private dinner party and one guest brought a collection of her own silver candelabras as a table centerpiece to add her personal touch to the space.
Another guest had the staff provide exercise equipment in an adjoining guest room so she could work out in private after her concert performance and another celebrity had the hotel black out the windows in the suite so he could sleep during the day and perform at night. One guest prefers foods from his native country and works with a hotel chef who hails from that same country to customize meals just to his liking, Enright said. "We can provide just about anything you'd want."
Source:
American Business Journal
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