Hotel Reviews – Sheraton Suites Market Center Dallas
The DFW Metroplex is geographically a very large area. That fact is something I regularly have to remind out of town friends when they visit. When I moved to Fort Worth seven years ago, many of them thought it was simply a matter of moving to a new neighborhood. It wasn’t. While my home airport was the same, I was now living 35 miles away (and anywhere from a 45 to 90 minute drive depending on traffic). I might as well have moved to another state for the impact it had on my life.
Dallas became the city I “used to” live in. And one I still visit frequently. Sometimes those visits involve evenings out – and when they do, it’s less expensive to get a hotel room for the night than it is to use UberX round-trip from my house – and I have enough money left over to cover my bar tab. For real.
The Sheraton Suites Market Center Dallas has been a crash pad for some of those visits for many years. Its a property seemingly next to nothing (unless you are looking for discounted Oriental rugs or have a hankering to visit Medieval Times) but in proximity to many of the best restaurant neighborhoods in Dallas and not too far from Dallas Love Field. But mainly, the prices are good – its regularly one of the least expensive Starwood properties in the Metroplex – and thus a haven for mattress runners (those looking to rack up stays for promotions or status) and cheapskates.
I checked in for a stay on a Saturday afternoon on a last minute cheap rate – the suite was a bonus as a friend planned to stay as well so we each had room to spread out.
Arrival & check in
The hotel has a dedicated lot in front of the property. This area is relatively industrial and borders some marginal areas so I would not recommend leaving valuables in your vehicle. The front desk clerk did not initially recognize my Platinum status but that was remedied and I was offered my Platinum amenity (which for me is almost always the points) and Club Lounge access was detailed for me.
The elevators are older and tend to stop abruptly. I had some fear of being trapped in the elevator with the group of Ed Hardy-wearing young men drinking their tall-boy beers while loudly describing their planned evening debauchery.
Man, that elevator was slow.
The Room
I was to assigned room 1126. A dirty (and slightly smelly) room service tray greeted me outside the door. Yuck.
It was a hot day in Dallas (temperatures over 100) so the hotel seemed to have the air running on overtime. It was blowing at full-force when I opened the door to a stuffy room.
The room was a suite but this is an all-suites property so that was not impressive. The room décor was tired and the furnishings were a bit worn.
The suite consisted of a sitting area with sofa and desk. In place of a coffee table, there were these two leather cubes – too small to be an ottoman, too unstable to set a drink on.
And then there was awkward white space on the wall. I feel as if I remember an entertainment unit being there before the hotel added wall-mounted flat screens. Now it’s just an awkward space. There is also a long bar-type counter.
Carpet in the suite seemed have seen much better days.
The bedroom is a small room – the bed took up the majority of the real estate so I kept my bags in the living room.
The bathroom was a bit more spacious and featured a retrofitted sink/vanity fixture.
Other Considerations
Wireless internet worked very well – I had no hiccups with my service. A big plus as I needed to get a couple of hours of work done after I checked in.
The hotel has a small Club Lounge. I walked up for the evening hours but a couple of large families had taken over all of the seating (and apparently most of the food). The lounge smelled of fried food being rewarmed and I grabbed a couple of bottles of water and exited. I could not get close enough to anything to photograph the lounge without offending one of the occupants.
I tried again the next morning but it was again crowded so I left without surveying the offerings.
The hotel has a restaurant (which appeared to offer a breakfast buffet) and a bar area. There was some indication (dripping wet children in swimsuits in the very slow elevator) that the property might have a pool but I did not personally confirm that. It’s also possible that they visited one in an adjacent property (there are two Marriott-branded properties next door) or that they were sweating from the hideous Texas August heat.
Check Out
Check out was quick and efficient. My bill was correct. The staff was friendly and accommodating.
Summary
This is a great weekend hotel for an inexpensive mattress run. It’s also a great place to overnight when your evening plans take you to the neighborhoods near Oak Lawn, Cedar Springs, or Turtle Creek.
I didn’t spend much time here – I checked in and got some work done, left to go out with friends, crashed, and left early in the morning. It served it’s purpose for me which was to avoid having to drive home that night.
I’m certain the vibe of this hotel is different during the week. The proximity to the Anatole no doubt makes it a good alternate property during peak conference/convention times. It also is close enough to downtown/uptown Dallas to provide a budget alternative to price-sensitive business travelers.
This is NOT a property I’d stay in if I were trying to impress someone. But it’s hotel that seems to embrace the niche it is in and tries very hard to provide friendly service to its patrons.
I have stayed here before and my biggest gripe is the bed takes up the whole bedroom and unless you are traveling with kids this hotel would be better off knocking down that bare wall and adding a bigger flat screen tv that could swivel between the bedroom and living space, similar to a SpringHill Suites. It would open up the room and give it way better flow.
I agree. It looks less like a bedroom and more like a bounce house… there is almost no space in that room for anything BUT the bed.