Magnolia Hotel Dallas Downtown

We had a good night's sleep in a comfortable bed, and the room was well kept. The staff were friendly, attentive, and helpful. We found the rate fair for the hotel's quality and location, though $50 a night for parking seemed steep. There are several very good restaurants nearby, and it was quick to get to the tollway the next morning. The building has an old-school charm, including the Mobil Oil décor throughout. One thing to prepare for when driving in or out is the pretty horrible downtown Dallas traffic. That’s about the city, rather than the hotel.

I paid $157 a night, and this stay left me feeling like guests aren't much of a priority. The room and appliances felt outdated, and the carpet looked like it hadn't been replaced in a decade. My dog's bathwater was yellow. There was no onsite food, and in a 21-story building there was just one floor with an ice machine. It was also hard to get a valet who spoke English. The mandatory valet fee was $54. I don't mind paying it, but at 6 a.m. I saw someone sitting in my car with the headlights on. They said they were taking it to an offsite garage a few blocks away. I understand there are only about 10 spaces beside the building, but half were empty then, and no one had told me they'd move the car. If I'd walked past a moment later, I would've thought it had been stolen. They took my number at the little valet booth during check-in, so they could have let me know. There was human urine on the sidewalks, something hard to avoid with unhoused people on every block. Still, the state of the room's carpet was insulting. I'd recommend staying somewhere else if you want to feel even slightly valued.

The room was just okay, much as it looked on Google, while the hotel's open areas were really neat and clean. The location was great, and the front desk was helpful when we arrived. Later on, service started slipping, with calls going unanswered and some requests taking a while.

I was so tired after a delayed flight that I accepted the room even though the front desk told me the AC wasn't working. I didn't have anywhere else to go and needed sleep before a 9 a.m. meeting. The room had a large carpet stain, cracked plaster, dirty bathroom tile, and a towel rack coming loose from the wall. On the way out, I saw an old photo of the hotel when it was first built. It must have been majestic then, but now it feels like a shell of that place. Avoid it and stay across the street at the Adolphus. I hadn't been able to check in until about 2 a.m. The first thing the man at the desk said wasn't hello, but that the AC was out. When I asked if that was okay, he told me I'd be hot.