Sonesta ES Suites Dallas Market Center

Brad at the front desk really stood out. He was always smiling and welcoming, easy to chat with about how your day was going or the weather. That kind of Southern hospitality is nice to see. He also saved me money by explaining that staying consecutive days means you save on taxes after 30 days, instead of checking in and out for points. Nobody had told me that, and that free information would've helped a lot. As African-Americans, we lack the ability to inform each other about little things like this, which is why we're so divided now. I really appreciate his help. Every dollar counts. You rock, Brad! The price is great, and the apartment-style setup feels comfortable for a longer stay, unlike being in a regular hotel. The staff were pleasant overall.

The room could've been cleaner. There were lots of stains on the bedding, though it smelled clean, and the carpet was so dirty that after ten minutes barefoot, the soles of my feet were covered in dirt. We kept our shoes on for the rest of the stay. The pool was well kept, and my family enjoyed breakfast. The employees looking after breakfast were warm and friendly.

We didn't even stay an hour after checking in. The room felt unsafe: the door hinge had a huge crack and the door wouldn't lock. An associate came to look and said, while lifting his leg, that the door was locked and even if someone kicked it in from outside, they couldn't get in. With our two-year-old there, I wasn't willing to stay overnight. We left and Expedia arranged another place for the weekend. I made a formal complaint in the lobby and asked for a general manager or supervisor to get back to me as soon as possible. Getting to that point was already stressful. On our six-hour drive, we got a threatening call saying the reservation would be cancelled because the Expedia room rate wasn't competitive with the weekend's influx of business. Just hours before arrival, the guest services agent said the room type was still available for an extra $50 per night, payable in cash in person. When we asked why this was only coming up then, we were told not to contact Expedia, and that the payment would be taken in person and settled in-house. We said, “That's bullshit.” When we contacted Expedia, they told us not to pay anything extra and said the hotel was trying to extort us. At the hotel, staff apologized and said there'd be no additional charges except incidentals. We checked in because everything in town was booked and we'd already paid for the weekend.

We were close to the hospital, interstate, restaurants, and stores, so the location was convenient. The staff were welcoming and polite. I can't remember the petite Black woman who checked us in, but she was especially warm and even covered our parking fee. The checkout manager was pleasant too. We had a nice conversation and found out we were both from the same part of Dallas before relocating to Arkansas.