Where to Stay in Dallas, Texas: Best Areas & Hotels

Located in northeastern Texas, Dallas is the third-largest city in the Lone Star State. However, when you factor in its metropolitan area (which also includes Fort Worth and Arlington), it becomes the biggest urban region in Texas and the fourth-largest metropolitan area in America. Nicknamed “Big D,” and “D-Town,” Dallas is famous for being home to the largest arts district in the country and as a hub for dozens of finance, transport, and telecommunications companies. On a darker note, the Texan city is also infamous as the site of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, and many of the city’s tourist attractions are connected to that fateful event. If you’re wondering about the best areas to stay in Dallas, you have come to the right place!.

Thanks to its important cultural scene and its historic relevance, Dallas has a wide range of attractions for visitors. Some of the most important sights in Dallas include the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, Dallas Museum of Art, the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, the Nasher Sculpture Center, and Dallas Zoo. Its huge size and economic pull also make it a world-renowned hub for conferences and business travel. Dallas’s city center is home to a large offer of four and five-star hotels in America. That said, there is accommodation for all tastes and budgets all over the city.

Whether it’s your first time visiting Dallas or you’re a business traveler, keep reading this post to find more information about the best areas to stay in Dallas, Texas.

Accommodation Options in Dallas

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What’s the Best Area to Stay in Dallas, TX?

The best area to stay in Dallas, TX is Downtown, especially for tourists and first-time visitors. Dallas’s city center is packed with historic and cultural attractions, shops, restaurants, and nightlife venues. Downtown is also the best-connected area in town and hosts some of the best hotels in the city.

Find Available Accommodation in Downtown Dallas.

Best Hotels in Downtown Dallas

• Best five-star hotel: HALL Arts Hotel, Dallas, Curio Collection by Hilton
• Best four-star hotel: Hyatt Regency Dallas
• Best three-star hotel: Hampton Inn & Suites Dallas Downtown
• Best budget hotel: Courtyard by Marriott Dallas Downtown/Reunion District
• Best tourist apartments: Sonder at Commerce

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Where to Stay in Dallas for Sightseeing

The bulk of Dallas’s tourist attractions can be found in its city center, which, unsurprisingly, means Downtown is the best area to stay in Dallas for sightseeing. While the district is not particularly large, it holds several distinct neighborhoods worth mentioning. Here are some of the most interesting areas:

• Right in the heart of Dallas, the Main Street District hosts an interesting yuxtaposition of historic structures, shiny skyscrapers, trendy boutiques and upscale restaurants. This vibrant area is also home to some of the best-rated boutique hotels in Dallas, including The Joule and The Adolphus, Autograph Collection.
• Dallas’s Arts District is located in the north end of Downtown Dallas, spilling into the Victory Park and Uptown districts. This important cultural hub is home to the city’s most important museums like the Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher Sculpture Center, and the Perot Museum of Nature and Science. Some of the best hotels here include the Fairmont Dallas and HALL Arts Hotel, Dallas, Curio Collection by Hilton.
• Another historically relevant portion of Downtown Dallas, Dealey Plaza was the site where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 and includes sights such as The Sixth Floor Museum, John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza, and the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum. A great hotel in this area is The Westin Downtown Dallas.
• The Reunion District occupies the southern end of Downtown and includes the famous Reunion Tower, Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas and Union Station. The Hyatt Regency Dallas and Omni Dallas Hotel are some great choices in this district.
• North of the city center lies Uptown Dallas, a trendy and upscale district home to some of the best restaurants and boutiques in the city. The absolute best property here is Hotel Crescent Court.
• Last but not least, Victory Park is home to the American Airlines Center concert arena and several upscale restaurants. For accommodation in this area, try The Guild Victory Park | Katy Trail.

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The Best Areas for Tourists in Dallas: District by District

1. Downtown Dallas: Best Location for Sightseeing and First-Time Visitors

Home to the city’s most visited tourist attractions, Downtown Dallas is the best district for leisure and business travelers to the Texan city.

Why is this the best area to stay in Dallas, TX:
• Heart of the city
• Best area for sightseeing & culture
• Arts District & Dallas Museum of Art
• Best area to stay in Dallas without a car
• Dealey Plaza & JFK-related landmarks
• Reunion Tower
• Connected by DART, train & bus
• Main Street & West End districts

First settled in 1841 by John Neely Bryan at the intersection of two major Native American roads, Dallas started its history as a single log cabin built on the east bank of the Trinity River, on present-day Founders Plaza. Over time, the settlement grew into a thriving commercial enclave, especially after the first railroads were built at the end of the 19th century.

Centered around Main Street and traditionally bound by the freeway loop, Downtown Dallas is the second-largest business district in Texas, home to some of the tallest skyscrapers in the state, such as the Bank of America Plaza, the Renaissance Tower, and the Comerica Bank Tower. During most of Dallas’s history, the Main Street District has hosted the city’s major retailers, hotels, and banks. The narrow tree-lined street is still an important shopping, and nightlife area containing upscale restaurants, nightclubs, and department stores.

The West End Historic District, unsurprisingly located on the west end of downtown, north of Commerce Street, contains a lovely collection of late 19th-century brick warehouses, now repurposed as quaint boutiques, cafés, and eateries. Perhaps most importantly, the West End is also home to Dealey Plaza, the site of John F. Kennedy’s assassination, home to many important landmarks and memorials associated with that infamous chapter of American history. Some of the most visited sights in the area include The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza, the Dallas Holocaust, and Human Rights Museum, the Museum of Illusions, and the Old Red Museum of Dallas County History & Culture.

South of here, you’ll find the Reunion District. Anchored by Reunion Tower, a 561 ft (171 m) observation structure and local landmark, the Reunion District was designed to serve as the city’s economic hub. However, due to economic difficulties, the plan never fully came to life. This portion of downtown contains the Eddie Bernice Johnson Union Station and the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, making it the best area to stay in Dallas for business travelers.

Downtown Dallas is also home to the city’s Arts District. One of the largest cultural districts in the country, it hosts some of Dallas’s most significant landmarks, including the Dallas Museum of Art, the Crow Museum of Asian Art, Nasher Sculpture Center, the AT&T Performing Arts Center, and the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. The Arts District is also home to the 19th-century neo-Gothic Cathedral Santuario de Guadalupe. The Perot Museum of Nature and Science and the Dallas World Aquarium are also nearby.

If you’re traveling without a car, the Downtown district is the best-connected area in Dallas; the city’s four DART light-rail lines all converge along Pacific Avenue and Bryan Street, and Union Station offers TRE connections to DFW Airport, Irving, and Fort Worth, along with long-distance railway services on the Texas Eagle route traveling between San Antonio and Chicago. Greyhound’s bus terminal is also conveniently located on S Lamar Street, right in the heart of downtown.

When it comes to accommodation, Downtown Dallas has the broadest hotel offer in the city. Properties in this area range from well-known luxury brands to mid-range business-style hotels and a few generic budget options.

Best Hotels in Downtown Dallas

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2. Uptown Dallas: Best Location for Dining

Green and upscale, Uptown Dallas offers lovely shady pedestrian-friendly streets, restaurants, bars & a quaint old-timey streetcar line.

Why is this the best area to stay in Dallas, TX:
• Very central
• Pedestrian-friendly
• Connected by trolleys & DART
• Lively nightlife and restaurant scene
• Dallas’s gay district
• Upscale hotels & apartments

Uptown Dallas is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city and features tree-lined streets, elegant Victorian mansions, and shopping and leisure centers.

Located directly north of downtown, Uptown Dallas is known for its eclectic nightlife and food scene which includes trendy bars, upscale international bistros, and cocktail lounges.

It is centered around lively McKinney Avenue, a shady boulevard, and the main thoroughfare for the M-line trolley system, which uses historic streetcars and connects St Paul Station downtown with the Cityplace/Uptown DART station. The McKinney Avenue trolley is also free.

With regards to attractions, Uptown Dallas is home to local sights such as the historic Greenwood Cemetery, the Museum of Geometric and MADI Art, and Turtle Creek Park.

Young professionals dominate the social scene along McKinney Avenue, and the Knox Street area is traditionally more upper-class, with terraced houses and luxury apartments.

On the west side of Turtle Creek lies the neighborhood of Oak Lawn. This mainly residential district is especially known for Cedar Springs Road, the heart of the city’s LGBTQ+ scene.

It is one of the best areas to stay in Dallas if you are looking for a quiet, upscale area. It’s also great for travelers without a car as taxis are widely available and there are direct streetcars to the Downtown district and DART stations.

Uptown Dallas’s accommodation offer is typically made up of luxury properties ranging from upmarket hotel chains to fancy tourist apartments.

Best Hotels in Uptown Dallas

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3. Deep Ellum: Best Location for Nightlife & Live Music

Centrally located & hipster friendly, Deep Ellum is considered North Texas’s hub for live music and alternative culture.

Why is this the best area to stay in Dallas, TX:
• Steps away from downtown central
• Pedestrian-friendly
• Connected by DART
• Live music bars & clubs
• Alternative scene
• All kinds of restaurants

Named from a bastardized version of its main thoroughfare, Elm Street, and set directly east of downtown, across the elevated I-45/US 75 Highway, Deep Ellum is Dallas’s most renowned entertainment and nightlife district.

Deep Ellum was born in the late 19th century at the junction of the Houston and Texas Central railroad tracks. The new train lines propelled a local economy around the shipping line industry and attracted thousands of freed slaves from all over the South. By the start of the 20th century, Deep Ellum was one of the largest African-American settlements in Texas and a hotbed for early jazz and blues musicians.

However, with the new century came the construction of modern highways and the dismantlement of railroad infrastructure, which had a negative impact on the local communities. Like many so-called “hipster districts”, Deep Ellum’s story is one of gentrification. By the end of the 20th century, artists, musicians, and affluent young professionals started settling in and several industrial buildings and warehouses were turned into condos, shops, and nightlife venues.

The 1990s saw the transformation of Deep Ellum into Dallas’s liveliest entertainment district and several events, such as the Deep Ellum Film Festival and Deep Ellum Arts Festival started to gain traction. By 1991, over 50 nightclubs and bars had opened in the area, a number of which are still in operation today.

On the district’s east end lies Fair Park, a recreational and historical complex home to many buildings constructed for the Texas Centennial Exposition in 1936. This Art Deco park is the site of the Museum of Nature and Science, the precursor of the Perot Museum, as well as the African American Museum, which boasts a permanent collection with works of highly-regarded Black artists.

All and all, Deep Ellum is a compact and fun area to stay in Dallas, especially for those looking for lively nightlife and international food. The district is also very well-connected by the DART Green Line and you can easily walk to downtown Dallas.

Best Hotels in Deep Ellum

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4. Victory Park: Best Location in Dallas for a Trip with Kids, Concerts & Sports Fans

Located north of the West End and west of Uptown, Victory Park is a very central district to stay in Dallas.

Why is this the best area to stay in Dallas, TX:
• Very central
• Pedestrian-friendly
• Connected by trolleys & DART
• Lively nightlife and restaurant scene
• Near Dallas’s gay district
• Upscale hotels & apartments

At its core, the American Airlines Center, Dallas’s premier sports arena, is home to the Dallas Mavericks NBA and Dallas Stars hockey teams. With a capacity of up to 22,000 people, the arena is also used for large concerts and other live entertainment events.

The area now known as Victory Park used to be the city’s historic “Little Mexico“, the epicenter of Mexican-American community life in Dallas during the 20th century up until the 1980s. Heavy redevelopment, the construction of major highways, and gentrification radically changed the urban (and racial) makeup of the area, and today, only Pike Park, along with very few of the original structures survive.

Other than the American Airlines Center, the other major tourist attraction in Victory Park is the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, the city’s main natural history and science museum. Opened in 2012, the 180,000 square feet facility houses 11 permanent exhibit halls and 6 learning labs. The Perot Museum is extremely kid-friendly and offers a plethora of hand’s-on and multimedia exhibits for the whole family.

In addition to being the best area to stay in Dallas with children, Victory Park is also very well-connected; Victory DART Station offers links south to the Downtown district and north to Market Center. Furthermore, there are several local bus stops all along its major avenues, and the whole area, particularly its southern end, is extremely pedestrian-friendly.

Best Hotels in Victory Park, Dallas

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5. Market Center: Best Location for a Budget Trip to Dallas

Market Center is a 5 million square foot wholesale complex located northwest of Downtown Dallas.

Why is this the best area to stay in Dallas, TX:
• Relatively central
• Cheapest area to stay in Dallas
• Connected by DART
• All kinds of hotels
• Great for business travelers

Opened in 1955, Dallas Market Center is a wholesale trade center located about 3.5 miles northwest of Downtown Dallas. It houses showrooms that sell consumer products including lighting, home décor, gifts, fashion, shoes, floral, and holiday products. It also hosts large-scale market events throughout the year.

Market Center consists of a four-building campus including the World Trade Center, Trade Mart, the International Trade Plaza, and Market Hall. While it is not open to the public (you must be legally registered as a retailer), it is a major business travel destination in Texas.

That said, Market Center is a great area to stay in Dallas regardless of the purpose of your visit, even if you are on a leisure trip. The area is packed with all kinds of accommodations, from budget motels to luxurious business-oriented properties. Its great road connections to downtown and the fact that it is linked by the Green and Orange DART lines makes it a very convenient area for both tourists and business travelers.

Best Hotels in Market Center

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6. Galleria & North Dallas: Best Location for Shopping & a Luxury Trip

North Dallas is an upscale district home to The Galleria shopping center and a handful of attractions.

Why is this the best area to stay in Dallas, TX:
• Upscale district
• Safest area to stay in Dallas
• Shopping centers
• Upmarket of hotels

Dallas’s northernmost districts such as Far North Dallas, Addison, and North Dallas are some of the city’s swankiest areas. Home to the upper and upper-middle classes, these mainly residential sections of town also host golf courses and large shopping centers.

Perhaps the best-known mall in the city, The Galleria Dallas offers department stores, dining, shops, and a skating rink. Nearby, the Lincoln Centre Dallas is a multi-building office campus and mixed-use development.

North Dallas is also home to a handful of cultural and tourist attractions including the Cavanaugh Flight Museum, the Mary Kay Museum, and several art galleries.

Since North Dallas is a mainly residential and largely suburban sprawl, the best way to move around is by car. That said, buses and taxis are also widely available.

Best Hotels in North Dallas

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7. Love Field: Good Central Location near Dallas’s Low-Cost Hub

The Love Field Airport area is relatively central and convenient, especially for Southwest passengers.

Dallas Love Field airport is located 6 miles northwest of downtown Dallas. It was Dallas’s main airport until 1974 when Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport opened. It is the birthplace and a major hub for Southwest Airlines.

Needless to say, the Love Field area is very convenient for Southwest passengers on a long layover. Additionally, Love Field boasts a relatively central location and a broad offer of budget and mid-range hotels.

The Green and Orange DART lines connect the area to Downtown Dallas and buses and taxis are also widely available.

Best Hotels near Love Field Airport

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8. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport: Best Location for a Layover

The second-busiest international hub in Texas, Dallas-Fort Worth Airport offers connections to more than 200 destinations worldwide.

The Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is one of the busiest airports in the country and the world.

Located roughly halfway between the major cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, DFW is the largest hub for American Airlines and an important destination for most major carriers in the US.

While not as exciting as the central districts listed above, staying near the airport is especially convenient for passengers on a layover. Hotels in the airport area usually offer shuttle services and tend to have cheaper rates than those located downtown.

Best Hotels near DFW Airport

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Where to stay in Dallas: Useful Information

Dallas is officially the third most populous city in Texas, although its metropolitan area, which includes Fort Worth and other cities, makes it the most populated urban area in the state and the fourth overall in the United States.

Dallas is considered one of the largest oil capitals in the world and one of the wealthiest cities in America. Its towering skyscrapers and the endless suburban sprawls that make up most of its residential areas give an account of the prosperity of this great city.

They say everything is bigger in Texas, and Dallas is the largest city here.

The economic weight of Dallas and the magnitude of its international airport make this Texan city a world-class business destination and the gateway par excellence to North Texas.

With enough tourist attractions to spend a couple of days, it’s no wonder many travelers choose to stay in Dallas as a base for exploring the rest of the Lone Star State.

Being a wealthy and prosperous business center, Dallas hotels tend to be on the expensive side of things, particularly the ones in more central locations. The average price for a room night in the Downtown area is about $ 150, a fare that tends to soar whenever there are fairs and congresses going on in the city. See hotels in Downtown Dallas.

Even though prices can be high, the downtown area is definitely the most recommended area to stay in Dallas, especially if you are planning to stay in Dallas without a car. The city is huge and, although there is a metro system (called DART), its lines are rather scarce and trains infrequent.

The cheapest area to stay in Dallas is Market Center, which has a DART station. It is located about 4 miles northwest of Downtown. See hotels in Market Center.

Another good area to stay in Dallas, especially if you travel by car, is the Love Field area, near the secondary airport of Dallas. See hotels around Love Field.

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