A new place to stay makes Oak Lawn even more of a travel destination
The new Marriott on Fairmount Street in the Uptown section of Oak Lawn is a warm and friendly new addition to the neighborhood and the first new option in where to stay in the area in several decades. Multi-floor windows in the lobby and a patio along the street invite the neighborhood inside. A mural behind the check-in desk is made of salvaged wood reclaimed from older buildings in the area.
Visitors to Dallas can get a great view of downtown from the fifth floor infinity pool deck. For anyone from Dallas who doesn’t hang out in Uptown, the area is unrecognizable from the days when Fairmount Street’s large homes had all been converted into antique shops. Today, Uptown is an extension of downtown divided only by Klyde Warren Park, Dallas’ very successful and always active deck park over Woodall Rodgers Expressway.
From the hotel, it’s easy to reach downtown two unique ways — the trolley or the Katy Trail.
Two blocks down the street from the new Marriott is the Katy Trail. A staircase from Fairmount Street leads up to the trail. Walk, jog, skate or bike along the trail that goes north to Highland Park or south to the Victory neighborhood and American Airlines arena.
Four blocks up the street is the McKinney Avenue trolley, connecting uptown to Klyde Warren Park, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Nasher Sculpture Center and the rest of the Arts District including the Meyerson Symphony Center, Winspear Opera House and Wyly Theater. The Arts District is about a mile from the new Marriott.
Once in-person events return and LGBTQ groups begin looking for new venues, the third-floor banquet facilities can host events of up to 400 people. Three levels of underground valet parking can accommodate cars from the area converging on this new meeting location. The hotel’s general manager said he’d love to speak with groups planning events and couples planning weddings.
For weddings, Oak Lawn is a convenient location for family traveling from out-of-town. Located about five miles from Love Field, getting to the hotel couldn’t be easier — from terminal to hotel requires just two turns.
I’ve stayed in several hotels since the beginning of the pandemic and the Marriott Dallas Uptown provided the best service I’ve seen. In other hotels I’ve stayed in during the pandemic, all food service in those hotels were closed. So were public bathrooms. And finding anyone to provide an extra towel was a struggle.
While housekeeping during a stay at the Marriott is by request only, the room was stocked with plenty of towels for a multi-day stay, and the staff was knowledgeable and friendly at the new Marriott Uptown. Room service is 24 hours.
Inside the hotel, Vicinity Coffee in the lobby serves Starbucks and snacks and is open 6 a.m.-2 p.m. Good Graces, described as a modern brasserie, is open for lunch 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and dinner from 5 p.m.-9 p.m. and until 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
One of the reasons to spend some time in the area is the wide variety of dining options throughout Uptown and Oak Lawn. But closest to the hotel are Nick & Sam’s, directly behind the hotel for formal dining and the Stoneleigh P for casual dining on Maple Avenue a block from the hotel entrance.
As more things open and new events and celebrations are planned, the Marriott Uptown is a welcome addition to the community.
