Dallas, USA
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Airport: Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
Served by: American Airlines, British Airways, Qantas
City Statistics
Overview
Getting There By Air
Tel: (972) 973 8888.
Website: www.dfwairport.com
The airport is 30km (18 miles) from Downtown Dallas, about 30 minutes by road. It has five passenger terminals (A, B, C, D and E) that carry around 60 million passengers per year. From here, any major US, Canadian or Mexican city is only four hours away.
Airport facilities: All the terminals are well served by a range of eating and drinking outlets, gift shops, bureaux de change, a barber's shop and ATMs. Of greatest interest are the retail shops, restaurants and spectacular art exhibitions inside the new, ultra-modern Terminal D, the international terminal. Tourist information is available, as are major car hire firms, including Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, National and Thrifty.
Transport to the city: Visitors should remember that the Dallas-Fort Worth conurbation is locally referred to as the ‘Metroplex'. Taxis are found on the upper terminal level. All other ground transport is found on the lower level, where there is a general transport information office (tel: (972) 574 5878). Several shuttle services operate from the airport including Yellow Checker Shuttle (tel: (214) 841 1900 or (817) 267 5150; www.yellowcheckershuttle.com), City Shuttle (tel: (214) 760 1998; www.cityshuttle.net), SuperShuttle (tel: (817) 329 2000; www.supershuttle.com) and Suvana Dallas DFW Airport Shuttle Service (tel: (267) 390 4122; www.suvana.com/dfw-airport-shuttle.html). Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) and Fort Worth's The T provide rail service to the airport via the Trinity Railway Express (TRE) (tel: (214) 979 1111; www.trinityrailwayexpress.org), Monday to Saturday. A shuttle bus connects with the TRE station at CentrePort, five minutes from the airport. DART provides express service to Remote North Parking via bus 310 (tel: (214) 979 1111; www.dart.org). Many hotels operate their own courtesy shuttle service.
Dallas Love Field (DAL)
Tel: (214) 670 6073.
Website: www.dallas-lovefield.com
Located 10km (6 miles) from Downtown, this was the sole city airport until DFW opened in 1974. Today, it is a regional airport served by national airlines, including Southwest, American and Continental.
Airport facilities: These are limited to eating places and basic shops. Car hire is available from all the major providers, including Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz and National.
Transport to the city: All ground transport is found at the main terminal lobby and baggage-claim area. DART (tel: (214) 979 1111; www.dart.org) bus 539 goes to downtown Dallas 0600-2230. Taxis are also available. Several shuttle services operate from the airport, including City Shuttle (tel: (214) 760 1998; www.cityshuttle.net), SuperShuttle (tel: (800) 258 3826; www.supershuttle.com) and Yellow Checker Shuttle (tel: (972) 222 2000; www.yellowcheckershuttle.com).
Approximate flight times to Dallas: From London is 9 hours 30 minutes; from New York is 4 hours 15 minutes; from Los Angeles is 3 hours 15 minutes; from Toronto is 3 hours 35 minutes and from Sydney is 17 hours.
Getting Around
Public transport buses and trains are operated by the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) authority (tel: (214) 979 1111; www.dart.org). The urban light railway and the commuter line, which are separate lines in the south and north, combine to form a single route in the downtown area. The system operates 0400-2400.
Bus tickets must be purchased with exact change in cash. Alternatively, prepaid tickets and day passes can be purchased from vending machines at the station. Day passes may be purchased in advance online at www.dart.org.
DART has joined forces with the volunteer-run McKinney Avenue Transit Authority to operate the historic M-Line Streetcar, providing free, daily transit service in downtown and to connect downtown with the uptown neighbourhood. Schedules and detailed route information are available (tel: (214) 979 1111 or (214) 855 0006; www.mata.org).
Downtown Dallas is essentially on a north-south grid layout, although north of Pacific Avenue, the grid is skewed slightly and angled more on a northwest-southeast axis. The same happens south of Young Street. Circling the whole Downtown is a freeway, known as the Central Expressway at the northeast corner and east side, the Thornton Freeway at the southern edge, becoming Stemmons Freeway up the west side and then Woodall Rogers across the northern edge.
There are three toll roads in Dallas. One is the North Tollway, which goes from Downtown up into Collin County. There are tolls at various points along it. Exact change is necessary and can be thrown into a wide coin-catching basket. Locals will have automatic toll smart-cards attached to their windscreens, so they appear to be going through without paying. The other toll road is the Mountain Creek Bridge in southwestern Dallas County. The third is the George Bush Turnpike, an east-west route across the northern suburbs, with Garland at the east end and Irving at the west.
There are meters and parking lots all over Downtown, which can be expensive, except at weekends. Visitors should read meters carefully as timings will be enforced.
Car hire is available from Alamo (tel: 1 800 327 9633; www.alamo.com), Avis (tel: 1 800 230 4898; www.avis.com), Budget (tel: 1 800 527 0700; www.budget.com), Dollar (tel: 1 800 800 3665; www.dollar.com), Enterprise (tel: 1 800 261 7331; www.enterprise.com), Hertz (tel: 1 800 654 3131; www.hertz.com) and Thrifty (tel: 1 800 847 4389; www.thrifty.com). For something with a real local flavour, visiting drivers should try Exotic Car Rental of Texas (tel: (800) 979 2585 www.rentexoticcars.com/dallas.html).
Hotels
The hotel scene in Dallas is continually expanding. The Joule, Dallas (see below) transformed a historic downtown building into a 129-room luxury boutique hotel in 2008 and Aloft Dallas Downtown hotel opened its stylish loft-inspired design hotel in 2009.
The hotels below have been classed into four different price categories:
$$$$ (over US$250)
$$$ (US$150 to US$250)
$$ (US$100 to US$149)
$ (up to US$100)
The prices quoted above are the starting prices for a double room per night, including VAT but excluding lodging tax and breakfast, unless otherwise specified. Hotels in Dallas charge a 15% lodging tax. In nearly all cases, these are not included in the quoted room rate and will be added to bills at the end of the hotel stay.
Luxury
The Adolphus
Built in 1912 by beer baron Adolphus Busch as his Texas palace, this stunning, 21-floor hotel is known for its utter elegance and baroque design details. Flemish tapestries, lacquered chinoiserie dating from the 19th century, a Napoleon III oval mirror and the exquisite French Room restaurant have kept it a top destination choice in Texas. The hotel offers executive business centre, small fitness centre, gift shop and transportation by luxury sedan to various points in downtown Dallas. Guest rooms are appointed with English, Queen Anne, and Chippendale reproduction pieces, and the fabulous Terrace Suites feature outdoor patios for entertaining.
1321 Commerce Street
Dallas
United States
Tel: (214) 742 8200
Web: www.hoteladolphus.com/
The Joule, Dallas
This newly opened boutique hotel is located in the city's downtown historic district in a renovated 1920s neo-Gothic building. An added 10-storey tower and contemporary lobby showcase stunning art and design structures highlighting the oil and gas theme appropriate to the 'Big D' (Dallas). The Joule's cantilevered pool extends 5ft off the edge of the building, and is even open free in the summer to non-guests from 0500 to noon. Rooms and suites have sleek, inventive décor, and the Fitness Center is state-of-the-art. Don't miss the hotel's restaurant and wine room, run by celebrity chef Charlie Palmer.
1530 Main Street
Dallas
United States
Tel: (214) 748 1300
Web: www.starwoodhotels.com/luxury
Hyatt Regency Dallas
The skyline of 'Big D' was changed in the late 1970s with the arrival of this complex of mirror-faced planes, crowned by the 50-storey Reunion Tower. The landmark hotel features a dramatic, 18-storey atrium lobby and is adjacent to the vintage Union Station and the historic shopping/dining district known as the West End. Three ballrooms, two exhibit halls, 55 meeting rooms, 41 hospitality suites and the city's closest convention centre location for business travellers ensure the hotel is among the best in Dallas. In addition, there are 1,122 guest rooms, a full fitness centre (accommodating guests with disabilities), an outdoor pool and six dining options.
300 Reunion Boulevard
Dallas
United States
Tel: (214) 651 1234
Web: dallasregency.hyatt.com
Sheraton Dallas Hotel
This magnificently renovated downtown landmark stands out as one of the choice hotels in all of Texas. Most of the 1,840 guest rooms offer exceptional views of the city, and more than 200 suites in four designs provide guests with excellent work and entertainment settings. The Sheraton Dallas also has a brand new Club Lounge that offers guests complimentary breakfast and afternoon hors d'oeuvres. There is a fully equipped health club, with indoor and outdoor swimming pools, as well as a nice selection of ballrooms and boardrooms, allowing guests to host functions for up to 5,000 people.
400 North Olive Street
Dallas
United States
Tel: (214) 922 8000
Web: www.sheratondallashotel.com/
Four Seasons Resort and Club, Dallas at Las Colinas
Renowned as home to the TPC Byron Nelson Golf Classic, the Four Seasons is a contemporary hotel affording a distinctive setting for business gatherings. Accommodating functions for up to 700 people, the sleek and elegant resort has a new ballroom, 31 multi-purpose meeting rooms and an astounding audio-visual/technology department. Along with an 18-hole championship golf course, indoor/outdoor tennis facilities, four swimming pools, jogging paths through beautiful landscape and a fitness centre with personal training staff, there is a European-style spa to die for. Guests can select from 357 rooms and suites, most with private balconies overlooking fairways, and 50 grouped into private villas. Café on the Green is one of the most highly regarded restaurants in the metro area, with exceptional sommelier service.
Irving
4150 North MacArthur Boulevard
Dallas
United States
Tel: (972) 717 0700
Web: www.fourseasons.com/dallas
Hilton Anatole
Anchoring the prestigious Dallas Design District, the Anatole is a sprawling hotel complex noted for its art collection, 3-hectare (7-acre) sculpture park, three swimming pools, numerous dining options and cocktail lounges, health club and spa, and 1,606 guest rooms, including 128 suites. A favourite for meetings and conventions, the Anatole offers plenty of meeting space, an in-house business centre and audio/visual services.
2201 Stemmons Freeway
Dallas
United States
Tel: (214) 748 1200
Web: www.hilton.com/
Belmont Hotel
With a motto boasting 'Reinventing 1940s cool,' you can be sure this is the place for travellers who enjoy all things retro. A renovated motel immediately to the west of Downtown, this fabulous little inn overlooking the Trinity River and the Dallas skyline offers the best of boutique lodging. Contemporary and casually luxurious, the Belmont has four small buildings with rooms and suites, providing garden settings, city views and swimming pool. Free Wi-Fi access and Kiehl's bath products are among amenities. A chic bar and cafe are also on site.
901 Fort Worth Avenue
Dallas
United States
Tel: (214) 393 2300
Web: www.belmontdallas.com
Kiepersol Estates Bed & Breakfast
A perfect romantic getaway, on the same property as the renowned Kiepersol restaurant and vineyard, this charming B&B is located on the outskirts of Tyler, in the rolling hill country of East Texas. Five rooms are named after regions of owner Pierre de Wet's native South Africa and are luxuriously appointed with fine linen, rich draperies, king beds and private baths. Three rooms have private porches and hot tubs overlooking secluded gardens. Antique furnishings blend with intriguing old B&W family photographs adorning the walls. Dine on prime Texas beef at adjoining steakhouse, and sample full-bodied wines from Kiepersol Estates vineyard. Winery tours or horse-drawn carriage rides are available.
Tyler
21508 Merlot Lane
Dallas
United States
Tel: (903) 894 3300
Web: www.kiepersol.com/
Hotel ZaZa
This mind-boggling lodging in Uptown seems drawn from a Hollywood movie set. Lavish furnishings, Frette linens, cutting-edge technology, rainforest showers in luxurious bathrooms and high ceilings make the large 146 guest rooms and suites feel like private apartments within the South-of-France-style building. Meeting spaces accommodate up to 300. The on-site Dragonfly restaurant has won numerous awards for inspired Eurasian cuisine and throngs of fans for its chic bar scene.
2332 Leonard Street
Dallas
United States
Tel: (214) 468 8399
Web: www.hotelzazadallas.com/
Warwick Melrose Hotel
Open since 1924, this divine lodging was declared a historic landmark in 1983. Easily one of the city's favourite sites for weddings, the Melrose has hosted well-heeled guests through the years, including Elizabeth Taylor, Arthur Miller and Luciano Pavarotti. Situated in the Oak Lawn neighbourhood, with wonderful convenience to top-notch dining and shopping in the Uptown and Highland Park districts, the hotel is home to the swanky Landmark Restaurant and the very popular Library Bar . Inside the 184 guest rooms and suites are marble baths with full-length towelling bathrobes and hairdryers, work desks, two-line speaker telephones with voice-mail, data ports and high-speed Internet connection, and mahogany furniture draped in luxurious fabrics.
3015 Oak Lawn Avenue
Dallas
United States
Tel: (214) 521 5151
Web: www.melrosehoteldallas.com/
W Dallas - Victory Hotel
Within walking distance from the Dallas Arts District, the trendy new W Hotel is modern and edgy, overlooking the sports venue of Victory Plaza and breathtaking night views of downtown Dallas. Luxury dominates the 252 oversized rooms and the signature Wow Suites, outfitted with rainforest showerheads and plasma TVs. The signature Ginger Rub at the W's Bliss spa is transcendental. Lobby-level lounge and rooftop Ghostbar draw the ultra-hip late-night crowds. Award-winning Tom Colicchio's Craft restaurant on the ground floor revolutionizes food in Dallas. The infinity swimming pool has a stunning view.
2440 Victory Park Lane
Dallas
United States
Tel: (214) 397 4100
Web: www.whotels.com/dallas
Business Etiquette
Punctuality for business meetings is expected; visitors should always allow for traffic delays and aim to arrive with five to 10 minutes to spare. Meetings can be at all times of the day, even a working breakfast or an evening meal, which can be a relaxed social affair or a more formal business meal. If clarification is necessary, Texans won't mind being asked. Americans are generally very tolerant over personal needs with regard to diet, so visitors should not worry about making this clear when choosing from a menu. Alcohol consumption is treated as a personal choice. If invited to a colleague's home for dinner, a small gift (such as a bottle of wine or something from one's own country, a neatly wrapped box of chocolates or similar confectionery) will often be appropriate as a gesture of thanks. A ‘thank you' card sent by post after the event would be appreciated.
Business hours can start as early as 0800 in weekdays, although 0830 is more likely. The working day usually ends between 1700 and 1800. Working late is nonetheless common, nor is it unusual for people to be working well into the night or over the weekend. Business cards are commonly exchanged at meetings and e-mail is a favourite means of communication.
Sightseeing
But there are also many happier places to visit Downtown, the heartbeat of this vibrant commerce centre and home of the Arts District. The Dallas Museum of Art is the perfect place to begin a cultural exploration, followed by a tour of the Nasher Sculpture Center. Consider taking in a concert at the Morton H Meyerson Symphony Center or a touring Broadway show at the Majestic Theater.
Old Red Courthouse, 100 South Houston Street
Tel: (214) 571 1000 or 1300 or 1301 (24-hour events hotline) or 1 800 232 5527.
Website: www.visitdallas.com
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1700; Sat and Sun 0900-1700.
Key Attractions
Through its four vaulted galleries, the African-American Museum fully details African-American art and history from pre-colonial times to the present day, with permanent and temporary exhibitions.
3536 Grand Avenue
Dallas
United States
Tel: (214) 565 9026.
Web: www.aamdallas.org
Opening hours: <p>Tue-Fri 1200-1700, Sat 1000-1700, Sun 1300-1700.<br /> </p>
Admission Fee: Yes.
Afternoon Tea at The Adolphus hotel
The Adolphus (see Hotels ), with its baroque splendour, is the place to seek respite amidst Downtown's hubbub. The epitome of old-style southern refinement, the hotel was built in 1912, by Adolphus Busch, the Missouri beer magnate. In its day, it was not as imprisoned by modernity as it unfortunately is today, hemmed in by other buildings. Inside, however, the city may as well be on another planet. High tea, in the English style, includes the hotel's own scones topped with Devonshire cream and raspberry marmalade, finger sandwiches, fruit tarts and hand-dipped chocolate truffles.
1321 Commerce Street
Dallas
United States
Tel: (214) 742 8200.
Web: www.hoteladolphus.com
Admission Fee: No.
Dallas Museum of Art
The spacious permanent collection galleries at the Dallas Museum of Art cover different types of art from ancient to modern times, from the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia. Of particular significance is the Wendy and Emery Reves Collection of Impressionist paintings. Many visiting exhibitions from prized collections around the world include such treasures as the golden Tutankhamun mummies from Egypt. The museum shop is worth a visit for unusual gifts and souvenirs.
1717 North Harwood Street
Dallas
United States
Tel: (214) 922 1200 or 1803.
Web: www.dallasmuseumofart.org
Opening hours: Tue-Wed, Fri-Sun 1100-1700; Thu 1100-2100.
Admission Fee: Yes.
Dealey Plaza and the Sixth Floor Museum
The Texas School Book Depository was a rather ordinary building in downtown Dallas until the infamous assassination of US President John F Kennedy on November 22 1963 as he travelled in an open limousine through Dallas on a pre-election visit.
Lee Harvey Oswald, the 24-year-old Dallas citizen who was accused of the crime, and was himself shot dead by nightclub owner Jack Ruby just two days later, had a filing job at the depository. The deadly shot was fired from the sixth floor of the building, which is now the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza documenting both the assassination itself and the life and times of JFK. Visitors can immerse themselves in the events of the fateful day, with a minute-by-minute account of the action as well as recordings of news broadcasts and even material showing mourning vigils in India and Germany. Other exhibitions focus on the four investigations into the crime, the legacy of Kennedy's administration, and the various theories on who carried out the assassination. The corner staircase where the rifle was found, and down which the assassin is thought to have escaped, has been reconstructed according to official police photographs. Background information to the shooting is provided through displays on the 1960s political, cultural and social movements, and visitors can add their own comments to memorial books which are kept as part of the museum archives The Plaza itself is simply an outdoor grassy area on the north side of Elm Street, surmounted by an unadorned white stone platform where people go for a few quiet and thoughtful moments. The actual JFK Memorial is nearby in downtown on Main Street and Market Street, at the Dallas County Historical Plaza, and was designed by New Yorker Philip Johnson, a friend of the Kennedy family.
411 Elm Street
Dallas
United States
Tel: (214) 747 6660 or 1 888 485 4854.
Web: www.jfk.org
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 1000-1800, Mon 1200-1800.
Admission Fee: Yes.
Fair Park
Fair Park's 111 hectares (277 acres) was created in 1936, for the Texas Centennial Exposition. There is too much to do in one day, or even several days, as it comprises museums, concert facilities, theatres and other venues. It is best for tourists to choose what they wish to visit in advance and combine that with a stroll through the park, as the central promenade has murals and sculptures.
Some of the main highlights include The Women's Museum, Texas Discovery Gardens, The Hall of State, the Museum of the American Railroad, Texas Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Music Hall at Fair Park. The Dallas Aquarium is undergoing a major renovation and will reopen in 2010 as The Children's Aquarium at Fair Park.
1300 Robert B McCullum Street
Dallas
United States
Tel: (214) 670 8400.
Web: www.fairpark.org
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours.
Admission Fee: No.
Fountain Place
In such a landlocked city, this square is made all the more attractive by its impressive water displays and its calming trees and streams. There are 172 'blubber fountains' (low dome-shaped fountains), while the Central Court Fountain has 360 fountain heads. Around 2.25 million litres (0.5 million gallons) of water pass through the plaza, and at night, coloured lights play on the shimmering cascades. The huge, 60-storey glass building is part of the design and is based on a prism, a favourite theme of architect I M Pei, who also designed the glass pyramid outside the Louvre in Paris (France, that is, not Texas). There are other designs by Pei around the city and discovering them makes a good theme for an unusual exploration. The Dallas City Hall ( ), which houses Henry Moore's largest bronze sculpture, is one example. The Morton H Meyerson Symphony Center ( ) is another.
at North Field Street
1445 Ross Avenue
Dallas
United States
Tel: (214) 855 7766.
Web: No.
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours.
Culture
Anita N Martinez Ballet Folklorico
For a Hispanic flavour, there is the Anita N Martinez Ballet Folklorico. 4422 Live Oak Street Tel: (214) 828 0181. www.anmbf.org
Opera
Music Hall at Fair Park
The Dallas Opera plays at the Music Hall at Fair Park. Fair Park, 909 First Avenue Tel: (214) 565 1116. www.liveatthemusichall.com
Theatre
Majestic Theater
Majestic Theater is a restored 1920s movie palace and vaudeville hall, and offers theatre productions. 925 Elm Street Tel: (214) 880 0137. www.liveatthemajestic.com
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