Rockin’ round the Hotel

Disclaimer: If you are under the age of 50 you’ll either want to skip this blog or your curiosity will lead you to seek out a senior citizen for an explanation.

Staying at the Holiday Inn Dallas Market Center in Dallas Texas was like listening to a 45 RPM record. The hotel was shaped like one of those adapter doo-dads we used to put in the middle of the 45 so it would fit the spindle on the record player. From the moment I stepped into the hotel, I felt a bit like I was putting the stylus in the groove.

The elevator was the middle of the hole. Getting off the elevator was a little weird but nice, since there was no way to get lost. If I turned the wrong way off the elevator I just walked around and around until I found the hallway leading to my room. And there were no straight walls in the room - they all had a slight curve.

The whole hotel was sort of a time-warp. For an older hotel it was well-kept and the staff was exceptionally friendly. Maybe the lack of modernization was because the hotel was so isolated. There was a train track running alongside the property. I almost expected to see Uncle Joe movin’ kinda’ slow at the junction. And yes, I could hear the train at night - but that’s what earplugs are for, right?

I do have a semi-major complaint. I didn’t like having to enter the hotel through a smoke screen. Four or five people were sitting and smoking on the two benches on either side of the front door of the hotel. I’m guessing that either I arrived at shift change or the kids sneaked out of the prom for a Chesterfield.

Since there was absolutely nothing nearby, I ate dinner in the restaurant. After a nice meal I walked back to the elevator and went up to my floor. I noticed the halls had a slight musty smell, and I swear I could hear the crackle and pop of I Want to Hold Your Hand.

Not at all sleepless in Seattle

Seattle’s Space Needle is absolutely beautiful in the morning sun, and you can see it from your room if you are not staying in the Holiday Inn Dexter Avenue North in Seattle, Washington. My room had a view of the Pink Elephant Car Wash.

I thought it was very interesting that two Holiday Inn properties were right across the alley from one another, and the hotel planners made the lower end hotel the one with the view. Now, if you’ve read my previous posts you’ll know that I often stay in HI Express hotels, but if there is an acceptable full-service option I’ll usually choose it because of the convenience of the restaurant on site. That's how I made my decision this time.

The hotel was actually quite pleasant and had wonderful staff. It was a comfortable place to stay the 4 days I was in Seattle, and had concierge access and a nice little continental breakfast each day. There was a restaurant/bar connected to the property, not actually in the hotel. The bartenders were outstanding and seemed to enjoy talking about local color, including the famous homeless guy that had been “working” the pier area for over 20 years. There's nothing like stable employment.

If you’ve ever been to Seattle, you probably already know that parking anywhere in the city requires two things. 1) Patience 2) A bank loan. It was a bargain to park in the Holiday Inn’s underground garage for only $10.00 a night.

I enjoyed my trip to Seattle. The weather was perfect the entire time, and it was sheer joy to wake up and open the drapes each morning. The blue sky was glorious. The breeze was brisk. The air was clean, and so were the cars.