Where To Stay In Dallas ( BEST AREA & Hotels )

What is the best area to stay in Dallas?

By Lissa Reed. February 16, 2024

Busy, bustling Dallas—fondly known as The Big D—is a city with a little bit of something for everyone. Here, you’ll find scores of restaurants catering to tastes that circle the globe. There’s world-renowned designer shopping, but also small, locally owned boutiques with amazing offerings. The Mavericks basketball team and the Stars hockey franchise call Dallas home. There are plentiful museums and nearby amusement parks for family fun, while live entertainment and a thriving nightlife scene keep evenings exciting. It’s easy to see that anyone who travels to Dallas is going to have a great time!

The best area to stay in Dallas is Downtown. Easy to navigate with full access to Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) facilities, Downtown offers the greatest concentration of eateries, sights, and historical interest. You’ll get to see Reunion Tower and its nightly light shows, a majestic endcap to the brightly iconic neon Dallas skyline. Dealey Plaza and The Sixth Floor Museum are available for history buffs to explore. Nearby, you’ll be able to visit _Deep Ellu_m, Dallas’ eclectic and lively entertainment district. Art museums abound here as well, a feast for the eyes and spirit.On the map, which shows the most convenient area to stay in Dallas, you can see a selection of some of the best located hotels.

If you are interested in where to stay in Dallas, you may also be interested in where to stay in Austin, where to stay in Houston and where to stay in San Antonio.

Downtown Dallas, the best area to stay in Dallas

Best For: Tourists / Sightseeing / Without a Car

To stay in Downtown Dallas is to stay in the vibrant, beating heart of the city itself. It is an area of constant growth and evolution, with surprises around every corner. Towering, modern skyscrapers share their urban footprints with historic structures that have many a story to tell. For every glowing neon light at night, there’s a pocket of greens pace for visitors to enjoy by day—and for much of the year, the weather is bright and sunny, allowing for plenty of outdoor time to rejuvenate body and soul. When it’s time to retreat indoors, there are accommodations here to suit every budget, large and small.

Downtown Dallas, with its wealth of activity and entertainment, is a place for building memories. Color, light, and sound create a rich tapestry that blankets the area and brings it to life every day. The food is first-class, the sights unforgettable, and the possibilities endless. From the Arboretum to the Zoo, your experience in the lively heart of North Texas will be packed with fun and fanfare. A visit here, whether for a weekend or a longer escape, will be a vacation you’ll remember forever—and we can’t wait to see you there.

Hotels in Downtown Dallas

Other neighborhoods to stay in Dallas

Main Street District

Best For: History Lovers / Shoppers / Pedestrians / Urban Art Fans

The Main Street district of Dallas is part of the Downtown neighborhood, and was the first area of Dallas to really undergo a major restoration and revival of its heritage buildings. This is where you’ll find the original Neiman-Marcus store, the legendary Magnolia Hotel with its iconic neon Pegasus on the roof, and many other stunning older buildings that have been restored to their original grandeur.

Main Street is in many ways a visual treat. Visitors can enjoy the whimsical Giant Eyeball, reigning in all its ocular majesty on a gentle hilltop in its own pocket of greenspace. Less than a block later, the beautiful and vibrant mosaic façade of the St. Jude Catholic Chapel will capture your attention. Pops of modern color and structure contrast with the old stone carvings on so many of the buildings, helping to bring the Main Street District into the present day while still respecting its past.

Hotels in Main Street District

Park Central

Best For: Families / Shoppers / With a Car

While Downtown Dallas may be the best area to stay in, in terms of entertainment and interest value, it’s certainly not the only one! Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas, with plenty to see and do within her city limits. You have the choice of being in the middle of it all, or with giving yourself the gift of being somewhere a bit more calm.

Park Central is a modern neighborhood in North Dallas, just off of 635 and 75. It’s away from the hustle and bustle of downtown, but puts you near some great shopping, parks, and attractions. Downtown itself is still only a 20-minute drive away, and there are plenty of DART access points if you prefer public transit. You may enjoy staying in the peace and quiet of elegant Park Central, while also being able to access downtown with ease.

Hotels in Park Central

Uptown

Best For:

Nightlife Lovers / Sporting Events / Couples

Vibrant Uptown Dallas is an unforgettable experience, and a premier area to spend time in. Situated north of the Downtown district, Uptown is eminently navigable, with a great concentration of DART buses, trains, and trams available to take you anywhere you need to go. There’s even a DART light-rail train that can take you from DFW International Airport right into Uptown—so handy!

In Uptown, you can travel the McKinney Avenue vintage tram and visit the quirky bars and cool restaurants that line the street. Nature-lovers and jogging enthusiasts will love the number of beautiful parks within their reach. If you’re a sports fan, then events at the American Airlines Center will be the highlight of your trip. And of course, Uptown’s nightlife, catering to a number of diverse demographics will be sure to light up your evening and keep you partying until dawn.

Hotels in Uptown

Galleria

Best For:

Shoppers / Families

The world-famous Galleria is a beautiful place to spend time. Designed to resemble Milan’s iconic Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the world’s oldest active shopping gallery, the glass-roofed Dallas mall attracts millions of visitors annually. If you’re looking to stay close by, you’re in luck; there are a number of top-class hotels right in the area, as well as several offerings to suit the more modest budget.

In the Galleria, you’ll be able to browse dozens of shops with all kinds of offerings—everything from Gucci and Tiffany to Zara and H&M. A number of restaurants are also on hand here, with cuisines to suit any taste and budget. Football fans will appreciate that there’s a Dallas Cowboys Pro Shop on site, for all your game day needs! And of course, the ice skating rink is available year-round for your recreational enjoyment.

Hotels in Galleria

Market Center

Best For: Foodies / Nightlife Lovers / Hipsters

The Market Center neighborhood is a busy intersection of interests in Dallas—it is near Downtown, within reach of the Cedar Springs nightlife district, close to the Design District, and backs up against Trammel Crow Park. There are a number of delicious small locally-owned diners, barbecue joints, taquerias, and soul food restaurants in the vicinity, ready to take you on a flavor journey—though if you’re into entertainment while you eat, Medieval Times is also very close! This neighborhood boasts many of Dallas’ major hotels, so between the plentiful quality accommodations and its proximity to other celebrated areas of the city, it is very popular with visitors.

One particular must-see close to here is the Bishop Arts District, a ten-minute drive south of Market Center, where beautifully restored cottages now house boutiques and eateries in a colorful row up and down Bishop Avenue. This is a neighborhood you can spend a whole afternoon in before retiring to your Market Center hotel.

Hotels in Market Center

Deep Ellum

Best For:

Nightlife / Live Entertainment /Foodies

Deep Ellum has a deep and rich history as an entertainment district in Dallas. It’s known as the live entertainment capital of North Texas—you’ll find bands large and small playing in the venues here. Walk the streets and marvel at the colorful and creative street art that adorns the buildings. There are also drag shows, comedy acts, live theater and more happening daily in Deep Ellum; culture is the name of the game here.

Deep Ellum is also where you’ll find some of the best food in Dallas, from the elegant and elevated to the greatest greasy spoon fare you’ve ever tasted. Pick the right place, and you’ll get dinner and a show! Accommodations are available as well—there are several excellent chain hotels nearby, but if you want to stay in Deep Ellum itself, then you’ll want to book The Pittman, a beautiful four-star hotel built in what was once a Knights of Pythias Temple.

Hotels in Deep Ellum

Our recommended hotels in Dallas

Use the interactive map to navigate through our recommended hotels in Dallas Note: Hotel prices can change daily due to promotions, seasons, and demand. Our $ - $$$$ scale shows the overall cost range rather than exact prices.