Two weeks ago, my son had a BMX race in South Dallas and I needed somewhere to spend the night. I am not too familiar with South Dallas so I immediately ruled it out as an area to try my luck, as it pertains to hotels. There was an Aloft Hotel in Arlington’s Entertainment District. I wanted to visit since it was a new to me hotel. As a matter of fact, it could not have been more than a few months old because I have never seen it while researching properties to visit in Dallas/Fort Worth.
Booking
I booked using 25,000 Bonvoy Points, 90 minutes prior to check-in. I could have spent $132 USD plus tax (government/military rate) or used my free night certificate that I received through the Marriott Bonvoy credit card.
Arrival
The hotel was indeed located in the Entertainment District. It was minutes away from Six Flags, Texas Rangers’ Stadium, Dallas Cowboys’ Stadium, and the E-Sports Stadium. The Aloft Hotel was located just off of Interstate 30’s Frontage Road. There was a really tight turn, through a gas station parking lot, to enter the property’s lot. Parking was complimentary.
Check-In
The front desk was to the left, just after the Refuel area, after I entered the property.
I was welcomed to the hotel and quickly asked to provide my card for incidentals. The nice woman working the front desk gave me two keys and tried to send me on my way. I asked about the 500 welcome points or even a welcome gift. She apologized, grabbed a bag which consisted of water and some fruit then assured me the points would appear in my account.
There was complimentary water (afternoons) and coffee (mornings) next to the front desk.
The double bed room was on the first floor, directly across from the from desk. To get to the room, I had to pass through the Business Center. It had obviously seen better days.
Room
Double Bed
I do not prefer rooms on the lower floor because of the noise and foot traffic inside and outside of the room. This one had another thing working against it, there was not a bathtub.
The bathroom was to the right as I entered the room. It was the standard set Aloft setup.
The rest of the room consisted of an open closet, sitting area, the two double beds and a TV. There was also an unappealing view of the restaurants across the parking lot.
I phoned the front desk to inquire about the possibility of moving to a double bed room with a bathtub. She welcomed me to hang out in the lobby while she checked. After 10 minutes, the clerk returned and presented my with new keys for a room on the second floor with a bathtub.
Accessible King Room
The room was just outside of the elevator on the right. As I entered, I realized that this was an accessible king room. Neither one were showstoppers, I preferred to have two beds though. Accessible rooms typically have bigger bathrooms, so I was appreciative.
The bath area was to the left after entering the room. It appeared to have been recently cleaned as the towels were on the countertop. The tub and toilet were in the same room. This is atypical for an Aloft room. One issue I encountered was I could not get the shower to work. This was because there was not a knob to turn or plunger to pull to get the shower going. After some time, I realized that the pulling down on the end of the bathtub faucet allowed the shower to work.
The rest of the room was a very comfortable king bed and all of the other items located in the previous room.
I requested a rollaway bed, but the hotel did not offer them. NOTE: Most Aloft properties do not have rollaway beds. The manager offer me a “fun pack”. The fun pack consisted of an air mattress with pump, UNO cards, and a deck of playing cards. The fun pack was a welcomed surprised. The air mattress was rated for 150 pounds.
Dining
There were two dining options at the property. The WXYZ Bar and ReFuel.
WXYZ Bar
WXYZ did not open until 5pm. Guests could enjoy cocktails and a small bar menu until 10pm. The bar was scheduled to close at 10pm, so I moved away from it at 10:03pm. At 10:20pm, a guest arrived so the bartender kept serving. This continued over and over until 00:30. I could not figure why he was “closing” at 10:00 only to keep it open for two and a half hours.
The bar had an expansive seating area. It included open and private seating arrangements. There was the typical Aloft pool table and numerous table games located in the bar.
ReFuel
ReFuel was 24 hours for snacks and drinks. There was a limited breakfast menu available. I ordered The Classic and The Sweet by completing the order card and providing it to the front desk. The Classic consisted of corn beef hash, potatoes, and eggs while The Sweet consisted of pancakes, berries, granola, and syrup. The food was delivered in small containers about 12 minutes later. The Classic was delicious and filling while The Sweet was exactly that, sweet. I did not enjoy The Sweet.
Fitness
The fitness center was located on the first past the front desk and elevators. It contained some treadmills, free weights, and rollers. I enjoyed it because no other guest came in while I was exercising.
Final Word
I enjoy Aloft properties, but my stay here was only ok. The front desk agent did not proactively offer a welcome gift or points. These are minor, but should not be overlooked on a regular basis. She did not make up for it by moving me to another room. As I said, the visit to this hotel was ok…maybe I need more hotel stays such as this.
