Hotel Review: Marriott Dallas Uptown
I usually steer away from the generic Marriott Hotel brand because its hotels are uninspiring, cookie-cutter hotels. If I were still in consulting traveling the country, I would choose the Marriott brand over Residence Inns or Courtyards because it is more upscale than those options. However, when I want to connect with the hotel and experience a new area, I search for more exclusive and unique hotels. On my recent trip to Dallas, I spotted Marriott Dallas Uptown and was excited to find out the hotel has a rooftop infinity pool and rooms with stylish decor. I was hesitant because I was disappointed with my lodging experience at Marriott Dallas Las Colinas, but I decided to give it a shot anyway. Here’s my review of Marriott Dallas Uptown:
Marriott Dallas Uptown is located at 3033 Fairmount St, Dallas, TX 75201.
What Card(s) Should You Use to Book?
I earn tons of Marriott Bonvoy points by using my American Express Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card. It currently offers a sign-up bonus of 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy points when you spend $5,000 within your first 3 months of card membership. The card earns 6X Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar when you book directly with Marriott, 3X points on dining and flights booked directly with airlines, and 2X on all other purchases. Paired with Marriott’s promotions and AMEX offers, it opens doors to endless points-earning opportunities.
The AMEX Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card comes with great benefits that can substantially offset its annual fee.
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card does come with a hefty $650 annual fee but offers tons of perks to significantly offset its costs. The card features the following benefits:
Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status
$25 monthly dining credit—$300 total in a year
$100 property credit when booked directly with Marriott and staying a minimum of two nights at Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis properties
An 85,000-point Free Night Award
Access to Priority Pass lounges
25 Elite Night Credits for chasing Marriott Bonvoy status
Even if you don’t stay at Marriott properties often, this card is still a must-have, in my opinion. It’s a true example of a keeper card that offers benefits that outweigh the annual fee.
If you’d like to apply for the AMEX Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card, please consider using my referral link. It will continue to help fund my blog operations and help visitors make informed decisions to maximize their rewards. Thank you! Click HERE to access my referral link!
If you are looking for a Marriott Bonvoy credit card with a low annual fee, consider the Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card. It currently offers a sign-up bonus of three Free Night Awards after spending $1,000 in three months, each covering up to 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. I personally value Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.8 cents each, making the 105,000 points offer worth $840. The Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card earns 6X points per dollar when you book directly with Marriott, 3X points on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases every year on dining, grocery stores, and gas stations, and 2X points on all other purchases.
Be aware that 15 elite night credits from the Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card can’t be combined with 15 elite night credits from the AMEX Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card.
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card’s annual fee is $95, and it offers useful perks to offset the cost:
Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status, the low-tier status offered in Marriott’s member ecosystem
A 35,000-point Free Night Award
15 Elite Night Credits that will help you achieve a higher Marriott Bonvoy status
Please note that you can’t combine Elite Night Credits from two Marriott Bonvoy personal credit cards, but you can stack Elite Night Credits from one personal and one Marriott Bonvoy business card. Thus, if you own both AMEX Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant and Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless, you would only earn 25 elite night credits.
If you’d like to apply for the Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card, please consider using my referral link. It will continue to help fund my blog operations and help visitors make informed decisions to maximize their rewards. Thank you!
The last Marriott Bonvoy credit card you could use would be the AMEX Marriott Bonvoy Business card. It currently offers a sign-up bonus of 125,000 Marriott Bonvoy points when you spend $5,000 within your first 3 months of card membership. Considering that the annual membership costs $125, you get paid to have the card! The card earns 6X Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar when you book directly with Marriott, 4X points on dining, U.S. shipping purchases, U.S. wireless telephone services, and at U.S. gas stations. All other purchases earn 2X points.
The AMEX Marriott Bonvoy Business card is the only Marriott business card on the market.
The AMEX Marriott Bonvoy Business card’s annual fee is $125, and it offers valuable benefits to justify the cost:
Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status, the low-tier status offered in Marriott’s member ecosystem
A 35,000-point Free Night Award
15 Elite Night Credits, which can be combined with 15 Elite Night Credits from other personal Marriott Bonvoy credit cards
As you can see, the card’s benefits are less substantial than the ones from the AMEX Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card, but it is a great long-term keeper card due to its annual Free Night Award perk. Furthermore, it is absolutely necessary if you want to chase a higher Marriott Bonvoy status because it is the only Marriott business card that is on the market and will grant you an additional 15 Elite Night Credits. Lastly, even though it is a business credit card, it is very likely that you could get it approved. Check out my article on how to apply for a business credit card as a sole proprietor.
If you’d like to apply for the AMEX Marriott Bonvoy Business card, please consider using my referral link. It will continue to help fund my blog operations and help visitors make informed decisions to maximize their rewards. Thank you! Click HERE to access my referral link!
Location
Marriott Dallas Uptown is situated in the uptown area of the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area. It is conveniently located close to major attractions such as the Museum of Geometric and MADI Arts and only a 10-minute car ride to Dallas Love Field Airport. For outdoor runners, Marriott Dallas Uptown is adjacent to the historic Katy Trail, where you can jog or walk along its 3.5-mile trail.
Lobby & Check-In Review
Luckily, I drove from Austin and didn’t have to pay $35 for valet parking since there were many street parking spots around the hotel. The lobby was bright and inviting, with modern chandeliers hanging from the top.
The geometric shapes of the central light fixture were somewhat futuristic-looking.
The lobby had various seating arrangements, ranging from single lounge sofas to long group tables.
The lobby was attractively designed with various materials used for furniture.
The hotel bar served as a centerpiece of the lobby, and the bar top’s white marble finish matched the opulence of the lobby.
At night, the hotel bar became busy with guests enjoying cocktails after attending the wedding upstairs.
In general, I was impressed with the interior design and curation of exciting pieces of furniture. The lobby utilized various contrasting materials such as leather, wood, marble, and glass in a harmonious way—a stylish representation that I hadn’t encountered at other Marriott hotels.
With tall windows, the lobby was full of natural lights.
The check-in desk was quite crowded when I arrived because there was a wedding on the weekend I visited. Thus, all rooms were sold out, and I wasn’t able to secure a complimentary upgrade even with my Titanium Elite status.
The artistic mural behind the front desk represented the nearby Katy Trail.
However, the front desk representative put me on a higher floor with a slightly more spacious bedroom. After hearing about hotel amenities, I grabbed my key and went up to the 12th floor, where my room was located.
Bedroom Review
The bedroom was roomier than I thought, and I liked that the floor wasn’t carpeted except for the bedsides. The floating king bed featured a leather headboard that was fully integrated into the accent wall, which stretched the entire width of the room.
The floating bedframe modernized the bedroom, unlike traditional rooms at Marriott hotels.
The graphic illustration on the accent wall appeared to depict the Katy Trail, but I don’t think non-Dallas natives would readily pick up on the message. The mattress was on the firmer side, but I didn’t have trouble sleeping on it. Each bedside came with a spacious nightstand along with a modern lamp.
I’m a big fan of thisworks products because its sleep spray actually helps me fall asleep.
The light didn’t get too bright, so I actually used it as mood lighting at night. I found a sample of Thisworks’ Deep Sleep Pillow Spray on one of the nightstands. The sleep spray is the brand’s bestseller, and even though it was a tiny sample, I appreciated the opportunity to try it. After checking out the bed, my attention naturally shifted to the couch because it looked luxurious.
The furniture in the bedroom was alluring, but the functionality was questionable.
The curvature of the couch really set it apart from other generic hotel bedroom sofas. Unfortunately, it was made out of low-quality velvet, and it wasn’t comfortable at all. The oval side table was interestingly designed; nevertheless, the glass top was unstable, as one of the rubber placeholders on the bottom of the top turned out to be missing. The windows were not genuine floor-to-ceiling windows due to their thick frames, but they were big enough to let plenty of sunlight into the room. The views weren’t as glamorous as I thought, but it felt airy and unbound by being on one of the higher floors. The remaining portions of the bedroom weren’t so exciting; the multi-purpose rack was bare, especially with the basic coffee machine on top.
In my opinion, only budget brands should carry basic coffee machines.
Then I found a mini-fridge tucked away in a closet, but it was dirty inside, with sticky brown liquid dripping from the back.
The mini fridge was hidden in a closet, and its inside required some cleaning.
Across from the bed were a wall-mounted smart TV and a work desk. The smart TV functioned without any streaming issues, and I was able to catch up on some Netflix shows before going to sleep.
The work desk was a space-saving way to incorporate a desk into the bedroom, but the top needed to be wider.
The work desk had an attractive white quartz top, but it was too narrow for my taste. However, I did appreciate having plenty of USB ports, including a USB-C port.
It was great to see a USB-C port for charging electronic devices universally.
I’ve had mixed feelings about the bedroom. While I genuinely enjoyed the design language, the practicality of each item severely suffered. If the hotel could figure out a way to redefine the bedroom in a realistic and viable method, I believe the room can really shine and impress future guests.
Bathroom Review
The bathroom used a solid sliding door with a full-size mirror mounted on the outside to save space and maximize efficiency. The bathroom had a single sink vanity with a beautiful marble countertop, which was made of the same material as the work desk in the bedroom.
I wish the bathroom had additional sources of lighting.
The mirror had back-lit lighting, but it wasn’t enough to produce the desired brightness level. The most interesting part was the sink faucet; it was verymodern, and it took me a second to figure out how to adjust the water temperature. The toiletries were by Thisworks, which had become a staple among Marriott hotels, as I’d previously used Thisworks products at Marriott Marquis Chicago and at Marriott Dallas Las Colinas.
thisworks makes gentle and effective toiletries and are now standard across Marriott hotels.
I’m a big fan of their products for being gender-neutral and gentle on the skin. The bathroom had a walk-in shower with a sliding glass door and featured communal toiletries by Thisworks again.
The showerhead had some mineral deposits on it, but the water pressure wasn’t affected.
The shower came with a handheld version, and while it was bright, it wasn’t as clean as I had hoped for. However, I did enjoy gorgeous shower walls lined with quartz tiles.
The sliding glass door prevented water spillage when opening the shower door.
They indeed added a layer of upscale touches to the rather mundane bathroom.
Breakfast Review—M Club
The M Clubwas located on the first floor, and its exterior was beautiful. The opaque glass walls invoked curiosity, and it seemed to signify the exclusive nature of the lounge, as only Marriott members with Platinum and higher could gain complimentary access.
The opaque glass exterior of the M Club mysteriously emanated its exclusive nature.
I visited the M Club for breakfast in the morning, and because of its status threshold, it wasn’t crowded even during peak hours.
The M Club could host many guests at once, but the lounge remained controlled and roomy even during peak breakfast hours.
The interior was curated rather conservatively; wood and warm leather were the primary interior design materials, establishing a mature ambiance.
You could grab coffee with your travel partner or watch a game at the M Club.
The breakfast was served buffet-style; the selection was quite traditional and ranged from breakfast sausages and scrambled eggs to precut fruits and pastries. I made myself a breakfast plate with scrambled eggs, hash browns, and breakfast sausages.
The breakfast at the M Club was completely dreadful and was definitely not worth the premium.
I fully assumed that the food would be warm at least, but to my utter disappointment, every single item on my plate was either cold or lukewarm. I ended up going for a bowl of cereal, and many other guests followed suit.
Many guests, including myself, chose to have cereal and yogurt for breakfast.
Then, I went to get some coffee, thinking that I could make a decent espresso-based coffee drink, but the coffee machine was broken.
The M Club only served regular black coffee since the espresso machine was not operational.
Only drip coffee was available at the moment, and there was no decaf option for those sensitive to caffeine. I wouldn’t be too harsh on the review if access to the M Club were free.
Would you pay $40 to have access to the M Club at Marriott Dallas Uptown?
However, keep in mind that if you are not high up on the Marriott status ladder, you need to shell out $40 per visit, which is severely overpriced for a plate of cold, microwavable breakfast food. For that reason, I highly recommend going to Starbucks on the first floor for breakfast and coffee fixes in the afternoon.
Gym Review
The gym was located on the fourth floor and was modern and clean. The gym was filled with the latest and greatest TechnoGym equipment. Treadmills and ellipticals were neatly positioned along the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking neighboring buildings. As I ran on a treadmill, a healthy amount of sunlight came in through the windows and brightened the fitness center.
Tall windows made me feel connected to the outside setting while staying indoors.
In the corner was a dedicated weight-lifting area with dumbbells and adjustable benches. The area consisted of wooden flooring, which was pristine at the moment. However, I worried about its longevity since the flooring would get easily damaged with little padding.
The wooden floor for the free-weight area was handsome, but I questioned its longevity.
The gym offered other strength exercise machines, such as chest press and lat pulldown machines. Some of the walls were lined with decals depicting the historic Katy Trail, and I almost didn’t recognize what the illustration was about until I spotted the Katy Trail Caboose. Nevertheless, I thought it was a great way to promote the local amenity rather than congest the wall with irreverent art or images.
The wallpaper aptly illustrated the nearby Katy Trail.
The centerpiece of the gym was a multi-purpose training machine by TechnoGym called Omnia. I used the machine to do some pull-ups and front squats, though it didn’t come with many weight plates. The problem with the latest iteration of gym gear is that sometimes they are challenging to operate without guidance or instruction.
There weren’t enough plates to turn Omnia into a heavy-weight machine.
For instance, when I used Omnia, while it is a highly versatile machine that can accommodate up to eight people at once, I wouldn’t have been able to figure out its endless potential unless I looked it up on the Internet. I consider myself an experienced gym user, and even I would’ve benefited had there been a quick summary chart of possible exercise combinations using the machine. At the end of the day, I couldn’t complain anything about the gym. Its contemporary and inviting atmosphere was coupled with a wide array of exercise machines. For some guests, futuristic gym equipment could be intimidating at first, but I appreciated the fact that the hotel’s keeping up with the newest fitness technology to provide its guests with the best workout experience.
Pool Review
The hotel had an infinity pool on the fifth floor of the hotel, and it was booming with guests lounging in the water to cool off.
The rooftop pool was a popular hangout spot for young adults.
There were some benches and sunbeds that were half-submerged in water. However, most of the benches outside the water were mostly occupied by guests.
There is nothing better than an outdoor pool on a hot summer day in Texas.
Because the pool was on the fifth floor, the view wasn’t noteworthy; without tall skyscrapers surrounding the hotel, it felt pretty empty. Nonetheless, I enjoyed using the infinity pool.
The view from the infinity pool wasn’t noteworthy due to ongoing constructions around the hotel.
Since the weather in Dallas was near 100 °F at the time, it was refreshing to cool off in the water. In the corner were cabanas that were first come, first served, and lightly shaded.
A ping-pong table and cornholes were available for entertainment.
The pool area also had a long turf where guests could play cornhole. If you want to step away from the water, be careful walking around barefoot. I made the mistake of walking on the deck without my shoes and almost burned my feet because the floor was scorching hot.
I recommend wearing flip-flops and sandals on the rooftop deck in summer, as the surface could get extremely hot.
Overall, the infinity pool was a great amenity for those looking for an “outdoor” activity while staying in the hotel. Bring your bathing suit when you stay at Marriott Dallas Uptown!
Positives & Negatives
Positives
The lobby and bedroom were designed beautifully. Though Marriott probably restricted certain design rules, the hotel harmoniously used various materials in both settings. I also appreciated that the hotel intentionally blended Katy Trail into its design.
The hotel had advanced amenities. I used the Sleep Spray by Thisworks religiously, and the work desk was equipped with USB-C ports, which made charging my laptop and phone effortless. The gym was full of the latest state-of-the-art equipment, and the infinity pool was an excellent outlet for guests to cool off on hot summer days.
Negatives
Even though the hotel exceeded in design, the functionality of the furniture lacked practicality. The work desk was too narrow for remote working, and the couch was gorgeous yet exceptionally uncomfortable.
The breakfast at M Club was a huge letdown. Given its price point for non-elites, I expected more from the hotel. I do not recommend having breakfast at M Club, especially if you do not have Platinum Elite status or higher. Instead, check out Starbucks on the first floor.
Summary
Marriott Dallas Uptown was a design-centric Marriott hotel in the uptown area of Dallas, located adjacent to the historic Katy Trail. I was hesitant to try the hotel, given my past experiences with Marriott hotels, but Marriott Dallas Uptown proved me wrong. The lobby and bedroom had eye-catching decor without deviating too much from the traditional Marriott design language. The gym energized guests with the latest workout gear, and the infinity rooftop pool offered a refreshing outlet for those visiting Dallas in the summer. Though my breakfast experience at the M Club was utterly devastating, Marriott Dallas Uptown showed me how capable the brand could be when given the right resource. If you are looking for a modern hotel with staycation-worthy amenities, I recommend Marriott Dallas Uptown as one of your choices.
