After staying at the Cotton Court Hotel in Lubbock, part of the Valencia Group, I fell in love with their set up.
Arranged like a motel with all units opening to a common courtyard, this design encourages guests to actually hang out at the hotel. The courtyard is well equipped with lawn games, plenty of places to sit and a beautiful fireplace.
I also loved the live music at the restaurant, again another feature that encourages guests to stay on site.
You can read more about Cotton Court in Lubbock here.
The way the Valencia Group has designed their Court properties works great as they say, to encourage "authentic experiences".
So when I had the opportunity to collaborate and stay at the Texican Court in Irving, TX, I was extremely excited.
501 West Las Colinas Blvd
Irving, TX 75039
Checking in at Texican Court in Irving, TX, admiring the sign
Again, we had such a great experience at Texican Court.
We found everyone to be extremely family friendly, even welcoming guests with 4 legs!
Quinn hanging out at Texican Court: Irving, TX
We stayed in a double room which had 2 double beds, a desk, large storage wardrobe and the coolest orange SMEG refrigerator, completely stocked for your enjoyment (but at a cost...haha).
Photos of a Deluxe Communication Room with Two Double Beds at Texican Court in Irving, TX
Outside, each room had their own rocking chair to relax in.
The Texican Court also had 2 courtyard areas to enjoy. The one closer to our room had the outdoor pool and was next to the Two Mules Cantina restaurant. The furthest one from our room had the outdoor fireplace.
Pool area + seating outside the Two Mules Cantina at the Texican Court: Irving, TX
Speaking of the Two Mules Cantina, we ate there for a dinner and a brunch. The menu was on the small side, featuring Tex-Mex dishes, but we found the food to be good. Nothing out of this world and nothing bad to report. The service was really slow in the mornings, but it seemed like they only had 1 server there to cover all guests. Our favourite features at the Two Mules Cantina were the margaritas (really good jalapeño and prickly pear margs) and the live music.
Inside the Two Mules Cantina and some of the breakfast/brunch options at Texican Court: Irving, TX
In addition to our live music experience, we also took full advantage of the outdoor space and sat by the fire. The main office can provide s'more sticks and little supply bags, which make for a really fun night. Our little one loved making and eating them. We ended up spending a few hours by the fire Saturday night, sipping some wine - it was fabulous.
Enjoying the outdoor fireplace and making some s'mores at Texican Court in Irving, TX
After enjoying lots of great food and drink, I did try to balance it all with workouts at the gym.
Although I only used the dumbbells and treadmill, all of the equipment looked new. Both mornings, I was the only one in there, so I had no issue with social distancing. They provided fresh towels, sanitizing wipes, and a sanitizer station, as well.
Fitness center at the Texican Court: Irving, TX
Overall, I don't think we've ever spent as much time at a hotel (that wasn't a resort) as we did at Texican Court. They make it so inviting and have everything you need on site for a unique stay. In addition to the great amenities, the location is so convenient.
Texican Court is located in the Irving Entertainment District, directly across the street from the Irving Convention Center, and a little further down is the Toyota Music Factory. The Toyota Music Factory is within walking distance and is home to 15 restaurants (with more in development!) and entertainment options including Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory, which is a convertible boutique amphitheater, and an outdoor stage.
We ventured to The Blue Fish Japanese Restaurant on our first night for some sushi. They had a great variety of sushi and other Asian dishes, and the service was excellent. We also really enjoyed the sake flight.
Tyku sake tasting flight at The Blue Fish: Irving, TX
We did venture into Dallas "proper" for a few hours on Saturday. I don't like traffic, so we tried to minimize our time driving in and around Dallas. We started the excursion with brunch on Saturday at the Yardbird Southern Table & Bar. The venue was beautiful, but the service was painfully slow, and I found the food to be way overpriced for what we got. That said, the main reason for this negative critique is that I ordered the signature dish of fried chicken and found it dull. The deviled eggs, smoked brisket sandwich, fried green tomato BLT ad mac and cheese were all great. I think I just had high expectations for the chicken and wasn't wowed. It was $26 for just 4 pieces...
Photos of the food and the dining room at the Yardbird Southern Table & Bar in Dallas, TX
The only other venue we visited downtown was the Sweet Tooth Hotel, which is home to a rotating panel of funky art installations. Right now, Intangible, A Fiber Fairytale is on exhibit. This display features eleven colorful installations made from more than two million feet of yarn! It is also interactive if you choose to participate in the scavenger hunt. (I actually found the scavenger hunt to take away from the experience because it required me to keep logging into Instagram to watch the story reel for clues.)
Currently, masks are mandatory inside at all times to comply with COVID regulations and they recommend booking tickets in advance due to limited capacity. Tickets run at $20 per adult and $15 for children. They also have a candy themed bar at the end of the exhibit where you can get super sweet alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks.
Some of the colourful things we saw + drank at the Sweet Tooth Hotel in Dallas, TX
In conclusion, after visiting the Irving/Dallas area, I left wanting more!
We just scratched the surface of the area - I mean we didn't even get to Fort Worth, Arlington, etc!
Although I hope to get back soon, I need a little while to forget how much I hate driving in city traffic! :)
Comments