Some of the best trips are ones you don’t pay for… and more often than not, they have to do with work. I was in Dallas last week for “training” and actually really enjoyed myself.

While I have so many friends and family in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, I wasn’t able to get away to see anyone other than my lovely co-workers. My appologies. My co-worker, Kara, and I were part of a group of “new hires” in April who went to New York for training there. I continually use quotes and sarcasm when I say training and new hires because I have been with the company for over 3 years and Kara has been in the industry bascially her whole life. Thanks to the lovely economy tanking, April and this past week was the first training class we’ve had since before I started. Painful, I know… 

By now you know my sentiments on The Cattle Car. If you haven’t figured it out yet, pick another blog to skim. Anyway, I wanted to fly Continental to rack up EQMs and she wanted the segment on Greyhound, I mean Southwest. Basically, 2 people from Houston, both going to Dallas on the same days, want to fly from separate airports to separate airports, on different airlines. Stupid, I know.  So we drove.

Enter: Mini Road Trip!

So of course a stop at Buc-ee’s was a must. Anyone who is unaware of the beaver is seriously missing out. Beaver Nuggets will change your life!

While the company recommended staying at the Fairmont, which was close to the showroom, Kara and I chose the boutique Hotel Palomar.

Our showroom in Dallas is at One Arts Plaza, and quite beautiful I must say!

When considering which hotel to book for a trip, I always think about the following:

 

– What area of town will you be in?

 

This is when Priceline comes in handy. You don’t even have to purchase anything to see what hotels are located in which districts. For instance, we were needing to be in the downtown area… a quick glance at Priceline shows 42 hotels in downtown Dallas vs. the 444 total options!

– What is the proximitey of the hotel to what you will be doing?

The Palomar was a great option for Kara and I because it was only 5 miles away, less money, and more our style. However, if we hadn’t had a car, having to deal with transportation would have been an issue. It was definitely not walkable due to the major freeway!

– How much do you want to spend?

That bit of knowledge will weed down your search immediately.

– Are there amenities you need while staying?

This time around, Kara wanted a pool. Did we use it? No. Did we enjoy sipping our champagne next to it. Yes. What is important to you? Bathrobe, Spa, Complementary WiFi?

 All in all we had a great little trip. I like Dallas a lot! Either way, it was a great and easy get-a-way, and not a horrible drive either… a lot better than the hour flight on Southwest, that’s for damn sure!

Happy Friday and make sure you check back next week for another guest post! London Calling is on it’s way!