Travel and Tourism Sector

Where’s My Wuzzle?

Southwest Airlines Owes Passengers 5.8 Million Free Drinks

Two years ago, Southwest Airlines abruptly changed the rules of its Business Select program, which allows travelers to breeze through security, get to the front of the boarding line, earn extra reward points, and, most importantly, get free booze. Before August 1, 2010, could use their free drink v ... More >>

Well, Color Me Collectible

Staycationers Love the Omni, Which Is One Reason it's Doing Better Than Expected After Its First Year

On Sunday, the Omni will have been opened a full year. That's long enough that the does-the-city-have-any-business-owning-a-hotel debate has died away, replaced by artists dreaming of all the cool shit they can do with those lights. The hotel has a slate of offerings Sunday to commemorate its 11/11 ... More >>

Carrollton is Cracking Down on Suspect Hotels, But Owners Say the City's Going Too Far

Here at Unfair Park, we're suckers for "people trying to take shit from Asians" stories. The latest installment takes place in Carrollton, Texas, where the town's seven hotels are each owned by Asians, and where the city is coming down on them. Hard. Some are more rundown than others, but they're ... More >>

Would New Hotel Tax Save Dallas From Making More Terrible Promotional Videos?

Dallas has a knack for self-regard. Self-promotion? Not so much. The city's efforts at branding itself ("Live Large. Think Big.") are, well, embarrassing. We've had nothing with the catchiness, not to mention production values, of Las Vegas' "What happens here, stays here." But Vegas has a slush fu ... More >>

All Jokes, No Pranks This April Fool's Day

On Site of Old Herrera's on Maple, the New Home of Omni Hotels' Parent Company

That big muddy patch seen outside the bossman's window will be TRT Holdings' HQ at some point.​Someone asked yesterday if and when Omni's going to move its HQ to the city of Dallas. Well ... if you'll look at the council's agenda for today, it's right there: items No. 54 and 55. The first one's fo ... More >>

It's Duck Season

Yet Another High-End Dallas Hotel Sold as the Downtown Fairmont Goes For $69 Million

​Yesterday Bloomberg noted that high-end American hotels are being sold to buyers from Hong King, Singapore and China in the hopes of catering to "a growing number of affluent Asians traveling abroad." Among those sold: the Rosewood Crescent Hotel and the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, now in t ... More >>

On May 10, the "Dallas Wave" Officially Becomes Part of One of Seven New Texas Paddling Trails

TPWD/Michael BlackwellPaddling down the Dallas Trinity Trail​The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department sends word: May 10 is Texas Travel Rally Day, during which the TPWD will officially launch seven paddling trails in North Texas, beginning with the 8 a.m. shove-off from the Walnut Creek Paddling T ... More >>

Taste of Today

Go Out -- Way Out -- for Pizza

How about that? The Flying Spaghetti Monster is actually an American tourist.​It's winter getaway season, which means folks are flocking to warm tropical islands -- and eating spaghetti and meatballs when they get there. My parents are spending the week in Aruba and kicked off their vacation ... More >>

Globetrot Before Clearing Customs

NASA Enlists Caddo Mills-Based Armadillo Aerospace For A Boost to Suborbital Space

Mark Graham​Local private spaceflight player Armadillo Aerospace has always had a complex relationship with NASA. Like other NewSpace teams, they pretty much define themselves against the glacial pace and dense bureaucracy of government spaceflight -- but at least until there's a real market for s ... More >>

Wanna Sing Like Kelly Clarkson? There's An App For That.

​Yep, that's right: As of today, Burleson's own Kelly Clarkson has an iPhone app. Far as I can tell, it's basically like Rock Band, but without the pretty integral "band" part; you sing into a mic and the application judges your rhythm and pitch. It's just like Idol, only not at all!Anyway, detail ... More >>

City Lands Low Interest Yield On Convention Center Hotel Bonds, But CFO Reveals Trickery Used to Push Project Forward

Sam MertenFirst Assistant City Manager Ryan Evans (left) and Frank Poe (right), the city's director of convention and event services, sign the financial documents finalizing the convention center hotel project. Evans and Poe are president and vice president of the Dallas Convention Center Hotel Dev ... More >>

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

A sneak peek at the new-and-improved Dallas skyline, if you look close enoughI'll leave it to Sam to interpret the convention center hotel documents that went online Sunday in advance of the city council's Economic Development Committee's jam-packed meeting this morning. (Takeaway: Open by Jan ... More >>

In Memo to Council, Angela Hunt Asks Colleagues to Stop Talking Out of Their Asses

Natilee DeeAngela Hunt has delivered a sound thwacking to fellow city council member Ron Natinsky and Assistant City Manager A.C. Gonzalez over some loose-lipped claims Natinsky and Gonzalez have been making about our upcoming referendum on a city-owned hotel downtown.She says Natinsky and Gonzalez, ... More >>

City Council's Not Quite Ready to Give the Convention Center Hotel to Omni

Sam MertenWhat the convention center hotel's supposed to look like, more or less, except it won't be so, ya know, small.Item No. 3 on the Dallas City Council's briefing agenda for today reads as follows:Approve the execution of the Hotel Operating Agreement between Omni Hotels Management Corporation ... More >>

Drink to a New Look

Come Thursday, We'll Know Who's Gonna Operate Our Hotel

This morning, the City Secretary's Office posted the agenda to a Special Called Economic Development Committee for Thursday morning. At the top of the to-do list: Convention Center Hotel Operator Selection. In other words, we'll know whether the city's chosen to go with Omni Hotels or if it pref ... More >>

These Are Grim Times for the Hotel Business. But, Shhh, Say Nothing.

Downtown Dallas Will Have Big Balls

Dallas Convention Center Hotel's Murky Future

Petitions to kill the public project are gaining momentum

As Far As Some on the Council Are Concerned, We've Already Voted For the Convention Center Hotel

Convention Center Hotel Referendum, Not Your Same Ol' Petition Drive

Anti-Hotel Folks Make Their Case, to Which Developer Jack Matthews and the City Offer a Weary "Whatever"

Just Checkin' In: Council's Gonna Begin Writing Those Big Hotel Checks Today

Do Not Disturb

A debate over the city's convention center hotel gets quietly canned

Woodbine to Get Convention Center Hotel Deal This A.M. (OK, Maybe)

Fix The Streets Or Build A $500 Million Hotel. Seems Like A No-Brainer

Statler Hilton Makes National Trust's "Most Endangered" List

The Brave and the Bold Among City Hall's "Cowardly" Lot

A Vote Could Be the Secret Weapon to Slow Down the Convention Center Hotel Plans

D Magazine, Dallas Morning News Squabble Comes Down to Lazy Reporting at DMN

Council Votes Yup-Yup on City-Owned Convention Center Hotel

Everyone Knows That Hotel's a "Risk." Which Ain't Stopping Anyone.

Keep Hope Aloft: Digging Under Larry Hamilton's New Downtown Hotel

Demanding Answers as the Dallas Convention Center Hotel Moves Forward

As Mayor Tom Leppert pushes for a convention center hotel, critics demand more details and less tax money. At least, those who haven't been silenced do.

Holiday Road

A Cuban Sandwich

Hotel Palomar. It's Hot!

Wanna Buy the Four Seasons? Too Late.

Dueling Boutiques

Be Their Guests

Vacancy

An ignored study raises doubt about Dallas' proposed role as hotelier

Bed & Boast

Hotel ZaZa promises to bring a new feel to the Dallas atmosphere

Hash Over

Hash Over