Retro-Chic Luxury: My Stay at Le Meridien Dallas, The Stoneleigh

My stay at the historic, Art Deco hotel in Uptown Dallas

Le Meridien Dallas, The Stoneleigh

My husband and I visited Dallas for the weekend, and in true spoil-Syretta fashion, my husband searched high and low for the ideal, 4-5 star hotel. He knows my requirements; a posh pool, no sliding doors, an overall swanky aesthetic, lush, spacious rooms, private lobby, and top notch shopping and dining close by. Nothing less for ya girl.

Calvin told me that he'd been eyeing the Le Meridien Dallas, The Stoneleigh, a Starwood hotel, that also happens to be a four- diamond property. Looking at the photo galleries online, we were both underwhelmed with the hotel's pool, but we were immediately drawn to the overall vintage-lux look of the hotel. The historic, 1923 Art Deco building boasted timeless elegance, with contemporary modern allure, and the website promised "exemplary customer service"- I was sold. We'll revisit the customer service later in this post.

My stay at the historic, Art Deco hotel, located in uptown Dallas

Grand archways in the hotel lobby

The hotel's stunning Art Deco theme is apparent throughout the property

Our Stay

Upon arrival, I instantly fell in love with the location, as the Le Meridian, Stoneleigh is anchored in the center of Dallas' popular Uptown district; an area known for posh dining, high-end shopping, and upscale night offerings. The hotel's interior was no different from the pictures, staying true to it's stunning, retro-chic aesthetic throughout. The smallish lobby housed The Bar at Perle on Maple, while the hotel's restaurant, Perle on Maple is tucked into a hallway, right off the lobby.

Perle on Maple, Le Meridien Stoneleigh's dining room

Our mid-sized room was bright and alluring, thanks to the copious windows and the vibrant, hexagon-patterned wallpaper. The intricately tiled bathroom fit the bill of the Deco theme, with its bold, geometric craftsmanship. The king-sized bed was inviting, and super comfortable-and thankfully, not overloaded with decorative pillows. The closet was gigantic-literally large enough to be another room, and had plenty of hangers.

We heard what sounded like a party through the windows, and noticed that there was a live band playing at the pool. One look at the pool, and we were thrilled to see that the pictures online do it no justice, whatsoever. The long, rectangular pool was lined with cabanas on one side, and artificial turf on the other. We spent Sunday morning (and afternoon) at the pool, in our very own cabana, first sipping coffee, and as the morning progressed, chugging mimosas from the bar.

Guest room with hexagon-patterned wall paper and a plush king bed

The hexagonal-patterned lends a pop of color to the room

Hospitality

I must point out the lack of hospitality from the staff, which is extremely important to me, and even more so, to Calvin-a hospitality veteran. Other than our initial exchange during check-in, the staff NEVER acknowledged us. We were never greeted when entering or leaving the lobby, even though there were always multiple attendants at the front desk. Immensely disappointing!

There were times when it was clear that we were looking for assistance, yet nobody every offered to help. On Sunday morning, I was fixing myself a cup of coffee at the bar, and the bartender never greeted me, nor acknowledged my presence for the entire 2 minutes that I was there, even though we were less than three feet away from one another. Another hotel guest approached the bar for coffee, and warmly greeted me with a "Good Morning," and small talk, which I appreciated. Nobody wants to feel invisible, which is what I was starting to feel like, after being ignored by the staff for our entire stay. My only exchange with the staff was with a very kind, smiling older man working the pool Sunday morning, who went out of his way to answer my question. If it weren't for him, I'd almost believe that the staff was trained to ignore the guests.

All in all, Calvin and I enjoyed our stay at the Le Meridien Stoneleigh, and we would most likely stay again. I give this hotel 4 out of 5 stars, subtracting a star for the non-existent hospitality.