How the Omni Dallas Hotel caters to Special Needs Travelers

The Omni Dallas is a luxury hotel in Downtown Dallas, Texas, near the Convention Center. It is 100% non-smoking, has 1,001 guest rooms, including 67 luxury suites and three presidential suites. The hotel features a heated infinity pool and sauna, fitness center, spa, hair salon, onsite restaurants with valet and self-parking. We chose to stay there because of its proximity to the Conference Center and the Historic District.It is also conveniently located next to multiple restaurants and major attractions.

Decor

The first thing that strikes you in the lobby and continues throughout the hotel, rooms, and even the bathrooms, is a  large number of art pieces by local artists hung on the walls. The art gives the hotel a very sophisticated flair without being too overwhelming visually as some other properties can be.

Rooms

The property offers three types of guest rooms: Deluxe, Premier, and Executive. The rooms range in size from 396 square feet to 552 square feet and include floor-to-ceiling windows, work stations, and luxury bedding.  The Premier category has a king sized bed as well as a queen Murphy bed which might work well for families traveling with younger children. There are also two suites available: Luxury and Presidential. The Executive Suite has amenities similar to the other guest rooms, but is larger (750 square feet)and is divided into separate living and sleeping spaces. The Presidential Suite (1,120 square feet ) boasts an additional living area with a dining table, full sofa, and extra bathroom. We found our executive room on the 14th floor to be clean and comfortable. The two queen bed mattresses were moderately firm, and the room layout was perfect for our travel needs. There was an elongated table that multiple family members could use as a desk at the same time, plenty of outlets (two next to the bed) and abundant closet space. Unlike some other hotel rooms, this one also had ample seating – two stools, a chair, and an armchair! The central A/C is part of the room electrical eco-friendly system which means you need to place your room key inside to power up the room. If your child is temperature intolerant ask the front desk staff for an extra key to keep the room at a constant level. We were also happy to discover that the mini room cooler came empty, so we didn’t have to worry about our kid consuming anything in there, resulting in high room charges.

Housekeeping

We found the hotel housekeeping service to be prompt and efficient. The staff member arrived within five minutes of my call with the extra towels I  had requested. The front desk followed up with a separate phone call less than five minutes later.

Feature we liked

I found the small motion detector light located on the bottom of the nightstand between the two beds that lights up when the room is dark helpful ( think going to the bathroom without turning on the nightstand lamp and waking family members up. )

Wish we could take home

The TV in mirror combo in the bathroom was a  both a surprise and a fun device to use-needless to say the bathroom became a favorite spot for our autistic son.

Perks:

• Excellent bathroom amenity kit!
• Omni Sensational Kids Program –a backpack with fun items for the younger travelers(see picture).
• High-speed Internet in common areas, free in your guest room if you join their Select Guest loyalty program.
• 

Autism travel tips

Families can request connecting rooms, quiet rooms and allergen-free room at booking. In fact, the hotel has an entire floor (the 14th) that is allergen free. As part of the Family Travel Conference hotel tours, I got to visit the hotel laundry center and was quite impressed with their hypoallergenic cleaning products-hopefully other hotels will take notes and copy the Omni’s dedication to accommodating travelers with special needs.  

Don’t miss

The neon lights covering the front of the hotel that change colors every couple of minutes providing the onlookers with a delightful visual show.

Rates and Parking fees

The hotel offers specials from time to time, so be sure to check the website first. Otherwise, the standard rate is around $147.00/night and goes up from there depending on the particular dates. Valet Parking Rates: 0-4 hours: $12, 4-8 hours: $18, Overnight: $28 – In and Out privileges. Self-Parking rates: 0-8 hours: $12, Overnight: $18 – In/Out privileges [mappress mapid=”28″] Disclosure: My stay at the hotel was paid as  part of the Family Travel Conference    ]]>