Clarion Park Central

This is no longer a Clarion Hotel. It has been changed to Ramada. I always gauge a hotel by first impressions. Was I given a warm greeting with a smile upon arrival? Did the staff own problems, and not cause unnecessary delays? Did the front desk staff look dressed for success? And, did the staff go above and beyond to deliver a «wow» moment? In the case of this particular hotel, I would say it wasn’t up to my standards.
The front desk clerk at check-​in was not impressive. His attitude rivaled that of a gas station attendant on the night shift. He was wearing an oversized red T-​shirt. Overall, unprofessional.
The room was comfortable, however, the towels had strands of hair in them when I opened them. This was border line disgusting.
The hotel area is off a major freeway, the LBJ. The noise was not bad. With a car, it provides easy access to everywhere around Dallas, however, without, you will want to think twice before venturing out. It is very dangerous.

I was pretty nervous about booking here after having read the reviews but found my fears were unfounded. Yes, there are some shady people and goings-​on in the vicinity, but then again, it’s near the city, and all of the other hotels in the immediate area, both upscale and mid-​range, experience the same kind of thing. We were sure to lock our vehicle at night and remove the GPS. The lot is very well-​lighted and there is a bank next to the hotel, which makes it seem a bit more secure. The only encounters we had were a few homeless people asking for change, which is VERY typical in any city, especially in this economy. Anyway, check-​in was just ok. The youngish guy at the desk was a bit surly and not welcoming in the least. No smiles or polite small talk, but then again, my partner and I were there to house hunt and just needed a reasonable place to stay for six nights, one with a fridge and microwave. And we paid only $ 29 per night, so I wasn’t expecting a red carpet. I had to kind of twist the arm of front desk kid to give me a room with amenities we wanted, and at first he claimed there was nothing available. However, I told him we were moving to the area and needed to eat in our room, so he gave us the handicapped room on the first floor, which was very large, clean, and convenient. No free breakfast since we booked online, which I thought was odd, especially since I just stayed in a Clarion in SF and booked it online and was given a voucher for the morning breakfast buffet. I kind of got the feeling that Clarions are independently owned and maybe have different policies accordingly. The pool was ok. A few leaves and a bit loud from the highways, but a nice place to unwind at the end of the day. No hot tub. That thing that looks like one in the picture is just a dirty little kiddie pool. The housekeeping was very spotty. While they kept the room clean and made the bed, each day something was missing. For example, they’d forgot to refresh the in-​room coffee two days (but there is coffee 24 – 7 in the lobby «for guest only, a dollar a styrofoam cup for conference attendees,» which also seems a bit cheap-​o). Another day we came back to no full-​sized towels. They did bring them later but it was a bit odd going to the pool without anything to use to dry off. Another day there was only one full-​sized towel. And because the place seems chintzy, I was worried they might charge me for it. All in all, it was fine. Great location for just about anywhere. Plenty of food choices. Jack-​in-​the-​Box right across the street, CVS just under the highway bridge (but I wouldn’t recommend walking). Kroger grocery store less that two miles, two HUGE malls close by. We’re coming back before we close on the house but probably won’t choose the Clarion next time – but only because it’s a bit small for 25 nights.