A Preservation Project Results In A Luxe Getaway

Dallas continues to lure us for a staycation with any number of enticing hotels, and now we have another option: downtown’s luxurious Thompson Dallas.

This hotel, a Hyatt project, distinguishes itself from worthy counterparts starting with its setting. It occupies the 51-story former First National Bank Tower, a 1965 landmark designed by George Dahl (the Dallas architect responsible also for Neiman Marcus and Fair Park) that is now called The National.

Part of a $460 million preservation project, Thompson Dallas has spaces adorned with $2 million in artwork (paintings by David Yarrow, David Bates and JD Miller, and sculpture by Raul Mourão) and brings heavy hitters in design to the fore. Chandeliers come from Hudson Furniture in New York; there’s a stunning marble-and-brass Hervé Langlais coffee table from PAD London; and custom-made wallpaper is sourced from Dallas’ Craft Wallcovering.

In 219 guest rooms (including 52 suites), find significant midcentury design elements, from bedside lighting and walnut-and-brass headboards and desks to low-slung chairs, coffee tables and sofas. Even more stunning are the Thompson’s two 2,000-square-foot penthouses on the 49th floor, going for $10,000 nightly.

The penthouses are designed by Dallas’ Todd Interiors, as is the upscale restaurant and Catbird, a rooftop bar crowning the hotel, which tops out at 10 floors. The casual restaurant, Nine, is a floor below. Wow visuals include restored travertine walls and original wood-and-brass panels, hand-painted wallpaper and  a backlit blue agate marble countertop at the bar. Featured artwork is by Damien Hirst, Will Murchison, Elizabeth Schwaiger and Tyler Shields. Both restaurants serve modern European menus, overseen by former Hillstone Restaurant Group’s Jonathan Geffrard.

Make the most of your stay by booking time in the ninth-floor Spa at Thompson Dallas, which offers treatments such as Total Wellness, an 80- or 110-minute head-to-toe experience with full-body massage, hydrating body wrap, allergy relief facial and Chinese medicine foot treatment called gua sha. The on-site salon offers a blow dry bar and nail services. On the ground floor, Tondeo Hair Lounge for Men offers cuts, styling, shaves and cocktails.

Let’s just say you’ll need more than a long weekend to fully enjoy the Thompson Dallas. Rooms start at around $220; ask about romance, spa, suite and staycation packages including valet parking, food and drink, late checkout and bonus services.

205 N. Akard St., Dallas, thompsondallas.com; instagram.com/thompsonhoteldallas