Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek Dallas, TX
AN HONEST GUEST REVIEW 🛁🛁🛁🛁
My inaugural post has to go to one of my all-time favorites. Most of my hotel stays are one time only, never to return again, even if I really enjoyed the experience. The Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas, on the other hand, is a hotel that my husband and I return to again and again, year after year.
My husband and I joined a cult. Well, I call it a cult — the other members and their fearless leader prefer the term "business consulting group," which, if you think about it, is exactly what a cult would say. Anyway, the silver lining? Since devotees are scattered across the US, our quarterly meetings are held at different hotels and resorts all over the country. We’ve ended up in places that never would have made our travel list. Turns out some cult memberships come with surprisingly good travel perks! Who knew?
Our first trip with the group was set for March 17th 2020, destination, Dallas. Is that date bringing back any memories? Cue the menacing music. Covid. The Vid. Corona virus. The Rona. Two days before we were supposed to head to Texas, the world shut down due to COVID 19. Our meeting was canceled, and so was our stay at the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek.
Fast forward a little over a year. We sign on with a new accounting group (completely separate from the cult) based in Dallas. Great, now we have to head to Dallas annually for our state of the union with the accountant. Hubby says, “Hey why don’t we try that Rosewood we missed out on last year?”
First impressions matter and Rosewood knocked our socks off. It was only about 1 year post-shut down, so hotels were begging guests to visit. Since almost no one was staying at the Rosewood, as first time guests, we were upgraded to the penthouse suite! I kid you not. The two of us had a huge suite resplendent with a bedroom with a full bath, a kitchen, powder room, full dining area, living area and a gorgeous outdoor, rooftop patio with two seating areas and another full dining area. It was insane. Obviously, we were impressed. Since then, we’ve stayed at the Rosewood about 5 more times (never again upgraded to the penthouse) and have slept in every suite available. The Rosewood never disappoints.
OK, let’s talk details…
Usually when asked about a hotel’s décor, I just say something bland like, “it was pretty,” because many hotels, even high-end resorts, have a similar style: lots of white, marble or travertine floors and loads of empty space. Cold. Modern sterility. Less is more. It’s an epidemic, but we all kinda like it, and it is pretty. The Rosewood on Turtle Creek goes hard in the opposite direction, and yet, it works. Rich colors, like rose-golds, brown-mauves, and spring greens adorn the walls and accent pieces. Each room is loaded with bookshelves stocked with titles in corresponding browns and beiges. Upholstered walls and coffered ceilings add to the cozy, upscale vibe. The more furniture the better, and all of it comfy, even if it does look like it should be! Corners are filled with sculptures; shelves with nick-nacks, all perfectly curated to enhance the overall sumptuousness that is the Rosewood. On our last visit, there was a baby grand piano in our suite! Seriously. Somehow though, all of that extra manages to evoke a sense of calm. When I walk in, I sigh.
Yeah, it is that good.
The king-sized bed is loaded with fluffy pillows. The linens are soft, not scratchy, and the mattress itself is consistent and firm. Not hard, but comfortably firm. I sleep well at the Rosewood. My husband and I like to sleep under arctic conditions and we’ve yet to find a hotel that can maintain our low temperature requirements all night long. The Rosewood is no different in that regard. However, the thermostat isn’t just for show, you can tell the difference quickly when you change the temperature in the room.
We also like how the Rosewood always leaves us a little treat when we arrive. A bottle of wine with a homemade pastry and/or fruit. The treats are accompanied by a hand-written, personalized welcome letter. Details count; they make you feel special. Rosewood gets that.
Moving on to the bathroom.
I think this next part goes without saying: NO SHOWER CURTAINS. Glass doors and a walk-in shower. CHECK. Freestanding tub complete with bath salts if the spirit moves you. CHECK. His and hers sinks with a storage shelf beneath. CHECK. Water closet so no one has to see you poop. CHECK. I think you get the point; the bathroom is pretty nice.
Let’s talk toiletries…
I have to be honest; here is where the Rosewood could do better. The shampoo and conditioner aren’t terrible, but... They smell a little herby (salad-y?) and lean toward the masculine side and they leave a residue in my hair. I think if I was staying longer than 2 nights, I would probably bring my own supplies.
Pretty much 100% of the time, I rely on the hotel body lotion. I’m sure you can guess, the Rosewood’s is just meh. It smells like the shampoo and conditioner (and shower gel-groan. For longer trips I always pack my own soap). The strangest part of this lotion is the container. It comes in a medication tube. Do you know what I mean? It looks like a small toothpaste tube with the screw cap that has a pointy edge so you can poke through the barrier and dispense your topical steroid. So, you do the poking and then you squeeze the metallic-y tube to get your lotion. Bizarre packaging choice. Anyway, the product itself is not moisturizing. I felt dryer after using it. This is by no means a deal-breaker. The Rosewood’s good far outweighs the shitty body lotion.
Hair dryer is basic, but regulation size, and comes with a diffuser. It is not super powerful, but unless you have special needs hair, you do not need to waste space packing your blow dryer. They provide cotton pads instead of cotton balls, which I love. Who can successfully remove eye makeup with a cotton ball? All the complimentary personal care products-cotton pads, cotton swabs, shower caps, etc. come individually wrapped in paper, love this too. The housekeeping crew, however, did not replenish the cotton pads or swabs after we used them, so that was a bummer.
For those of you who love a hotel robe, the Rosewood provides 2 per room. I’m not a huge hotel robe person, but if you want me to pay closer attention, drop a line in the comments and I will in the future. Slippers can be found in the closets. Yes, they provide turn down service. Yes, the drapes are black out. Yes, they have 24-hour room service, which, believe it or not, is NOT a ubiquitous feature at all hotels, even the fancy ones. Even ones in the USA. Even the fancy ones in the USA!
Rosewood provides laundry service. It’s not cheap (obvi). It is rare, extremely rare, for me to actually use the laundry service. However, I always like to use the laundry service bag to store my dirty clothes. I prefer a plastic bag (sorry Mother Earth) and I use it as a hamper during the trip. Rosewood’s laundry bag is cloth, a thick linen-like material. I don’t love that for a few reasons. First, if my clothes are sweaty and wet (think post-workout) then the bag gets sweaty and wet. Eww. Second, when I take a linen bag embroidered with the word Laundry, I feel like I’m stealing. Am I? Are you allowed to take the cloth laundry bag home? I don’t know and I don’t like that. I do know that no one is looking for the thin, plastic version, so I can steal that with confidence.
Would I bring my kids here? No. I would not call the Rosewood on Turtle Creek ‘family friendly’. I’ve never seen a child in the hotel, ever. The Rosewood does not cater to children. It has one high end, fine-dining restaurant and bar. And damn those bartenders mix a hell of a drink! The pool area is chic and serene, not a cannonball in sight. The Rosewood is quiet. The Rosewood is classy. he Rosewood is where you go to be an adult and to get away from your kids.
Finally, location. I know I’m here to tell you about the actual hotel and what it has to offer, but I feel the need to quickly comment on Rosewood’s real estate. The Rosewood Mansion is tucked away in a beautiful, upscale residential neighborhood. It feels safe, probably because it is. The neighborhood is quiet; people walk their dogs. You are surrounded by beautiful buildings, flowers and trees! The Rosewood itself feels like it is nestled in a cove. They do a great job of fooling you into thinking you are not in a city. When you emerge from your cocoon of luxury, all the city has to offer is at your fingertips. Everything you want—shopping, restaurants, entertainment—is a short ride away. Oh, yeah, you could Uber, but the Rosewood has a car service available to guests. Just saying…
The Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek gets 4 shower curtains! This is HIGH praise. They lost a little curtain because they could do a better job with the bathroom amenities. Despite that minor infraction, I feel like you get your money’s worth at the Rosewood. They promise luxury, you pay for it, and they deliver it. I’ll see them again next year.
