Staying at the Adolphus is like driving a vintage '57 Chevy: You revel in the history, the solid construction, the nostalgia - and then you remember there's no air conditioning, no power steering or windows, no MP3 connection...and then the battery goes dead, or the carburetor blows up.
When staying at a historic property, know that some modern amenities you usually take for granted will be absent, and that old things tend to break. The Adolphus has no in-room safes, no ice or soda dispensers, tiny bathrooms, and small, ancient picture-tube TVs which are hard to visualize from across the spacious room, and cannot be used to access your statement or check out electronically. Air conditioning is primitive and loud. Wireless internet is available (and free!), but signal strength is spotty at best. The hotel was built small (by Adolph Busch, the Budweiser guy) and then added onto, multiple times - which means the magnificent lobby is on 3 separate levels; and you can't go from some of the conference and ballroom areas to others on the same floor without going down a flight of stairs, crossing the lobby, and going up another stairway. This is annoying during a conference, and I suspect more so at a wedding reception. (This is the first choice for every Dallas wedding reception of any stature, apparently.)
All of that said, the Adolphus is the place to stay if you must spend the night in Dallas. It reeks of old-world history, prices are reasonable, and the service is superb. No other vintage hotel that I know of, with the possible exception of the legendary Palace in San Francisco, has been as lovingly restored and preserved. This is what it must have been like to stay in a first-class hotel in the early 20th century. The main restaurant, called the French Room, is also excellent, with a well-chosen and fairly-priced wine list. Portions, however, are what my wife calls "nouvelle/no food" -- artfully arranged, but way too small for most American (and particularly Texan) preferences.
Two of my three major hotel pet peeves must also be mentioned: valet parking is outrageously priced -- why do hotels feel entitled to charge so much to park your car? (There is, however, a public garage 2 blocks down.) And they have in-room "mini-bars", which I consider an insult on general principle. Here, the prices are not only ridiculous, but they actually tack on a 20% "restocking charge" as well! (Do they think we're stupid? Or do alcoholics simply not care what alcohol costs?) Internet access (my 3rd peeve) is available and free, as mentioned above, but the signal is weak. I understand the problems of wireless internet in an old building, but it wouldn't cost much to install a few extra wireless transmitters.
In short, like a '57 Chevy, the good aspects outweigh the bad, in my opinion -- as long as you know and accept the inherent limitations of vintage equipment.
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