Remember when you were a kid traveling with your parents, and the one thing you wanted was a big hotel swimming pool at night? Your parents also looked forward to the pool amusing their children. Prepare for updated nostalgia because the Texican Court Hotel in Irving, Texas, is a throwback to a 1950s motor lodge with an outdoor pool.
I enjoyed swimming at the Texican but relished soaking my feet while reclining on the in-pool chairs.
However, the hotel offers adults more than the kid magnet in the courtyard. The hotel vibe means it’s a peaceful, relaxing place to stay. Like that old Eagles tune, you’ll get a peaceful, easy feeling when you enter the Texican’s courtyard.
The Valencia Hotel Group specializes in boutique hotels, and the Texican is a model for what a boutique hotel should be: quirky and fun. Every part of the hotel is Instagram-worthy. Plus, the Texican is affordable.
Visit Irving hosted my first stay at the Texican, and I attended the 2023 Southern Travelers Explore conference there. All opinions are my own, and I highly recommend this hotel. Others agree; the Texican gets four-star ratings.
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The 501 W. Las Colinas Blvd. hotel occupies a prime location across the street from the Irving Convention Center, and an easy half-mile walk from the Toyota Music Factory within Irving’s vast, upscale Las Colinas planned community. The Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport is only 15 minutes away, and Dallas Love Field is a 22-minute drive. Enter the parking lot from Las Colinas Blvd. on the hotel’s north side.
Entering the Texican Court Hotel
The Texican’s vibe is evident when guests enter the driveway. A metal arch above the entrance displays the hotel’s name. The white mission-style adobe surrounds the driveway, and a fountain partially obscures the hotel entrance. Another archway reveals the entrance courtyard, paved with cobblestones. The front desk and gift shop are in a room on the right, where the clerk hands you a bottle of water after check-in. Check out an orange and white Texican bicycle to explore the neighborhood.
The Salt Tequila Bar is across a reflecting pool surrounded by lounge chairs. Bring your pet.
The front desk includes a seating area furnished with mid-century modern décor accented with Texas features and highlighted with a touch of neon.
The entrance uses Frank Lloyd Wright’s compress and release technique. The dim enclosure engenders coziness, and the opening to the hotel proper is enticing. Both business and leisure travelers will feel at home in its embrace.
Roxie’s reliable report: A glass wall encloses the Texican’s front desk, and finding the handle can be tricky. Look for a small handle on the frame.
Exploring the Texican Court Hotel
Look both ways as you exit the entrance courtyard. The hotel encircles a pair of additional courtyards, and all the rooms open onto one of the courtyards. The round, resort-style pool occupies much of the southern courtyard. The Two Mules Cantina stands under a veranda to the pool’s southwest. Dine inside or sit in the courtyard. Play a Texas-size version of Connect Four or cornhole on the lawn. Two Mules sells s’mores kits, and a cauldron stands ready for treat-making.
On the north, a smaller courtyard features an outdoor fireplace complete with a longhorn skull adorning the chimney. Sit in the rocking chairs and enjoy the fire after dark. It’s a perfect space for corporate events.
During our conference, Visit Irving put on a spectacular event below the strands of Edison lights.
We picked Stetson hats from the Fleastyle Hat Bar, posed on a longhorn, competed in armadillo races, learned to line dance, and listened to a country band.
Meeting at the Texican Court Hotel
The Little Chapel Ballroom houses the hotel’s 3,000-square-foot event space. Create two meeting rooms with the partition. The exterior is reminiscent of the Alamo. You’re definitely in Texas. The courtyard connects to the cantina, which caters. We found the space to be comfortable for a small conference.
Staying at the Texican Court Hotel
At the Texican Court Hotel, 152 guest rooms and suites await your pleasure. Choose from classic rooms, deluxe rooms, junior suites, and a presidential suite. The classic rooms are on the quieter north side, while the deluxe rooms overlook the pool. A rocking chair sits outside each room’s pink door, offering the perfect way to relax.
The rooms’ throwback décor fits perfectly with the exterior. Mexican serapes inspire the rooms’ textiles. The classic rooms have concrete floors, while the deluxe rooms are carpeted. I prefer the concrete; it’s cooler.
Roxie’s reliable recommendation: Decide whether living in Mexico is for you with this tool.
The hotel stuffs a full-size orange SMEG (ad) refrigerator with drinks, plus the staff stashes snacks on the coffee table.
I drank a Fredericksburg Peach Tea (ad) from Texas Tea every morning. The beds are Stearns & Foster plush pillow tops with Egyptian cotton linens. Watch your favorite show on the 50-inch ultra-high-definition interactive flat-screen TVs.
A sliding barn door separates the bathroom from the bedroom. It’s stocked with luxury bath products. The rooms feature walk-in showers, while each suite has a vintage-inspired claw-foot bathtub. Look for the deluxe robe of many colors awaiting your comfort. If you like it, buy one at the front desk’s Trading Post.
Related: Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald stayed at Ruth Paine’s house the night before he shot the President. Track JFK and Oswald as their lives collided — and violently ended — in the Metroplex.
Eating at the Texican
Two Mules Cantina serves delicious craft cocktails accompanying Tex-Mex cuisine. I drank the Diablo margarita whenever possible. They book entertainment on the weekends, and outside guests are welcome.
The tequila bar is a more intimate space. Sip tequila cocktails by a fireplace. Both venues offer indoor and outdoor seating.
Roxie’s reliable report: Work off the food in the first-floor fitness center. The hotel does not provide complimentary breakfasts.
Benefits of staying at the Texican
All the glamour of the Music Factory and the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema are within walking distance of the Texican Court Hotel, so don’t worry about parking. The Mandalay Canal Walk, Lake Carolyn’s Gondola Adventures, and the Mustangs of Las Colinas are also within walking distance. I know because I walked to them all.
Related: Nine things to know about the Mustangs of Las Colinas.
I love Irving, Texas, and I’d stay repeatedly at the Texican Court Hotel.
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