I've stayed at the Belmont several times in the last year and have had a great experience every time.

The atmosphere is fun, funky and fabulous. The staff is friendly and laid back and the rooms are cute with both original and modern elements (original tile, new flat screen TV) put together. Great view of downtown skyline from bar patio and pool area. The Cliff Cafe, their onsite dining spot, has delicious pulled pork quesadillas and a good wine selection. You can get breakfast all day too if you want. The Bar Belmont is a cool place at night for a drink or snack.

The area is surrounding the hotel is not great, but I felt safe walking around every time. It will get better with time. They have security that patrols at night. Another bonus: they offer quick complimentary shuttle to the Bishop Arts District or Downtown for more dining and shopping options.

We stayed there for Valentine's Day and it was fine as long as you did not have to deal with the staff. They are not good when they get busy.

The Valet did not have us on the list and gave us a hard time when parking. No one carried our bags and we definitely did not get a bucket of ice like another reviewer did.

The bar was busy with one server. She started out ok but then disappeared. When we asked for another drink, she finally did bring it; slamming it on the table. We said something to bartender inside which got us the response from the server of "I am not ignoring you, I am just busy".

We sent an email to the hotel and at first the representative seemed helpful--wanting to talk by phone. However, she did not seem to believe us and then said she would get back to us. She did after I emailed her 3 more times. Her email basically told us too bad that we were disappointed. We live in Dallas and I bring in business clients often. I was hoping that the Belmont would be a good addition to my list. It is not. And we will not be going back to stay or even for drinks.

This was our second stay at the Belmont (husband and I first went in Nov. 2006). Fully renovated rooms boast all the amenities from mainstream hotels but with historic nostalgia. Unique atmosphere, fresh, youthful decor, attractive lounge with fresh flowers and bohemian accents. Comfortable bed with waffle coverlet and fluffy pillows. Cramped bathroom with pedestal sink--only room for one at sink. Deluxe room (no. 34) had a window seat overlooking terrace with mosaic sidewalk. Didn't use balcony since it rained while we were there. Valet very friendly and helpful. Morning breakfast at Cliff Cafe, just next door to the hotel...vanilla bean pancakes and florentine egg scramble--delicious!

My husband and I live in North Oak Cliff not far from the Belmont and decided to spend a night for a romantic night out. Our standard garden room was clean, comfortable and minimalist, with a great view of the Dallas skyline. We enjoyed sitting in the vintage chairs in our room's screened porch, which is a little dark but a great creative reuse of the old parking spots. The bathroom was small but clean and the Kiehl's products are a nice touch. We sleep with earplugs, so I can't comment as to whether noise is an issue, but I wouldn't think so. I also think the Belmont's landscaping is beautiful--lots of roses and water-thrifty native plants.

Our package included drinks and appetizers at the Bar Belmont, which has a terrific patio and good music. We come here with friends sometimes when we aren't staying here--don't make it a priority for the inside, but in warm weather the patio is tops and has a relaxed, hip crowd.

We also received a bottle of champagne which we took down to the heated salt water pool. There were only a couple of other folks around by the pool, so we drank our champagne, floated around, and looked out over the skyline. Noplace else in Dallas do you get this view, especially from the pool. Check it out also when they host B-Movie night at the Belmont in the summers and you can watch a movie, drive-in-style, projected on the building while you sit, drink, and swim or hang out on the lawn.

The Cliff Cafe opened in the late summer/fall after our stay but we've eaten there since. The macaroni and cheese and the calamari were hits, while the steak was a miss. Lots of better steak options in Dallas. The Bar Belmont food is decent--I liked the brie and apple quesadilla.

There is construction near the Belmont (new townhomes going in) so that may cause noise to be a problem. Also, don't plan on walking anyplace from the hotel--Fort Worth Avenue is improving but still not walkable. Drive or cab to Bishop Arts in Oak Cliff and walk there.

When we have relatives/out of town guests come to visit I recommend Belmont.