Gaylord Texan Hotel and Convention Center www.gaylordhotels.com)

Stepping into the grand Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport rendered me speechless. The airport, after all, is the second largest in America (according to research, it can fit the whole of Manhattan). The weather in Dallas is just right.

I stayed in the humble and simple Knights Inn Arlington, a 1.5-star hotel just 10 minutes away from the Cowboys Stadium. For its rate of $40.00 per night, Knights Inn exceeded my expectations. The hotel was very clean and well-maintained. The Indian owners personally greeted guests and were very kind. A former guest even said that the wife offered them a ride so they would not have to take a cab. These guests have become loyal clients and have stayed at the hotel every time they watch a Cowboys game.

Knights Inn Arlington has more than 100 guestrooms, all with satellite/cable TV, air-conditioning and microwave. There is even a refrigerator available upon request. Its outdoor pool is relaxing and the business center, with its free high-speed Internet access, offers guests utmost convenience. Every morning, complimentary continental breakfast is served. For pet lovers, this is the hotel for you too because they allow pets to stay here. Knights Inn is the only hotel in the area that offers complimentary area shuttle within three miles. That meant I had free ride to the Cowboys Stadium everyday. Six Flags and the Rangers Baseball Stadium are likewise covered by the free shuttle service.

The Inn recently got remodeled so their rooms look new and very clean. But the best part about staying here was the service. The staff were very helpful, offering advice on which restaurants have great food, how to get to places from the hotel, and the sites to see around Texas.

Knights Inn Arlington is definitely the place to stay in for those who want the best value for their money. Instead of spending hundreds of dollars on your room, just use the money for food and drinks, and of course, visiting the nice places around Dallas.

About 20 miles from Knights Inn is the luxurious Gaylord Texan Hotel and Convention Center, a 5-star hotel which claims to be the pride of Texas. This is where Team Pacquiao and the People’s Champ were billeted for the title defense against Ghanaian challenger Joshua Clottey. The hotel is just six minutes from the Dallas Fort Worth Airport and 23.2 kilometers away from the Cowboys Stadium.

Its nine-storey glass atrium has 4.5 acres of indoor gardens with a flowing river. It offers spots for dining, shopping, dancing, and working out and pampering yourself. Fine dining restaurants in Gaylord Texan are the Old Hickory Steakhouse (serves Certified Black Angus beef and an assortment of wine), the Riverwalk Café (a market-style restaurant with entertainers), the Ama Lur (serves Latin and Southwestern food, has a margarita bar and performing band), where Top Rank treated the press to dinner,  the Texas Station ( a sports bar with plasma TVs and serves burgers and barbecue), the Java Coast (coffee shop), the Pool Bar and Grille (poolside bar), the Silver Bar (saloon-style, serves cocktails), and Cups & Cones (ice cream shop).

Gaylord Texan also has a 25,000- sq. ft. day spa and fitness center that has treatment/massage rooms, a hair and beauty salon, a full-service health spa, fitness equipment, steam rooms and saunas. Guests can enjoy the indoor pool or the outdoor pool with waterfalls.

More than 1,000 guest rooms and over 100 suites are all decorated in the Southwestern style and all offer a good view of the atrium. High-speed wireless Internet is available in all rooms. Even the beddings are hypo-allergenic, the curtains are thick and dark, the toiletries are extravagant, and the bathtubs are lavish—all fit for a royal stay at the hotel.

The Gaylord Texan is said to be “the most technologically-sophisticated hotel in the Southwest,” with a 400,000 sq. ft. convention center that has a 5,000-capacity ballroom, and 70 meeting and event rooms, including the 180,000 sq. ft. Longhorn Exhibit Hall.

Whether you choose the simple and quiet Knights Inn Arlington or the magnificent and bustling Gaylord Texan, you will feel at home in Texas with its warm atmosphere, Texan environment and hospitality.