Family Fun

5 hot spots for a family staycation in Dallas-Fort Worth

School's out for the summer. You've booked a trip or two away and organized summer camps for the kids, but it's still not quite enough. This is why having a few staycations up your sleeve comes in handy. So kick schedules out the window, be spontaneous, and book a last-minute getaway that's just around the corner. Your kids will thank you for being the coolest parent around.

Here are our picks on where to staycay this summer in Dallas-Fort Worth.

The Hilton Anatole
The game-changer for many families looking for a Dallas resort arrived last summer with the launch of JadeWaters, the 3-acre water experience at the Hilton Anatole. The resort pool complex offers a lazy river, two 180-foot water slides, kids' water features, a swim-up bar in the adult pool, pool-side spa treatments, and luxury cabanas.

New this year is the Fun Pass, which can be purchased daily or for a full weekend. It gives you access to kids activities at Geppetto's Marionette, s'mores parties, and craft workshops. The kids activities at JadeWaters run every Friday to Sunday, and the resort pool is open only to hotel guests.

Adolphus Hotel
Become downtown urbanites and check-in at the Adolphus Hotel. At over 100 years old, the grand dame of Dallas has undergone a major renovation of its 407 guest rooms and suites and added a rooftop pool and full-service spa and salon. Wander around discovering downtown or book a Dallas city tour on an eco-friendly electric EFrog shuttle. Restaurant options include Ascension Coffee at Thanksgiving Tower and Cafe Momentum within walking distance, or stay in for the chef-driven pool-side menu with offerings like flatbreads, all-beef sliders, and rainbow sherbet push-pops

The Summer in the City Staycation package includes complimentary valet, reserved cabana, and a $50 food and beverage credit. The F&B credit comes in handy for in-room dining while the hotel awaits the completion of the French Room and City Hall (opening later this summer).

Four Seasons Dallas Resort and Club Las Colinas
Two words — Kids Club. Four Seasons Dallas has perfected the art of keeping children happy with organized activities like scavenger hunts, cooking classes, and yoga, all of which is available via the Kids For All Seasons (KFAS) program. Additionally, kids can take tennis and golf clinics or sign up for all-day camps. This gives parents an opportunity to try an anti-gravity aerial yoga lesson, surf the TPC green on a Golfboard, or book a couples spa treatment. Our pro-tip is to book an unhurried dinner at LAW Restaurant on Friday or Saturday (from June to September), and drop the kids off at Kids Night In at KFAS, where they will be fed and entertained.

There are also plenty of ways to spend quality time together, including s'mores nights, dive-in movies at the pool, and a game of bocce or billiards at the newly opened Outlaw Taproom.

NYLO Plano at Legacy
Swanky New York vibes can be had at NYLO Plano. Walls covered with original artwork, slick concrete floors with exposed brickwork, and gritty industrial ceiling ducts are reminiscent of an artist's loft. A library and game room connected to the in-house restaurant, LOCL, lets the littles wander about and play over a leisurely meal. There's fresh-baked cookies and fruit-infused water for guests to nibble on all day long.

Go completely local and check out the frequently held festivals in historic downtown Plano and discover eateries like Urban Crust, Zalat Pizza, Amazeballs Cakeballs, and Crave Popcorn.

Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center
Cool off from the heat in Gaylord Texan's 10-acre water park, Paradise Springs. There's a lazy river, a lagoon pool, and a 27-foot-tall waterslide as well as a multilevel water play structure. Tots have their own toddler pool away from chaos of the big kids. When water play is done, take a stroll under the 4.5-acre Lone Star Atrium. The indoor lush gardens, walkways, and restaurants create a mini city wrapped under air-conditioned comfort. There are 10 food and beverage options, from the Texas-inspired Old Hickory Steakhouse to casual Italian at Zeppole Coastal with courtyard seating. Family program highlights include panning for gold with Gaylord's Prospector Pete, rounding up bandits at Hank's Outlaw Scavenger Hunt, and Mommy & Me manicures at Relâche Spa.

Free family activities include Friday night fireworks overlooking Lake Grapevine, a Saturday night Glow Party and Wild West Show under the Lone Star Atrium, and nightly live music.

Paradise Springs is a 10-acre water park at Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center.

Paradise Springs water play structure at Gaylord Texan Resort

Photo courtesy of Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center

Paradise Springs is a 10-acre water park at Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center.

families hotels

Jet setting

Luxury private terminal PS lands at DFW Airport ahead of World Cup

Photo courtesy of PS

PS Direct service provides a personal greeting and escort to and from the terminal.

Talk about traveling in style. Just in time for this summer’s FIFA World Cup soccer matches in Dallas-Fort Worth, a private, luxury terminal is opening at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport to accommodate well-to-do passengers.

A company called PS (formerly known as The Private Suite) will debut the 12,200-square-foot private, gated terminal on June 1. The terminal, located adjacent to DFW’s corporate aviation facility, will enable travelers to skip the airport’s main terminals, bypassing traditional airport lines in favor of dedicated security and screening.

And to be clear, this is for passengers flying commercial - not those in private jets.

In a release, PS says its facilities are “designed to eliminate the friction at every stage of travel — transforming the journey into a refined and seamless experience, from beginning to end.” The company sells individual and corporate memberships.

The “refined and seamless” PS experience is practically fit for royalty. Guests can choose among two offerings:

The Salon, a social lounge geared toward solo travelers and small groups. It features a 40-foot bar that pays homage to old-fashioned Southern bars.
Private lounges, each of which evokes “a deeply personal, homey feel” to support relaxation.

Perks for PS customers include a chef-prepared menu, spa services, and a BMW chauffeur service. The DFW chauffeur service, which will whisk passengers directly from their aircraft to their hotels or homes, is set to launch later this year.

No mingling with riff raff at security.Photo by Jenna Peffley

Dallas-based designer Jean Liu created the look of the terminal, which PS says “introduces an elevated, design-forward approach.” The terminal’s textures, colors, materials, and art reflect themes of Western landscapes and cowboy culture.

In one lounge area inside the terminal, warm taupes and tans dominate the walls and round coffee table, while the sofa and flooring feature a generous dusting of charcoal and deep brown. All three chairs are upholstered in a mushroom-tone fabric. The entire palette exudes the feeling of a desert landscape.

Complementing its surroundings, a large piece of bold abstract art hanging on one of the lounge area’s walls incorporates black, cobalt blue, deep red/pink, yellow, and white hues.

“We leaned into the notion of Southern hospitality for this project,” Liu says. “As much as possible, we pushed the envelope to incorporate residential elements — rather than what you’d typically see in a commercial space — to truly make this feel like stepping into someone’s home. PS DFW is designed to be warm, elevated, and welcoming for everyone passing through.”

PS private terminal DFW The Salon features a mural by Dallas artist Amy Berlin.Photo by Jenna Peffley

One of the highlights of The Salon: a mural by Dallas artist Amy Berlin in collaboration with Los Angeles artist Candice Kaye. Made of suitcase liners, maps, vintage text, and other materials in Berlin’s signature paper-collage style, the DFW-inspired textures “meet the energized pulse of global travel, inviting whimsy, retreat and calm,” says PS.

The art installations at PS DFW, curated by Los Angeles-based Creative Art Partners, center on “texture and materiality, balancing expressive abstract works with more subtle references to the tones and warmth of Dallas,” the company says. “Softer narrative pieces are woven throughout, creating moments of contrast and pause.”

The DFW terminal and soon-to-open facilities in Miami and Paris represent the next steps in PS’ plan to open private terminals at every major U.S. airport by 2030. The Los Angeles-based company already operates terminals at Los Angeles International Airport and Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport.

“As we expand, our focus remains on reimagining the airport experience by bringing the privacy, comfort, and personalized service of a five-star hotel into the journey itself,” says Amina Belouizdad Porter, CEO of PS.

PS will surely be a welcome option for some travelers arriving with high-priced tickets to the nine World Cup games being contested in Arlington, June 14-July 14, 2026.

While PS memberships are available, a la cart experiences are offered, as well. According to the website, The Salon begins at $1,295 per person; private suite rate is $4,950 for up to 4 travelers; and PS Direct service is $1,650 per person.

luxury