Recharge. Renew. Restore.

Dallas-Fort Worth wellness staycation guide: Where to recharge without leaving North Texas

Omni Dallas Hotel

Photo courtesy of Omni Dallas Hotel

Sometimes the best vacation doesn't require a boarding pass. Whether you're looking to reset your routine, recover after a busy season, or simply carve out time for self-care, Dallas-Fort Worth offers an impressive collection of hotels and resorts where wellness takes center stage.

From luxury spas and state-of-the-art fitness centers to rooftop yoga and floating sound baths, these destinations prove you don't have to travel far to return home feeling refreshed.

For the fitness enthusiast: Cooper Hotel & Conference Center
For travelers who like to stay active, the Cooper Hotel is hard to beat. Located on the 30-acre Cooper Aerobics campus in North Dallas, guests receive complimentary access to the renowned 56,000-square-foot Cooper Fitness Center, two heated outdoor pools, more than 100 weekly fitness classes, a cushioned walking trail, and Cooper Spa. Visitors can also schedule preventive health assessments at the adjacent Cooper Clinic, making this one of the country's most wellness-focused staycations.

Luxury wellness resort: The Ritz-Carlton Dallas, Las Colinas
Luxury and wellness come together at this reimagined Irving resort. Guests can enjoy yoga, Pilates, pickleball, championship golf at TPC Las Colinas, performance training at The Nelson Golf & Sports Club, restorative treatments at The Ritz-Carlton Spa & Salon, and personalized wellness programming. For an elevated escape, the Villa Inner Circle package includes premium amenities, concierge service, and exclusive enhancements.

Wellness retreat: The Crescent Hotel Fort Worth
Home to Fort Worth's only Canyon Ranch Wellness Club + Spa, The Crescent Hotel offers one of the region's most comprehensive wellness experiences. Along with an 11,000-square-foot luxury spa, guests enjoy a 26,000-square-foot fitness club featuring more than 100 weekly classes, recovery therapies, wellness coaching, and longevity-focused services.

Urban wellness escape: JW Marriott Dallas Arts District
The JW Marriott Dallas Arts District blends wellness with downtown culture. Guests can unwind beside the rooftop pool, recharge in tranquil "Serene Spaces," enjoy a modern fitness center, or experience the hotel's popular Floating Sound Bath Series. Its walkable location also puts museums, parks, and acclaimed restaurants just steps away.

Downtown Dallas spa retreat: The Joule
The Joule continues to redefine urban wellness with its seasonal Wellness Weeks and Forbes Four-Star Spa. This summer, guests and locals can book several signature experiences:

Stay fit at The Eye (July 25, Aug. 22, September 26) combines outdoor workouts with expert instruction, complimentary valet parking, recovery amenities, and a post-class vendor market.
Yoga at The Eye (July 11, August 8, September 5) features an all-level Vinyasa class beneath Tony Tasset's iconic sculpture.
Sound bath meditation (July 15, August 19, September 16) invites guests into the spa's candlelit Vitality Pool for an immersive evening of guided meditation, sound healing, and access to spa amenities.

The Joule DallasPhoto courtesy of The Joule Dallas

Downtown Dallas staycation: Omni Dallas Hotel
Located in the heart of downtown, Omni Dallas pairs city convenience with restorative experiences. Relax at Mokara Spa, lounge beside the heated rooftop infinity pool, or stay active in the 24-hour fitness center. Local residents can also take advantage of the "Love the Locals" offer, which provides 15% off spa services.

The hotel also hosts free Pilates Caliente classes on Pegasus Lawn throughout the summer and offers rooftop pool day passes through ResortPass.

Downtown Fort Worth escape: Omni Fort Worth Hotel
Omni Fort Worth offers a relaxing balance of wellness and luxury with Mokara Spa, a year-round outdoor pool, Peloton-equipped fitness center, complimentary in-room fitness kits, and healthy dining options.

Resort getaway: Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center
For travelers wanting equal parts relaxation and family fun, Gaylord Texan delivers with Relâche Spa, indoor lap pool, fitness center, and Paradise Springs Water Park featuring a lazy river, waterslides, and private cabanas.

Active escape: Hilton Anatole
The Hilton Anatole remains one of Dallas' top fitness destinations thanks to the expansive Verandah Athletic Club, indoor lap pool, basketball and racquetball courts, group fitness classes, full-service spa, and the resort-style JadeWaters pool complex.

North Dallas retreat: The Westin Dallas Stonebriar Golf Resort & Spa
The Westin Stonebriar combines the brand's signature wellness philosophy with championship golf, spa treatments, mapped running routes, pickleball, tennis, a resort pool, and a modern fitness studio.

Wellness meets city life: Thompson Dallas
At Thompson Dallas, guests can pair luxury spa treatments, rooftop pool time, and a high-end fitness center with easy access to Klyde Warren Park and the Katy Trail for an active day outdoors.

Timeless luxury: Hotel Crescent Court
Hotel Crescent Court offers a classic luxury escape featuring a full-service spa, fitness club, yoga and Pilates classes, personal training, tennis, and an outdoor pool.

Fort Worth's new luxury retreat: Bowie House, Auberge Resorts Collection
One of Fort Worth's newest luxury hotels, Bowie House features Ash Spa, a resort-style pool, fitness studio, and easy access to the Cultural District, making it an ideal destination for both relaxation and exploration.

Summer wellness experiences worth booking
Even without an overnight stay, several DFW hotels are hosting memorable wellness events throughout the summer.

The Westin Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas hosts its Summer Wellness Day, featuring poolside workouts, cold plunges, water aerobics, sound baths, and wellness activations.

At the JW Marriott Dallas Arts District, the popular Floating Sound Bath Series transforms the rooftop pool into a peaceful meditation experience accompanied by crystal singing bowls.

The Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West also offers recurring rooftop floating sound baths through Se7en Waves, combining guided meditation with sunset skyline views.

Whether you're looking for an intensive fitness retreat, a restorative spa weekend, or simply a few hours dedicated to slowing down, these North Texas destinations make it easy to prioritize your well-being without ever leaving the Metroplex.

fitness wellness yoga resorts spas dallas staycation fort worth staycation promoted

pet protection

How to protect Texas pets against the dangerous New World screwworm fly

MPhoto by Tran Mau Tri Tam ✪ on Unsplash

Make sure these guys are up on their flea and tick meds.

Two New World screwworm cases in dogs are among more than 30 confirmed instances in Texas and New Mexico, prompting warnings Wednesday, July 8 from veterinarians and humane societies that pet owners need to remain vigilant to protect their animals.

The parasite reappeared in cattle in the U.S. in June, more than 50 years after it had been largely eradicated from the country. The pest is actually the larvae of the New World screwworm fly. It eats live flesh and fluids rather than dead material, as the larvae of most fly species do.

Here is what to know about the parasite, the threat it poses to pets and how to protect them:

Screwworm fly larvae can infest any mammal
The fly's migration north from Panama starting in 2024, and through Mexico in 2025, has agriculture officials warning that it poses a threat to the $113 billion U.S. cattle industry, but the larvae can hatch and breed in any mammal, including wildlife, dogs, cats and occasionally humans.

The problem develops when a female fly lays its eggs in open wounds and mucus. After the eggs hatch, the larvae feed for about a week before maturing, dropping to the ground and continuing to develop into an adult fly.

The American Veterinary Medical Association says newborn animals and animals with open wounds or who have undergone surgery or other medical procedures recently are especially vulnerable. Even a tick bite can host an infestation, Aaron Grady, executive director of the Houston Humane Society shelter, said during a webinar on the screwworm.

Screwworm fly close-up The goal is to stop these flies from successfully breeding. Photo courtesy of Texas A&M AgriLife

Infestation signs include restlessness and bad smell
Animal health experts say pet owners in areas where the screwworm is present — southern and southwestern Texas and southeastern New Mexico so far — should watch their animals closely and examine them for wounds, cuts and bites regularly.

Pet owners should look for any maggots or movement in a wound. Other signs include a foul smell and restlessness or anxiety in an animal, or an animal “hyper-fixating on looking or chewing in a certain area of the body," said Melissa Stansell, a veterinarian at the shelter Austin Pets Alive!

Any one of those is reason enough to go to a veterinarian. The affected animal is likely in a great deal of pain, and that can cause death from shock. The larvae also can cause death if they move into vital organs or by causing infections that turn deadly.

Flea, tick medications can stop an infestation
Humane society officials and veterinarians said shelters across Texas are trying to prevent infestations in animals by giving them prescription flea and tick medications. They recommend that pet owners do the same.

“It will kill the larvae as they ingest the blood and tissue,” Stansell said. “The chemical compositions of those products are what kill the actual larval stages of these flies.”

Veterinarians also can treat infestations and animals can recover if pet owners contact them quickly. Stansell said the treatment could include antibiotics.

“It is only fatal if left untreated,” she said.

An effort to eradicate the fly again is underway
The New World screwworm fly is a tropical species and decades ago would disappear each year when colder weather arrived with the fall or winter.

But state and U.S. Department of Agriculture officials aren't waiting for the weather to turn. They've returned to an eradication method that worked decades ago, breeding sterile male flies and releasing them into the wild. The female New World screwworm fly mates once in her monthslong life, and if her partner is sterile, her eggs won't hatch — causing the population in an area to drop and then disappear.

For years, the only factory breeding sterile flies in the Western Hemisphere was in Panama, but the USDA invested $21 million to convert a site in southern Mexico from breeding fruit flies to recently start breeding screwworm flies. The agency also plans to spend $750 million on a new fly factory in Texas, set to open next year.

screwworm fly pets