I was looking for a place to stay for a long holiday weekend and needed to be close to the home of some friends in Saginaw. I forgot how close this hotel was to the Texas Motor Speedway and the Stockyards as well as how horrible the traffic is in the area of Loop 820 and I-35W. Most of the other guests were NASCAR types and had multiple kids, making use of the indoor pool or the morning breakfast buffet an impossibility. The parking situation is also not good, with the spaces being far too narrow for all of the duel-wheeled pickup trucks owned by the other guests.

There are a number of nice restaurants nearby, many within walking distance. Waffle House, Joe's Crab Shack, Rosa's Cantina, Boston gourmet pizza, Starbucks, Whataburger, Popeyes, and McDonalds are all very close and on the opposite side of the freeway, within easy reach, are On the Border, Romano's Macaroni Grill, Chilis, Saltgrass steakhouse, MK's sushi, Braum's ice cream, Wendys, Genghis Mongolian Grill and several other Mexican restaurants.

There are two nice public golf courses close by, The Club at Fossil Creek and Iron Horse, both of which are very highly rated and well-conditioned. Shopping is available at Northeast Mall in Hurst, about a five mile drive to the east.

The biggest negative for this hotel is the horrible traffic situation that exists due to its proximity to the Loop 820/I-35W interchange. This is the worst highway in Dallas-Fort Worth and traffic headed south on I-35W is backed up for miles 24 hours a day. Unless you are a native (as I am) or frequent visitor and know how to get around using city streets and avoiding the freeway, this makes getting the short distance into Fort Worth a nightmare. Be sure to check to see if there are events scheduled at the Speedway or Stockyards before booking this hotel as the infrastructure of the city cannot handle the additional traffic from major events at any of these venues.

All-in-all, the hotel was acceptable, but it suffered in comparison to some of the other, much nicer places I stayed on this trip for the same or less money. It is not a bad hotel and the staff is alright, but the location is a detriment in terms of mobility and the parking situation is terrible. If you are a NASCAR fan, it is a great place to stay during race weekends; otherwise, find another option away from the crowds.