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Hotels in Tyler Texas

December 21st, 2009

If you are visiting the Rose Capital of America, chances are you will need to find a hotel. In Tyler Texas, attractions are spread over a very wide area. Tyler only has a population of 100,000 people, but the city sprawls over enough square miles for a population 2 or 3 times that size to live comfortably. Unfortunately for you, that means there is no perfect central location for you to stay. You will have to be strategic in your lodging plans. Here is a short list of hotels and B & B’s near Tyler’s main attractions. (The price range is just an estimate. The lower prices might not be available during high tourism seasons.)
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Hotels near Interstate 20

If you are an interstate traveler who might be getting in late, these hotels are located right off of I-20. If you go this route, however, be advised that you are a good 10 minutes outside of Tyler’s city limits, 20 minutes from the Rose Garden, and 30 minutes from any decent shopping centers

Hampton Inn

If you have ever stayed at Hampton Inn, you probably love it already. This hotel was built just a few years ago. it is always lush, comfortable, and has a wonderful breakfast. Expect to pay between $100 and $170 per night for it.

Best Western

This is a newly renovated Best Western hotel that has a good reputation. The continental breakfast is free, and the prices are good, ranging from around $70 to $150 per night.

America’s Best Value Inn

This is a good choice if you are on a tight budget. It has an outdoor pool and internet access, and will just cost you between $45 and $90 at Americas Best Value Inn.

La Quinta Inn

La Quinta is another very nice hotel, offering a hot breakfast, an indoor pool, and a comfortable stay. Like the Hampton, however, it is more pricey than the others, starting around $100 per night.

Hotels near Loop 323 & Hwy 69 North

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There is a heavy conglomeration of hotels at the north end of Tyler. Personally, I do not think this is a very good location for a hotel. Not only is north Tyler a junky and sometimes dangerous area, there are no attractions close by, with the exception of the Caldwell Zoo, which is just a few minutes south. If you stay in one of these hotels, you are in no man’s land: 10 minutes from the interstate, but still 20 minutes from any good shopping or good restaurants. That said, there are some decent choices in this area:

Quality Inn Conference Center

The Quality Inn is a good name, and this is a nice hotel with a hot breakfast and cheap prices. Prices can range between $50 and $100 per night.

Holiday Inn Express & Suites

This Holiday Inn Express is a comfortable hotel, offering a hot breakfast, outdoor pool, and prices between $90 and $160 per night.

Strafford House Inn

Each room at the Strafford House has a whirlpool tub and a 32 inch flat screen TV. Best of all, the price are still competitive, ranging from $90 to $160 per night.

Days Inn

The Days Inn is a cheaper option, costing between $55 & $85 a night. They also offer a free breakfast.

Other Lodging Options Here

Motel 6
Super 8 Motel
Economy Inn
Econolodge

Hotels near Shopping Centers on South Broadway

These hotels are conveniently located close to big shopping centers and great restaurants. Be advised, however, that it might take you fifteen minutes to reach the Rose Garden, and half an hour to reach the interstate from here until Loop 49 is completed.

Hilton Garden Inn

This is a beautiful hotel, with plush rooms with soft beds and flat screen TV’s. Unlike most of the other hotels, this one also has a restaurant, the Great American Grill. But it’s a Hilton, which means it’s going to be expensive: between $120 & $180 per night.

Holiday Inn Select

This large hotel features a beautiful lobby, a spacious and elegant restaurant, and very comfortable rooms, all at prices between $90 and $150 per night at Holiday Inn Select.

Candlewood Suites

This hotel offers large, comfortable rooms with full kitchenettes. Expect to pay between $90 and $170 per night at Candlewood Suites.

Sleep Inn & Suites

Here is another comfortable hotel featuring lovely rooms and suites with 32 inch flat screen TV’s. Another bonus: This Sleep Inn & Suites hotel features a free shuttle to the Tyler Pounds Regional Airport. This is a nice touch, because the airport is a 20 minute drive. Prices range between $100 and $170 per night.

Comfort Inn

It’s part of the Choice Hotels group with Sleep Inn, Quality Inn, and others, so you can expect the same type of service as those ones. Prices range from $90 to $160 at this Comfort Inn.

Best Western Southpark Inn & Suites

Like its counterpart in North Tyler, this is a very nice hotel, featuring flat screen TV’s in all the rooms and suites, and offering a hot breakfast. Prices can range between $90 and $130 at this Best Western.

Options Near the Rose Museum

For some reason, Tyler’s biggest tourist attraction, The Rose Garden, home of the Tyler Rose Festival, offers no nearby hotels, unless you count the Budget Inn and the American inn, which I don’t. So if you want to stay somewhere close, I would recommend a nearby Bed & Breakfast instead. Here are 3 good B&B options in the historic “red brick district,” not far from the Rose Garden.

Rosevine Inn Bed & Breakfast

This is a lovely, old fashioned B & B that travelers will love. For prices on their unique rooms, visit their website at www.rosevine.com

Woldert-Spence Manor Bed and Breakfast

This is a beautiful, historic B & B. If you love Bed & Breakfasts, you will fall in love with this place. Here’s the website for room pricing: www.tylertexasinn.com

Chilton Grand Bed and Breakfast

The Chilton is the quintessential southern mansion: Balcony, white pillars and all! Room rates are between $90 and $100, but you’ll want to check their website for specific room information: http://www.chiltongrand.com

…There are other options

There are plenty of other hotels in Tyler Texas, but these clusters are probably the most common. If you are looking for something closer to a different attraction like Lake Palestine or Lake Tyler, check Google Maps for more ideas.

Great food is not relative

November 15th, 2009

            Well it’s happened. There’s a new restaurant chain in Tyler Texas that I’m excited to have here. I realize that for years I’ve complained that we need more local eateries and less corporate food. As a general rule I remain devoted to this idea, however unlike the Chile’s, Applebee’s, TGI Friday’s genre, the new establishment will fill an otherwise empty niche. The new restaurant is Einstein Bros Bagels.

            Einstein took over the ailing Blockbuster video location in the French Quarter, A building that had become something of an eye sore inspite of its prime real estate.  While I enjoy bagels, I’ve not had a really good one since moving home from St. Paul, Minnesota. Einstein offers a tremendous menu of breakfast and lunch time sandwiches, as well as plain bagels that are anything but. They also serve great coffee.

            Admittedly the prices are a little high, (I’d say a bit higher than what you’d spend on a Whataburger breakfast), but they are not unreasonable. Look for Einstein to quickly become the favorite hangout of Tyler yuppies and Starbucks moms. I must confess I felt a bit like just another member of the local herd heading for the newest culinary curiosity, but at least this one is unique in Tyler.

            The surprising thing to me is that it’s taken this long for a good bagel place to open here.  Considering the quality of the food and the central location on South Broadway, expect the new establishment to do well. Einstein is more than worth checking out. For more information on Einstein Bros Bagels, see their website at www.einsteinbros.com, or walk into the new location. They can be found at 4500 South Broadway in Tyler.

Carmike 14 in Tyler

November 11th, 2009

Ever since Carmike 14 opened several years ago, movie goers have not ceased to rejoice that there was finally an alternative to the infamous “Tyler Rose,” a lousy at a bad location. Over the years, Tyler has continued to expand down South Broadway, with recent additions like Kohls and Ganger Mountain. The Carmike cinemaplex is perfectly located around these shopping centers. This makes it a natural choice for shoppers over the Hollywood Rose theater on West Broadway, which is close to a bank and a chicken store.

Great location aside, Carmike is better than Hollywood Theater in every way imaginable. The staff is friendly and helpful. The box office is inside the door so you don’t have to sweat to death while you’re choosing a movie. The workers do a good job of cleaning up.

This theater also offers digital projection. If you are used to going to movies with black blotches and static lines, digital viewing can be quite a revelation. the colors are so much more vivid, and the picture is always clear. It is important to note that the Hollywood Rose does not offer digital projection. You can also see 3-D movies here at Carmike when applicable.

But for me, the most memorable part of Carmike 14 in Tyler is the snack bar. Because this theater is the only one in town that has the massive popcorn shoot. The popcorn is made upstairs, just over the snack bar, and it flows down to the snack bar like manna from heaven. This type of setup is perfect for those who are easily entertained like me.

The only downside to Carmike 14 is the crowds. Because of its central location, I can rarely drive in to the parking lot without hunting hard for a parking spot. This is especially true on the weekends, naturally. Tylerites love their restaurants and their movies, so expect to have to wade through traffic and lines at the box office and at the snack bar. And expect to pay a little more for a ticket to Carmike 14: $8.25 is the going rate for a regular adult at an evening show. If you don’t like the crowds, consider going to Times Square Cinema, just a couple miles north of Carmike. The screens are smaller there, but the crowds are, too. Just be sure that you don’t go to The Tyler Rose.

Overall, the Carmike 14 Theater in Tyler is a well run establishment, offering a pleasant viewing experience from the opening credits to the last kernel of buttery goodness.