Live! by Loews - Arlington, TX

Rooms and decor

Picture a sharp, modern 14-storey hotel standing in the middle of Arlington's entertainment district, wired straight into the restaurant-bar-event complex called Texas Live! — that's the appeal of Live! by Loews - Arlington, TX, a 300-room hotel built to be the heart of the Arlington Entertainment District. Step into the lobby and you feel the freshness and energy of the district around you. The decor runs warm and modern with a tasteful Texas streak, high ceilings, and common areas designed to feel as alive as the event plaza next door. At 14 storeys, plenty of rooms open their curtains onto the city and the big stadium-district scene, which gives the place a major-league buzz. A few steps out of the lobby and you hit the restaurants, bars and event lawn of Texas Live!, which makes this a tidy base for activity-minded families who'd rather not waste time driving anywhere.

Food and amenities

If there's one thing that makes families fall for this place, it's the infinity pool up on the SOAK rooftop deck, its edge spilling out toward the city skyline. Soaking up there with a view of Arlington from above is something you don't get at the average family hotel. But the highlight the kids will scream about and remember for years is the 17x10-foot screen set by the pool for dive-in movies — imagine floating in warm water at night, looking up at a big screen under the stars with the city as a backdrop. It blends water-park fun with the romance of an outdoor cinema. Parents can stretch out on a poolside lounger with a cold drink while the kids swim and watch the film. Those evenings on the rooftop are the golden minutes plenty of families call the highlight of the trip, and the main reason this hotel stands out among the area's family stays. Beyond the pool there's a fitness center and common areas, plus dining and bars right next door at Texas Live!

Location and getting there

Location is another ace for Live! by Loews. As noted, it connects directly into Texas Live! and sits in the heart of the Arlington Entertainment District, a city right between Dallas and Fort Worth. Almost everything a family wants is within easy reach. AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, is just about 1.1 km away — the closest in the area. Anyone planning to catch American football or a big concert there will love it, since you can walk back to your room instead of fighting post-event traffic. Six Flags Over Texas and Hurricane Harbor water park are only about 2.6 km, a few minutes' drive, and the Globe Life Field baseball stadium is nearby in the same district. Coming in from outside, it's roughly 25-30 minutes' drive from Downtown Dallas and 20-25 minutes from DFW international airport. You'll need a car or a rideshare here, since there's no direct public transit, but the payoff of sitting between the two cities is an easy base for both Dallas and Fort Worth.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. The first thing reviews flag is the cost in the entertainment district — both the food at Texas Live! restaurants and the parking run noticeably pricier than outside. On big event days especially, if you eat here every meal and park several nights, the total adds up fast. Drive out to a restaurant in nearby Arlington, or grab some snacks and water for the room, and confirm the parking fee when you book so there's no surprise at checkout. The second is the crowds during events: because the hotel sits right beside the stadium and a lively district, a big Cowboys game or a concert at AT&T Stadium packs the place. The lobby and pool get busy, parking is hard, and room rates jump. If you're not there for an event, dodging the big dates is easier on both the wallet and the vibe. The third is the rooftop pool and the weather — it's an infinity-style pool built for soaking and the view more than serious laps, and on cold or windy days it may close or simply be less fun than in summer. The dive-in movies don't run every night either, so check the forecast and the screening schedule ahead of time so the kids aren't let down.

Our take

Pulling together a chorus of real reviews, Live! by Loews - Arlington, TX sells "a location in the heart of Arlington's entertainment district plus a stylish rooftop movie pool for families" and sells it well. If you're a theme-park-and-sports family planning to hit Six Flags, catch a Cowboys game, or see a big concert at AT&T Stadium, and you want a stay where everything is walkable in one district — with a rooftop infinity pool and a giant dive-in movie screen the kids can float and watch under — this is about as good a fit as it gets. The high guest scores at 9.3 back up that cleanliness and service hold up too. But if you're after a quiet, private retreat for grown-up downtime, or you'd rather skip the crush on big event days, this may not be your answer, and you'll want to brace for the pricier food and parking and the room rates that swing with the game schedule. Overall we give it 8.7/10 — best for families bringing kids to tackle Arlington's theme parks and stadiums, then capping the night by floating and watching a movie on a rooftop pool in the middle of the city.