USA Today - Travel Tips
Release
Mar. 02, 2011
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Overview
Tulsa, in northeastern Oklahoma, is one
of the state's cultural centers. Residents
and visitors can take advantage of two
museums, a ballet company and an opera
house, along with antique and recreation
districts. Eighteenth Street and Boulder
Avenue meet at Veterans Park, just outside
of the downtown area. There are no hotels at
that intersection, but there are plenty of
great hotels just a few miles away.
Historic
The Mayo Hotel and Residences has served
the city since 1925 and the property is on
the National Registry of Historic Places.
Built in the style of a Chicago school
building, the hotel once was the city's
tallest building and the first to have cold
running water. Now an expansive lobby
features a staircase that splits in two
directions to the second floor and is
highlighted by sleek, modern furnishings.
The all-suite hotel has been updated to
include full kitchens in each room, wireless
Internet access throughout the hotel, a
business center and a fitness center. The
hotel partners with an off-site spa,
Chrysalis Salon and Spa, and offers
complimentary shuttle service around
downtown. The hotel also has documented its
history in its own museum.
Boutique
The Ambassador bills itself as a
boutique-style hotel. To create that style,
each floor features just seven rooms or
suites and every room has a different floor
plan and furnishings. The hotel's owners
sought a building in the style of the
Italian Renaissance, and that influence is
clear in the hotel's Italian marble
furnishings in the guest suites and the
villa-style architecture. The detail is
evident in the Chalkboard, the hotel's
restaurant, which is themed after European
bistros. The Ambassador has a sitting room,
the Hurley Library, where you can enjoy a
good book and some wine. Mixed with this
continental influence are modern amenities
like high speed wireless Internet, work
desks in all rooms, spa treatments and
wedding services.
Bed and Breakfasts
A pair of bed and breakfasts are nestled
amid the bustle of downtown. The Inn at
Woodward Park is housed in a renovated home
built in the 1920s in the Swan Lake
neighborhood. There are just three rooms but
guests get picturesque views of Woodward
Park and are close to museum and antique
districts. Each room evokes the feel of the
Roaring '20s. The Savoy has just seven
rooms, but all have full kitchens and
downtown views. Each suite features
different décor and a European flavor. The
hotel welcomes pets, and has free wireless
Internet access and a video library.
Business
The Courtyard Marriott is in the middle
of downtown and features its own business
center, two conference rooms for on-site
meetings and a limousine or town car rental
service. In each room is free high-speed
Internet access, a workspace and office
chair. The hotel also has a currency
exchange if you are coming in from out of
the country. The hotel has a restaurant, but
all rooms have refrigerators if you have
perishable items. The Hyatt Regency Tulsa
offers an airport shuttle, secretarial
services and audio-visual equipment among
its business services. High-speed Internet
access is available throughout the property,
and rooms feature a desk, chair and
multiline phones with data ports. If you
have time, the hotel features a pool and
whirlpool.
