Inside the Arlington - The Largest Hotel in Arkansas.

Hot Springs is known as one of Arkansas's most popular tourist destinations.  Nestled in between the Diamond Lakes, speckled with a plethora of grand, fun and friendly attractions, dotted with great shopping opportunities and blessed with world-famous thermal bathing, the Spa City is a top choice for travelers looking for the right place to kick back and relax.

The city's most famous accommodations can be found within an edifice overlooking the famed Hot Springs Bathhouse Row.
The Arlington Hotel and Spa offers 484 rooms with all sorts of amenities, from large historic parlors to thermal water piped bathrooms to a series of suites named after the celebrities who stayed within.  There's a traditional spa within that utilizes the thermal waters, and a double decker pool out back. Let's take a tour!

This is the second Arlington Hotel.  The first one opened in 1875 and had 120 rooms, which
was huge back then.  It was torn down and replaced in 1893 with this one, which 
boasted 300 rooms on five levels.  This particular Arlington burned in 1923.
The third Arlington, which still stands, originally had 560 rooms.  It's been
renovated, but still maintains its original glory.

This is the lobby of the Arlington Hotel.  TO the right, there's an acove where sometimes a band
will set up to play.  The acoustics are ridiculous... in a good way.

From the registration desk, you can see out into the vast space the lobby occupies.  There are
plenty of comfortable sections for conversation and good seats for people watching.

This is the Lobby Bar.  It's famous.  It's so famous, Esquire Magazine named it one of the top barsin the entire nation.  

There's also a self-serve popcorn machine and watering stand right next to the Lobby Bar.
Don't feel guilty.  Get a cupful.  

Nice historic touches are everywhere in the lobby, from the painted backdrops to the tilework
around the water fountain.

The Venetian Dining Room is the Arlington Hotel's formal dining room.
The details within are exquisite.

That ceiling... those chandeliers... that floor... wow.

This is the wine room in the back of the Venetian Dining Room. It's swanky,

Here's a menu for one of the Venetian Dining Room's famed Sunday Brunches.  Be sure to check
with the hotel on the current menu when you go.

Even the restrooms are fancy.  This is the interior of the ladies room by the Venetian Dining Room.

The hotel elevators date to 1969.  They are gorgeous.

There's a listing of downstairs options near the main bank of elevators.  We'll get to that in
a little while.

This event registration space is located on the second floor over the lobby.  It's also a
comfortable space for relaxing when there's not a function going on.

Convention facilities can be used for a variety of things, including meetings and dances and even
weddings.  A LOT of weddings take place at the Arlington, and many people combine a wedding
at Garvan Woodland Gardens with a reception at the Arlington.

The Arlington Hotel has an Exhibit Hall and a Crystal Ballroom, both of which are gorgeous.

If you're looking for a regal space for a formal event, this is it.  The conference rooms are less
elaborate but they're recently updated (which is why I don't have photos to share, yet).

The bath house within the Arlington Hotel is original to the current 1924 structure.  It offers
many of the same services that date back to that time, today.  And because it's
within the hotel, you can go directly back to your room to relax after receiving
a massage or taking one of the famed thermal baths.

You can really go retro with a bath in one of those original tubs or a nice steam closet treatment!

Don't worry, there's plenty of privacy.

This is one side of the cooling room.  The other has beds where attendants help you stretch out
and cool down without losing your dignity, er, towel.  For obvious reasons, I didn't take photos
of those ladies.  Mens and ladies sections are separate.

Learn more about the Arlington Hotel Spa here.

The spa is, of course, for the adults.  What I'm about to show next is for the kid... in all of us.

There are few other places you can experience a double decker swimming pool in Arkansas!

Especially with a view of the Hot Springs Mountain Tower!

The lower pool is shallow, and you'll often find kids playing there.

Above it, a deeper pool sits within a curve of the mountain.  

My daughter (in the pink suit) is all about that lower pool right now.

And don't worry -- one is above the other, but not right above the other.

There's also a hot tub above the upper pool with a restroom nearby. Leave your towels in your
room and use the ones on the deck, please.

After a dip in the pool, you'll want to relax in your room... which Hunter is doing right here in
our room back during Spring Break.  Want to see our accommodations?

This is a room with two double beds.  It looks out over Bathhouse Row.  I love the ceiling fan
and the magnolia decor in this room!

I also love the view through the window.

You can see right down the street.

And it's gorgeous at night.

I also love the old tubs in the bathrooms.

Of course, there are also fancy suites you can stay in.  The most famous of these is the
Al Capone Suite.  Capone's favorite number was 442, and the
bedroom bears that number. This door goes to...

the suite, which includes a sitting area...

A table for dining or meetings, and

a bedroom with a king sized bed!

Down in the lower level, there are a number of shops, including this neat retro beauty shop.

There are also gift shops and clothing shops, as well as an exercise room.

The downstairs, called the Arcade, makes the Arlington a true resort where you never actually
have to leave the building.  You can even go retro and see what your weight says about
your future.

And you can get just about any sundry you need inside this shop.

If you'd like more information about the historic Arlington Hotel in downtown Hot Springs, call 800-643-1502 or check out the hotel's website.

Take a tour of historic Hot Springs Bathhouse Row by visiting OnlyInArk.com, or tour the Fordyce Bathhouse from top to bottom on the Tie Dye Travels blog here. And for breakfast, consider crossing the street for a meal at the world famous, 75 year old standard The Pancake Shop.