need advice for this saturday night

Hi, we are 7 women coming to Hot Springs to celebrate birthdays. Would love to stay at the Arlington, but really afraid of the reviews!! Also want to do the baths. Are there only 2 old ones in town?

Thanks very much

need advice for this saturday night

Only two old bath houses are open as far as I know, the Buckstaff and the Arlington. Everyone I know who has been through the Arlington bathhouse kind of liked it. The reviews are totally accurate on the Arlington Hotel - it%26#39;s a big old place which badly needs major capital investment but I think it is still fun to stay there. A few years ago, a group of our family members went over and they gave us a big suite sort of on the roof, which used to be the home of the owners. It had several bedrooms. You might look into this or other large suites for your group. The rooms on the top floors have mineral water running directly into oversized tubs. They are kind of fun also. With racing season, you may not have your choice of rooms, but there is a variety to choose from if they are available for you to look over before settling on yours. The Sunday brunch is large and interesting and has live piano music in a grand sort of room. It%26#39;s pretty fun also. Saturday night I think they have a kind of jazz dance combo in the lobby. I%26#39;d give it a shot myself. The only alternatives are the cookie cutter same old rooms elsewhere in town. If you like gorgeous old hotels, you might seriously consider staying at the Capital Hotel in Little Rock and reserving bath time at the Arlington and making the 45 minute drive to Hot Springs. The Capital is a knock-out - an 1870%26#39;s hotel with an arched cast iron front which just had a 35 Million dollar infusion of cash.

need advice for this saturday night

Thanks for your great reply. The Capitol sounds fantastic, but I found a condo for my group that sounds very nice and we can all be together. Any suggestions for a great place for dinner would be much appreciated. Steak, pasta etc. somewhere nice.

Thank you

Right after I recommended the Capital Hotel, I thought of the great times we%26#39;d had renting HS condos. That%26#39;s a perfect idea...but be sure to ask questions about the condo as they have many and there may be some which are more suitable than others for your group. From experience, I would suggest that if there is any concern about foot traffic noise above, ask for a top floor. Everyone has their own ideas about HS dining. My favorite is an Italian place, Belle Arti on the 700 block of Central Avenue. They usually have a piano player on Saturday nights who is pretty good. The same owners have the Porterhouse Room on the same block, which many people like a lot. Make reservations for wherever you go as it is racing season and the town gets crowded. For lunch my strong recommendation is Cafe 1217.