The Fordson Hotel in Oklahoma City is another great hotel in the Hyatt Unbound Collection. My family enjoyed a very nice one-night stay.
Fordson Hotel Review Oklahoma City – Hyatt Unbound Collection
At $142/night, the hotel was cheap and a perfect stopping point on our Route 66 road trip.
We arrived at the hotel very late and were expecting to have trouble finding parking, but the street was empty and there were plenty of unmetered parking spots on Fred Jones Ave, located on the side of the hotel.
Speaking of Fred Jones, the hotel is a historic building on the site of a former Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant. Fred Jones was a prominent industrialist and civic leader in Oklahoma City, who owned a chain of Ford dealerships.
Fred Jones came to Oklahoma to work as a timekeeper in the new branch assembly plant of Ford Motor Company in 1916, and by 1926, Jones was the largest Ford dealer in the Southwest. By 1966 the Fred Jones Manufacturing Company occupied nine buildings covering more than six blocks in downtown Oklahoma City – it became the largest of 29 authorized Ford remanufacturing companies in the nation. In 1968 Jones acquired and remodeled the old Ford assembly plant and moved his remanufacturing company to its four-story building – now home to Fordson Hotel.
I love historical buildings that have been repurposed for hotels.
The lobby was still decorated for Christmas when we arrived, though the decorations were removed by the time we left. In addition to plenty of seating in the lobby, there’s a classic Ford Model T that you can sit in.
Room
Taking the elevator up to the fourth floor, I also loved the industrial look of the hallway…a neon art exhibition and sky-high ceilings with art-deco style pillars providing support.
Our room, 422, was “standard” (no upgrade, I presume, because I had reserved two beds instead of one) but still spacious. The beds were extremely comfortable and the high ceilings were appreciated.
I loved the bathroom fixtures…those wheel-like chrome faucet handles are so cool…I want them at my house! Great scents from the MALIN+GOETZ soap, shampoo, and conditioner as well.
The room had a Nespresso coffee machine and a refrigerator (empty).
There wasn’t much of a view outside…
Pool
A small outdoor pool adjacent to the Bodega doesn’t offer much space to swim, but there were chairs and cabanas around it…the water was too cold for my kids (and to be fair, it was below freezing outside).
Fitness Center
A 24/7 fitness center on the 3rd floor offers Technogym equipment including free weights, a multi-use resistance machine, bikes, ellipticals, treadmills, and core training items like medicine balls and kettlebells.
Spa + Wellness
There’s a small spa reception next to the fitness center, though it did not seem to be staffed. My understanding is that massage treatments are available, but more on-demand.
Behind the spa (also accessible via the fitness center) is a wellness area with shower, sauna, and steam room. The steam room was closed and apparently has been for several months, but the sauna worked (though I would have liked it about 30º warmer…) and I enjoyed sitting in it.
Even better: this area is open 24/7, meaning you can do a 2:00 am workout and sauna session…I like that flexibility.
Dining
The hotel has a restaurant, coffee shop, and poolside bar.
The coffee shop, called the Bodega, is where breakfast is served…and great coffee as well. The breakfast menu was somewhat limited, but the omelets were good and I liked the Le Creuset cups.
Breakfast runs from 6:30 am at 10:30 am on weekdays and until 11:00 am on weekends. Lunch is available from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm (from noon on weekends), but coffee and grab-and-go items are available until 9:00 pm each day.
Mary Eddy’s Italian Grill is located in the lobby and is open Monday – Saturday for dinner and drinks.
The pool bar is open on weekends only from 4:00 pm to 11:00 pm.
Room service is also available.
Service
The front desk staff was great here…I was thanked for my Globalist status and there was no drama removing the breakfast charges.
CONCLUSION
This was a brief stay here, but a pleasant one. I very much liked the rooms (and I’m told the suites are massive), enjoyed the coffee and breakfast, and appreciated being in such a quiet part of town with no hassle parking. The architecture and history of this hotel was also appreciated, giving it great character, and I do hope to return.
Pretty snazzy for OKC.
It looks nicer than I expected, but I have to confess that pool is underwhelming. You would expect a bigger pool. I’d opt for The Ellison, a Marriott Tribute Portfolio property. While not housed in a historic building, it’s basically the same concept. The big difference is the pool. They have a big-ish rooftop pool.
Matthew a fun review. Will you be writing more on your Route 66 trip?
Hi Christopher, my entire trip has been published. See here:
https://liveandletsfly.com/category/trip-reports/
Matthew,thank you. I do not know how I missed the others. I should have wrot3e this long ago but you are a wonderful writer and I always enjoy your pieces on almost any subject. You also seem like a very nice, kind and empathetic person, rare traits in this country now. So keep up the great work.
I love Route 66. The challenge is doing it without a lot of one night hotel stays in under 12-15 days depending on how you do it.
Hi Christopher, thank you for the kind words.
The hotel from the outside looks like an old warehouse…but the inside looks a lot nicer..
The suites are indeed massive. I was visiting family in OKC and ended up hosting them in my suite as it was bigger then their house. lol