“The Riviera of the South” — On Harry Hines!
by Paula Bosse
The paradise of Harry Hines awaits…
by Paula Bosse
The Tower Hotel Courts opened in the fall of 1946. Their address makes my had spin: at “The Circle” where highways 77, 183, 114, and Loop 12 intersect. “10108 Harry Hines” would have been easier to fit on the stationery, but mention of all those highways just made everything more exciting. (It also gave some indication to prospective guests of what would be awaiting them, such as constant traffic noise and the ever-present whiff of exhaust in the air. “You can’t say we didn’t warn you, madam.”)
The fancy motel was five speedy minutes away from Love Field, which seems handy, because if you had an hour or seven to kill before your flight, wouldn’t you want to spend it there in the fabulous-looking Bamboo Room? I would! (Even though I’m pretty sure that matchbook cover is a little more glamorous than the actual Bamboo Room.)
If you were going to stay for a day or two and not just a few drinks, there were all sorts of things waiting for you: two pools (one a very large children’s wading pool), a theater, a croquet court AND a shuffleboard court, “circulating ice water,” and … stand back … a 2-station radio in every room. Somewhere in amongst all of this was a 46-unit trailer park (“with individual bathrooms”).
It’s not hard to see why they called the Tower Hotel Courts “The Riviera of the South.”
Ultra Modern!
Owner’s wife and kids?
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First and last images from Flickr; Bamboo Room image also from Flickr.
Several of these pictures are larger when clicked.
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Copyright © 2014 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.
Flashback : Dallas 
Thank you SO much for the memories. The Tower Courts were owned by my grandfather and I spent many “Water Logged” summers there as a kid.
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Glad you liked it, Philip! My guess is that it was a pretty fancy motel for its day and a stand-out on a pre-divey Harry Hines.
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So true!! It was a place where the most affluent of Dallas met for functions in the 50’s and 60’s. Boy, could I ever tell you some stories!! LOL. I forwarded a link to the page so my mother and siblings can see it. My grandmother and grandfather have passed many years ago.
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Philip, do you know when the Tower Hotel Courts were demolished? Do you remember there being a traffic circle? I am absolutely fascinated by this article and would like to learn more.
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Is there any way to find more pictures of outside of hotel?
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I put all the photos I could find in the post. You might try searching eBay and Google Images for more.
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Was this near the Anchor Motel and the Circle theater
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Yes, and both of those places are still on Harry Hines.
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Looking up info on the Circle and found yours. So great memories of my childhood going up and down Harry Hines starting in the 40’s. Thanks so great seeing all you posted. GREAT Frances Jones
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Thank you!
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I grew up near there in North Dallas. Every time we’d drive down Harry Hines Blvd. I’d see the Tower Hotel back in the 60s. Very interesting! Thank you for sharing.
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[…] Longhorn Ballroom, Louanns, El Zarape Ballroom, the It’ll Do Club, the Bamboo Room at the Tower Hotel Courts, the Chalet Club, and the Tamlo Show Lounge (a couple of these show up in the…um… […]
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[…] to discover the area was a family-friendly destination. Check out Paula Bosse’s blog post, ‘”The Riviera of the South” — On Harry Hines!’ Her blog discusses an enchanting place, the Tower Hotel Courts that was minutes from where I […]
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Great historical information!!! Thank you. Do you remember the name of a large grocery store (for the time) north of the circle and before you got to Walnut Hill. On the east side of Hines.
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Thanks! I’m sorry, I don’t know the name of the grocery store.
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