When traveling to a city like Dallas, most women think they want to be right smack in the middle of all the action. The problem with that? Dallas has action in every crevice of the 385.8 square mile city. So how do you decide exactly where to stay?

Here’s my first helpful girlfriend hint when traveling to Dallas – you need a car. Dallas is potentially doable without a car, but you’ll want to take in as much as you can and a car is really the only way to cover all the ground.

My last trip to Dallas was a few weeks ago for the Florida State / Oklahoma State game to kick off College Football Season over Labor Day weekend. We had a ton of friends flying in from all over, excited to see the National Champs back on the field. Since everyone booked their hotels at different times, our group was scattered everywhere – some with cars, some without.

Many felt it was optimal to stay in Uptown, closer to a lot of the bars and shopping and some wanted to stay right in Arlington, practically on top of the stadium, since that was the reason we were all in Dallas anyway. Both of those were fine locations, but I’ve become a huge fan of staying at the NYLO in Las Colinas when going to Dallas for football games.

Our location was about 15 miles from AT&T Stadium (home of the Dallas Cowboys), so it pretty much put us in the middle of all our friends. It required a bit of driving, but it was perfect since some wanted to do dinner and drinks in Fort Worth and some wanted to spend time in Uptown.

The loft-style living at NYLO makes it such a unique property – very modern with each and every amenity you could dream of. Plus, it’s dog friendly (with a $50 deposit), which made this road-trip to Houston even easier on me. I was surprised at how many Florida State fans decided to stay at our hotel, so it made for a very fun and festive environment during our three-day stay (and of course the Noles won, so that was even better!).

Also be sure to check out “The Loft,” NYLO’s onsite restaurant, which is one of the most popular restaurants in Las Colinas. The pool area (including happy hour) is also a great place to meet up with friends before heading out to dinner or over to the stadium. It’s usually not too crowded and there are two bars on either side of you.

Next time you’re in Dallas on a football or girlfriend getaway, be sure to check out NYLO Hotels. There are three locations to choose from and the rates are usually the best in town (we’ve stayed there for $99/night).

Here’s a video from our FSU getaway weekend in Dallas – enjoy!

Jayme Lamm is a freelance writer and marketing consultant based in Houston focusing on travel writing and is in a full-court press writing her hugely opinionated sports column, The Blonde Side. Be sure to follow Jayme’s travel and sports adventures on Twitter @jaymelamm.