How about staying in a Penthouse the size of a mansion? How about staying in a Penthouse with a ballroom, library, bar, secret passages, Chinese parlor, living room, terraces, and a plethora of guestrooms? In case you were wondering, it does exist… and it is located in the big D.

It is well known that Texas always does it bigger, and this is no exception. The Penthouse, also known, as “the Scottish Mansion in the sky” is a 7,200sqf suite built in 1936. At that time, the owner of the Stoneleigh Hotel wanted to set the property apart from all others, so he asked the famous interior decorator, Dorothy Draper (famous for her Modern Baroque style), to give Texas the one thing it was missing: a penthouse.

It is pretty obvious the reason why they were so scarce in Texas. With a state the size of France, why would anyone want to buy an apartment? Nonetheless, the creator of The Stoneleigh, Colonel Harry E. Stewart was a forward thinking man, and thought that this unusual preference of residence will one day be the most desirable address in Dallas.

Back in the 1900’s, the penthouse boosted ornate plaster ceilings, marble floors, 500-year-old English oak panels, among other spectacular details. However, at one point in between 1943 (when Stewart sold the hotel) and 2010, a temporary owner painted every wall white to make it look “modern” and hiding forever (or so we thought) the spectacular Scottish design.

Throughout the years, famous guests were instantly attracted to The Stoneleigh Penthouse. One of the most memorable visitors was the one and only, Audrey Hepburn. When the hotel manager was asked which was his favorite story the four walls of The Stoneleigh housed, he mentioned the time when Hard Rock Cafe mogul, Isaac Tigrett (a two year guest in the 80’s), invited Yoko Ono and Dan Aykroyd over. By the end of the night the manager at the time found a mural painted in the master bath. When they left, he foolishly ordered for it to be painted white.

After numerous GM’s, owners and guests, the penthouse and hotel were given a $36 million facelift by Carleton Varney, the successor of Draper Interior Design. While restoring the penthouse to its glory days, they found invaluable 18th century mirrors covered with white paint, courtesy of someone’s ignorant decision.

The rest of the hotel is nice, but not great. I suggest either staying at the Penthouse or staying at The Mansion Hotel by Rosewood during your next stay in Dallas.

If after reading this article, your dream is to one day be a guest, the last thing you need to do is check your bank account and justify spending $10,000 per night.

Photographs courtesy of the property.