Dallas’ New Showcase Arts Hotel Opens With Stunning Works and Plenty of Surprise Perks

The newest destination in the Dallas Arts District, the HALL Arts Hotel is now open for guests. The boutique hotel boasts 183 guest rooms, 19 specialty suites, 6,000 square feet of event space, and a restaurant and lounge called Ellie’s.

Along with highly-anticipated restaurant from Oprah’s former personal chef Eric Dreyer, the HALL Arts Hotel brings several private event and wedding spaces, a 2,900 square foot fitness center with Peloton bikes, a rooftop pool and gardens with skyline views.

But, for art lovers, the main attraction is the fact that the hotel showcases 25 pieces of eye-catching art throughout the lobby, dining room, terrace, hallways and more. These pieces were curated by former chief curator of the U.S. Department of State’s ‘Arts in Embassies’ Program Virginia Shore and longtime art advocate and HALL Group curator Patricia Meadows.

Also compiled by Meadows, each guest room includes different photographs from Through the Lens: Dallas Arts District, a compilation of images from amateur and professional photographers.

We got a sneak peak of the new hotel and its many modern and artsy attractions.

As you enter the lobby, the first thing that you see hanging from above is bright pink tambourines with words from political speeches like Sojourner Truth’s 1851 speech, “Ain’t I a Woman.” This is called Resistance Reverb: Movements 1. Movements 2 is displayed further back into the restaurant and has mirror tambourines formed in a circle on the wall.

When you walk into Ellie’s, the Asteroid light sculpture by Spencer Finch immediately catches your attention. Sprawled and hanging from the ceiling across the entire restaurant are hundreds of lightbulbs set out to resemble constellations. A grand piano and tons of comfy seating also make up the room.

Another massive piece, located in the ballroom is The Right Kind of Boy. It’s an oil on aluminum mural by Clare Woods.

Hidden away next to the lobby elevators is Spoons by Najla El Zein. To me, it looks like a giant nose made out of spoons. LED lights illuminate it.

In the Hall Arts Boardroom, used for meetings and private dining events, Mammatus/M+1 hovers over the table for 14. The piece, by Tomas Saraceno, is an eye-catcher with iridescent glass panels put together in geometric forms.

On the outdoor terrace of Ellie’s, another ginormous piece is on display called Untitled by James Welling and Stephen Miotto. For this, Welling combined his photography skills with Miotto’s mosaic work to create a massive stunner.

Speaking of large artwork, a few other pieces scattered throughout hallways include Nachtfeld, a black and white woven tapestry by Paul Morrison, Spangled Ramparts, an acrylic painting by Kristin Baker, and Not Future Plans by Ben Skinner. “Let’s Pretend Tomorrow Night Never Happened” is spelled out in Skinner’s piece, which is made of foam, drywall mud, marbled acrylic and latex paint. It graces the elevator entrance next to the restaurant on the second floor.

Lastly, my favorite of the bunch is a neon piece by Alicia Eggert called All That is Possible is Real.

There’s a lot to see at the new HALL Arts Hotel, including several more pieces that I didn’t get the chance to see in person. I’d suggest swinging by for a cocktail and self-guided art tour when Ellie’s opens this Friday, December 6.