Legendary Texas Hotel Reopens After a $255 Million Makeover

The day has finally come: The Statler Hotel and Residences is officially open in Downtown Dallas after undergoing a three-year, $255 million renovation. The hotel, part of Hilton’s Curio collection, welcomed its first guests in over sixteen years at the soft opening on Tuesday.

The 19-story building includes 159 guest rooms and 219 residences, as well as several retail, restaurant and nightlife concepts set to open in coming months.

“We are honored to reopen the doors of The Statler. Known as the first modern American hotel, The Statler is a one-of-a-kind property encompassing endless history and culture,” Mehrdad Moayedi, president and CEO of Centurion American Development Group, said in a statement. “Our vision in restoring The Statler to its original glory and beyond was to create the ideal place to live, work and play for locals, and the ultimate Dallas destination for visitors to our city.”

Conrad Hilton originally opened the hotel as the Statler Hilton in 1956. It was a pioneer in the hospitality industry, and is even credited with being the first hotel with elevator music. The venue hosted legends like Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett in its past life.

Now, The Statler has big plans to put itself back on the map. The hotel has partnered with Dallas-based Epic F&B to open six new restaurants and bars on property. Renowned local chef Graham Dodds is serving as culinary director for the project.

The venues include an all-day, farm-to-table spot called Overeasy; a casual New American restaurant with bowling, billiards, games and live music called Scout; a Pan-Asian restaurant called Fine China (Angela Hernandez, formerly of Top Knot, will lead the kitchen); an underground cocktail lounge named Bourbon & Banter; a rooftop pool bar and lounge named Waterproof; and the 13,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom.

The Statler is now accepting guests – stay tuned for the opening dates of the culinary hotspots.