Dallas Fort Worth Urban Forum

I haven’t seen a topic page for the Sheraton.

I drove by yesterday and it looks like they’re starting to remodel the entrance. It’s all blocked off now. There’s some picture at the parking garage. Anyone know what all is getting done?

Hmmm. Interesting. It makes me wanna drive by and see what’s going on.

I was told by another Downtown restaurant that some of their eateries are also under construction. Apparently, they have been catering from other Downtown restaurants while their eateries are out of commission. Its the carport area you speak of that's not blocked by construction fencing. I doubt we will see them fill it in like Adolphus but it is time for them to do some healthy amount of renovation. Hotels are supposed to get renovations of some kind every 3-5 years depending on the owner.

Still wasting the 37th floor.

^It just seems like a wasted opportunity for them for sure. An observation level bar/restaurant would do very well press wise if they did it this time around.

cowboyeagle05 wrote:^It just seems like a wasted opportunity for them for sure. An observation level bar/restaurant would do very well press wise if they did it this time around.

They could open a 24 hour Las Vegas style buffet and it would do well

tamtagon wrote:Still wasting the 37th floor.

poc.jpg

This. I'm hoping they've noticed how the Statler is embracing its past and decided to emulate.

Also open the observation deck and restore the exterior mosaic tiles while they're at it.

^I am all in on restoring those tiles, worst thing they ever did to that building.

I doubt they would touch those tiles. Talk about creating a potentially mountainous project that would cost millions and still not make the hotel any more money than it does with them painted grey.

^They could offset some of those costs with rehabilitation tax credits, but of course it's easier said than done.

I've always been amazed at how few restaurant/bar choices there are in a hotel with this many rooms. The Adolphus, Anatole, and Statler all have more restaurants/bars, yet fewer rooms.

Was just by the hotel on the DART rail yesterday. There are several signs in the north side alcove/lobby, most are pointers that tell you to go to the second floor to access Front Desk employees/assistance. The others were too small to read from the train, but there must be a lot going on the main Lobby area if they've had to move the Reception away.

My fraternity had its international convention in the hotel this weekend so I was onsite for a little bit. Yes, the reception check-in has moved to a meeting room on the second floor near the parking garage bridge for now. I did not see any renderings posted inside the hotel though with one of those "pardon our dust" type of signs. Maybe they are finally reworking the flow of the bottom level. Since this used to be a hotel and an office complex built in phases the ground level flow of space has been awkward for decades. Maybe we will get some rearrangement to make the lobby level and restaurant spaces work better for the new life of the hotel. I did see that DRAFT was completely torn out when I walked by their windows. It was down to the studs so it is definitely a significant redo since DRAFT was brand new when it was built out.

A fire broke out Friday morning in an elevator shaft being worked on at the hotel. DFD officials say that lubricants used in the shaft were ignited by a construction crew. Around 3000 people had to be evacuated.

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/downtow ... s-sheraton

More from the DBJ about the renovation:

https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news ... erway.html

Some information about the upcoming bars/restaurants at the Sheraton:

http://dallas.culturemap.com/news/resta ... ports-bar/

DPatel304 wrote:Some information about the upcoming bars/restaurants at the Sheraton:

http://dallas.culturemap.com/news/resta ... ports-bar/

I always felt that the Sheraton had too few food/drink options for the hotel's size. At least they're rectifying that somewhat. The hours at Draft seem to be pretty good. 1am should satisfy most that aren't looking for a nightclub setting.

Yesterday, as I passed by the hotel on the bus, I noticed that they now have the hotel check-in area opened up again in the main building, instead of the temporary spot they've had across the street.

DPatel304 wrote:http://dallas.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/01-24-19-sheraton-dallas-downtown-coffee-shop-sports-bar/

The Sheraton Dallas has been at the forefront of Marriott's move to transform the Sheraton Hotels & Resorts brand, with a design strategy that emphasizes community, collaboration, and experiences.

Until the Sheraton's convention space is totally retooled (and expanded) to interact with Pacific Park, the brand's design strategy to emphasize community, collaboration and experiences is empty and absurd. What may be the best entertainment observation floor in the city remains empty at this hotel; back in the day, Ports O'Call was the place! It was known and part of the city's entrance to a bigger stage. That tiki vibe is coming back strong, and this hotel could easily become a destination for locals on top of the convention trade.

tamtagon wrote:

DPatel304 wrote:http://dallas.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/01-24-19-sheraton-dallas-downtown-coffee-shop-sports-bar/

The Sheraton Dallas has been at the forefront of Marriott's move to transform the Sheraton Hotels & Resorts brand, with a design strategy that emphasizes community, collaboration, and experiences.

Until the Sheraton's convention space is totally retooled (and expanded) to interact with Pacific Park, the brand's design strategy to emphasize community, collaboration and experiences is empty and absurd. What may be the best entertainment observation floor in the city remains empty at this hotel; back in the day, Ports O'Call was the place! It was known and part of the city's entrance to a bigger stage. That tiki vibe is coming back strong, and this hotel could easily become a destination for locals on top of the convention trade.

I thought the exact same thing. Even if it wasn't feasible to bring back the original Ports O' Call, a tiki bar that referenced it by name (The Port, Ports O' Call Tiki Bar, whatever) would've been great. You'd think they would learn from the Statler and realize that nostalgia sells.

100% missed opportunity.

^funny thing about selling/rebranding/presenting nostalgic experiences.... it's not just the reliving of youth among older folks that make the opportunity, the essence of the experience appeals to everyone but is available only as contemporary trends, fashion and style allows.

What was so popular two generations ago is on the menu for today's young adults.

Walked through the new lobby and restaurants and I call say is "yawn". The Starler, Cambria and even the Lorenzo have a cohesive design and they each tell a story. The story here is someone picked a few things out of a catalog and called it a day.

It feels like the Westin at One Main: boring, corporate and cheap...except for the LED feature at the entrance which is probably what they blew their budget on. What a waste of potential.

I'd like to think the new park will redefine the hotel's convention space, but I'm not holding my breath. It wasn't so long ago this Sheraton have a big redo, right?

lakewoodhobo wrote:Walked through the new lobby and restaurants and I call say is "yawn". The Starler, Cambria and even the Lorenzo have a cohesive design and they each tell a story. The story here is someone picked a few things out of a catalog and called it a day.

It feels like the Westin at One Main: boring, corporate and cheap. What a waste of potential.

It's so funny, I just was there Saturday afternoon and had lunch at Open Palette. I agree with your assessment. I walked in expecting to be blown away and was completely underwhelmed.

vman wrote:

lakewoodhobo wrote:Walked through the new lobby and restaurants and I call say is "yawn". The Starler, Cambria and even the Lorenzo have a cohesive design and they each tell a story. The story here is someone picked a few things out of a catalog and called it a day.

It feels like the Westin at One Main: boring, corporate and cheap. What a waste of potential.

It's so funny, I just was there Saturday afternoon and had lunch at Open Palette. I agree with your assessment. I walked in expecting to be blown away and was completely underwhelmed.

It’s a convention hotel 100%.

What exactly were they supposed to do that they didn't do?

Sure, it's a convention hotel, but so is the Omni, but at least the Omni tries to give guests a good selection of food/beverage, plus a nice art-filled atmosphere. Since I haven't seen the Sheraton's 'after' yet, I'm not sure what they didn't do from an appearance point. I still think with the hotel's size, that they should have more f/b choices than they offer now. Both the Omni and the Anatole have fewer rooms, but much more in the way of f/b offerings. Even though it's not a hotel company-managed property, I would think Marriott (the now-parent/umbrella company over the Sheraton brand) would want to have a standout hotel downtown in every way.

"Sheraton Dallas Completes Major Renovation Project, Adds High-Tech Art Experience"

http://www.frequentbusinesstraveler.com ... xperience/

^

Finally, the Sheraton Dallas installed two four-sided, LED video columns at the hotel’s entrance that feature works of art as a way of showcasing the hotel’s connection to the arts district.

cowboyeagle05 wrote:^

Finally, the Sheraton Dallas installed two four-sided, LED video columns at the hotel’s entrance that feature works of art as a way of showcasing the hotel’s connection to the arts district.

Something like these?

dfwcre8tive wrote:

cowboyeagle05 wrote:^

Finally, the Sheraton Dallas installed two four-sided, LED video columns at the hotel’s entrance that feature works of art as a way of showcasing the hotel’s connection to the arts district.

Something like these?

Sorry about the extreme closeup, but this is what they look like.

tamtagon wrote:Until the Sheraton's convention space is totally retooled (and expanded) to interact with Pacific Park, the brand's design strategy to emphasize community, collaboration and experiences is empty and absurd. What may be the best entertainment observation floor in the city remains empty at this hotel; back in the day, Ports O'Call was the place! It was known and part of the city's entrance to a bigger stage. That tiki vibe is coming back strong, and this hotel could easily become a destination for locals on top of the convention trade.

I would love to see a tiki bar somewhere downtown (and I'm talking about a real one, not a nightclub hybrid like Pilikia was). It's such a shame that we had such a great example of one years ago on top of the Sheraton.

4 Kahunas in Arlington is a great example of the tiki concept done correctly. This would be a massive hit with the downtown convention crowd.

dfwcre8tive wrote:

cowboyeagle05 wrote:^

Finally, the Sheraton Dallas installed two four-sided, LED video columns at the hotel’s entrance that feature works of art as a way of showcasing the hotel’s connection to the arts district.

Something like these?

Okay. Now this is cool as hell.

^Showing the connection to the Arts District is great, but...

tamtagon wrote:I'd like to think the new park will redefine the hotel's convention space, but I'm not holding my breath. It wasn't so long ago this Sheraton have a big redo, right?

How about a new sidewalk-relevant entrance to the hotel? More than any adjacent city-amenity/destination, Pacific Park could have immediate and substantial impact on the role of this gigantic hotel, which may still the largest hotel in the state.

It would be a significant renovation, but adapting the parking garage and convention space along Harwood Street could be fantastic.

I'm still holding out hope that the garage/convention space gets replaced with beautiful mixed-use tower(s).

I wish they would revive the exterior green tile. That was a splash of color like no other.

They were or maybe still are supposed to make some kind of convention center connection to the park. At least I heard that once while touring the convention space.

Tnexster wrote:I wish they would revive the exterior green tile. That was a splash of color like no other.

They were or maybe still are supposed to make some kind of convention center connection to the park. At least I heard that once while touring the convention space.

The tile would be so nice!

With good park interaction, this hotel would really be a hit for local events, could help build another 20+ floors of rooms.

I would rather they demo the convention center redevelop new meeting conventions center with additional development incorporated on top. The historical part of the Sheraton is the hotel tower section so they could start fresh with a buried parking garage, brand new meeting space with an improved view of the park and possibly build a residential or office tower as well over the top. Not to mention a showy parkside restaurant and phase out some of the less outward-facing restaurant spaces in the main towers section.

That Sheraton has so many rooms conventions is the only way they can book that many stays to keep the hotel profitable. The Gaylord out in Grapevine is beautiful for the same kinds of events and has many park-like settings being near the lake. The Sheraton could certainly benefit from a fresh take on their meeting spaces that shows off its urban access.

cowboyeagle05 wrote:I would rather they demo the convention center redevelop new meeting conventions center with additional development incorporated on top. The historical part of the Sheraton is the hotel tower section so they could start fresh with a buried parking garage, brand new meeting space with an improved view of the park and possibly build a residential or office tower as well over the top. Not to mention a showy parkside restaurant and phase out some of the less outward-facing restaurant spaces in the main towers section.

Austin's new Marriott Convention Center Hotel, currently under construction and opening next year, is a good model for the potential redevelopment of this block. It is a 31-story hotel tower with a 6-story convention space podium that includes a generous porte cochere and food & beverage space on the ground floor and a very large amenity deck on the podium roof, all over 3 stories of below-grade parking. The loading & trash service is in the alley. The tower could just as easily be office or residential. The Dallas Sheraton convention block can easily accommodate three of the Austin Marriott CCH block footprints. A thoughtfully-designed service alley/dock (ground floor only, with building above) could be cut through the center of the block, connecting Harwood and Olive, so that the service functions would be completely concealed off-street and the Pacific Park frontage on Harwood could be designed as an active pedestrian-friendly streetscape with building lobbies and restaurants/retail.

https://austin.towers.net/new-views-of- ... -downtown/

Design presentation with floor plans:
http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=277353

Planning application with plans, elevations and renderings:
http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=277412

https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/buildi ... town/30698
https://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showth ... 955&page=6
https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/ ... -downtown/

Nice idea, not sure they would give up that event space for two plus years while it got torn down and rebuilt. They totally depend on that conference center space to fill rooms.

Some photos of what this building once looked like...

https://flashbackdallas.com/2020/04/12/ ... cool-1959/



https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531 ... 5219/m1/1/

https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531 ... 5133/m1/1/

https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531 ... 5094/m1/1/

https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531 ... 5155/m1/1/

https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531 ... 5097/m1/1/

https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531 ... 5108/m1/1/

https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531 ... 5228/m1/1/

^^^That looks so nice to me. I’m a big fan of midcentury modern architecture. I would love to see this building restored...like The Statler.

I would love it if they redeveloped their convention and banquet space across the street. That just seems prime for brand new buildings that could not only do their current function, but also more.

Cool. Thanks cre8tive.

dallaz wrote:^^^That looks so nice to me. I’m a big fan of midcentury modern architecture. I would love to see this building restored...like The Statler.

Me too, would love to walk into this hotel and see it exactly as it was. Those pics have a very Twilight Zone feel to me.

Not much to like or admire with the Sheraton's recent renovations. In many ways, I prefer how it looked before, although that wasn't exactly memorable either. The older photos cre8tive shared are just stunning and markedly above anything adopted by the hotel in the past several decades.

It really would be lovely to see the Sheraton and some of these older towers downtown go with more mid-century/retro style interior renovations. But unfortunately, I don't see this onslaught of bland, forgettable contemporary design ending any time soon.

Look how much more open the lobby areas were. Now you go inside and is a labyrinth of passageways and low ceilings. The problem is this building has been functional the entire time of its life. So of course it has been remodeled so many times almost nothing original is left inside. The Statler had so much original left because it quietly faded away after the luxury design became old hat. At the Staler it simply became a budget motel with budget furniture and some modern additions like central AC. The Sheraton has been operational since long before the Dallas City Council started funneling money and projects into the CBD. Mainly it seems to be the massive number of rooms plus the convention center they own that has kept it alive even when Downtown was a ghost town.