Millions Spent on Changes to Hotels

Hilton, Lumen updates precede Radisson’s redo

The hotel business in the Park Cities is booming, with three facilities undergoing or recently completing major renovations.

The Park Cities Hilton and the Lumen both underwent multi-milliondollar renovations, restoring the properties to their original glory and luxurious aesthetics. A similar change is under way at the Holiday Inn Dallas Park Cities.

Haven’t heard a Holiday Inn located in the Park Cities? That will be the new name of the Radisson Dallas Park Cities come Monday, when the owners say the first phase of an $8 million renovation will be complete.

“When we’re done, this will be one of the nicest Holiday Inn properties in the u.s.:· said John Mearns, a partner with Trigate Capital, the new owner. “With our fresh new look and prime location, we want to be the hotel of choice for families visiting SMU, visitors of the George W. Bush Presidential Library, business travelers to the central Dallas area, and anyone else coming to Dallas.”

Mearns and his business partners purchased the Radisson on Central Expressway at SM U Boulevard in 2008. After meeting with various hotel chains, they chose to convert the Radisson to a Holiday Inn because of the company’s guest loyalty program, a network which Mearns says will draw in a huge number of business travelers.

In 2010, Holiday Inn also revamped its brand with a $1 billion relaunch initiative. With that, the brand has attempted to step up its image and drive consistency at its 4,400 hotels worldwide.

“People were surprised we turned it into a Holiday Inn, but Dallas is a very competitive market, and there were other chains we couldn’t get because they were already here,” said Trigate managing member John Pettee, a University Park resident. “Everyone we’ve talked to has said what a great move, though, because Holiday Inn has recently spent so much money upgrading their image.”

The hotel’s renovation will include more than just a name change. The exterior will undergo a significant face lift, which Mearns said will make the hotel stand out. On the building’s western facade, LED lights will run across the wall.

Inside the hotel, the restaurant, rooms, and business centers arc being redone. Mearns said they arc also updating the conference rooms and meeting spaces, including an 8,000-square-foot ballroom.

Out of the three hotels listed above, the Holiday Inn underwent the most expensive renovation, but the Hilton Dallas Park Cities also spent millions of dollars after Apple R.E.I.T. took ownership in 2011. On Oct. 22, the hotel opened its newly renovated restaurant, Grain, which marks the completion of the hotel’s update.

And last month, the Lumen on Hillcrest Avenue unveiled a complete midcentury- inspired renovation and expansion that also included opening a new restaurant, The Front Room: A Park Cities Diner.

The Lumen also built a new three-story building, which added 34 guest rooms and a rooftop terrace.

“The expanded and renovated hotel reflects the original vision, but more fully articulates the midcentury architecture and attitude,” general manager Brian Harris said in a press release. “The hotel offers an engaging, sophisticated atmosphere for hotel guests and a unique social setting for the surrounding Park Cities community.”