Downtown Fort Worth is readier than ever for tourists to return with the debut of the new AC Hotel Fort Worth on September 28.
The new 252-room, 16-story hotel at 101 W. 5th St., is a massive new build on the southwest corner of Main and Fifth streets, a few blocks from Sundance Square. It is the first AC Hotels by Marriott in Tarrant County, is owned and developed by Jackson-Shaw, and managed by Crescent Hotels & Resorts.
“The AC Hotel Fort Worth is designed for creative, well-traveled, visionaries who appreciate a thoughtfully designed space," says Joe Blewitt, Jackson-Shaw vice president of asset management, in a release. “Located in the heart of downtown Fort Worth, the modern lifestyle brand is a hub for guests to discover the coveted local scenes and talents, allowing them to create meaningful and authentic connections with each visit.”
One draw for non-guests is sure to be the AC Lounge, which the release calls "a communal space of inventiveness." It is a full bar serving local beers and hand-crafted cocktails, along with tapas-inspired small plates. The bar can also function as a nontraditional workspace, they say.
An independent coffee shop on the first floor is set to open later this year.
Among the hotel's features are:
- European-style breakfast
- 24-hour wellness center
- Gallery-like art installations
- Library
- Picturesque outdoor space
“With sophisticated modern guest rooms, sleek furnishings, and intuitive technology elements, the hotel offers a blend of comfort and culture to deliver a ‘Perfectly Precise Hotel’ that strikes the exact balance of details that guests want and the services they need,” says general manager Aaron R. Oquendo.
The hotel is now accepting reservations for guest room stays, corporate meetings, and events. Rates start at about $136 per night.
"Adjacent to the historic Art-Deco Kress Building, the 165,722-square-foot AC Hotel Fort Worth will complement Tarrant County’s already vibrant arts and culture scenes," the release says.
It also adds to Fort Worth's "vibrant" (one might say "crowded") downtown hotel scene in a year when tourism has been down and hotels have been struggling through the pandemic. The grand Sinclair Hotel opened last fall, just steps away, at 512 Main St. The Kimpton Hotel will open in the historic XTO Energy Headquarters building at 714 Main St. in spring 2021. An Embassy Suites, Courtyard by Marriott, The Ashton, and Omni Fort Worth Hotel are located within a few blocks.
A report released September 15 by Texas hotel consulting firm Source Strategies Inc. shows hotel revenue in the Fort Worth-Arlington area plunged 70 percent in the second quarter of this year, when many hotels were shut down entirely due to COVID-19.
Downtown Fort Worth restaurants and retail shops struggled or closed while tourism was down, as well. Bass Hall remains closed for all performances until at least spring 2021, and the fountains remain off at Sundance Square Plaza.
But in forward-movement, most of the area's restaurants have reopened, and conventions and other events are starting to come back to the Fort Worth Convention Center.
The AC Marriott Hotel is now open at 101 W. 5th St.
