Exclusive look inside the luxurious $50M remodel of the downtown Fort Worth Sheraton hotel

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Sheraton’s downtown Fort Worth hotel just got a $50 million glow up. A makeover so thorough guests won’t recognize that it’s the same hotel.

Opening up the hotel meant letting more light in. A bright and polished space lined with floor=to-ceiling windows now greet guests as they walk in.

As you walk through the automatic sliding doors, the first thing you see is the front desk and the silhouette of a horse — one of many touches of style that scream Fort Worth throughout the Sheraton’s new look. The “western abstract” is the hotel’s homage to Cowtown.

“We have, in almost every way possible, built a brand-new hotel,” General Manager Damien O’Connor told the Star-Telegram during a recent exclusive tour of his hotel. “The same excellent location close to everything Fort Worth has to offer, but completely new from the lobby to the top-floor suites. It’s been a huge endeavor, but the end result has been worth the hard work and patience.”

Renovation work began nearly two years ago and the final touches were made earlier this month. The hotel stayed open during the whole construction process despite complaining guests. The project was estimated to cost an initial $45 million, but push comes to shove and $5 million more was spent.

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Sheraton’s motto is “Where the World Comes Together,” which is exactly the message O’Connor and his team wanted to convey. The hotel has several meeting rooms, studio spaces, and conference ballrooms for businesses and groups to use. After all, 60% of their guests are large groups.

To wit, TCU Football just signed their 2024 contract with the newly remodeled Sheraton for home game hotel stays. In previous seasons, the team worked with Omni hotels located across the street from the Sheraton on Houston Street.

With 403 rooms, Sheraton has no issue hosting large parties. Now, 37 of those rooms are suites. The top floor suite, the Trinity Suite, is a 1,000-square-foot space with two king-sized bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms. The suite has a full living room and kitchenette that look out over the Fort Worth water gardens.

In the renovation, the hotel downsized from 429 to 403 rooms, allowing them the space to glamorize the suites a bit more. They listened to what their guests told them they wanted in the suites. In the Trinity suite for example, there are vanity mirrors with tables and chairs in the main bathroom and living room. Courtney Towson, director of sales and marketing, said this was done so brides and their bridesmaids have space to get all dolled up.

Single guest rooms average around $170 a night. For those who want a junior suite, those range around $250 a night. For the larger suites, you must contact Sheraton sales teams to book.

Guests have access to a new indoor pool and an expanded gym. The pool has new patio furniture. The gym has expanded to not only have cardio and weight machines, but also a stretching room with mirrors for the yogis.

Of course, Sheraton also has a coffee and cocktail bar along with its new restaurant, West + Stone. The dining hall offers service from breakfast all the way through late night dining. Guests can choose from a menu that offers a plethora of flavors from different cuisines. O’Connor and Towson also worked with Aimbridge Hospitality’s taste and theory team to curate a unique craft cocktail menu.

Besides its top-shelf remake, the hotel’s best feature may be its location.

“We are right smack dab in the middle of Sundance Square and the southeast side (of downtown)” Towson said. “Guests can walk to 75 different downtown restaurants from their room.”

The same sort of work is being undertaken in Sheraton properties across the U.S., turning the concept into reality from Waikiki Beach to the Rockies.

“The current undertaking is part of a nationwide transformation of several Sheraton hotels, including includes Denver, Phoenix, San Diego, Waikiki, Hawaii, and others.” said Ron Trujilio, president of Blue Oaks media.