Chillin’ at the Holiday Inn: Design reboot brings boutique cool to SMU area

We're mixin' it up, won't you bring four of your friends?

Holiday Inn - Park Cities

UNIVERSITY PARK — If location is everything, the newly rebranded and redesigned Holiday Inn Dallas Central-Park Cities is already ahead of the curve. One of only six hotels between Northwest Highway and Downtown Dallas, the former Radisson Hotel Dallas Park Cities is putting the finishing touches on an $8 million renovation that has replaced its dark and heavy Tuscan feel with a sleek boutique by Dallas designer Sarah Pickard.

Those who came of party age in the early 2000s might remember “Holidae Inn” as the place where Snoop Dogg “chilled,” but the actual hotel chain boasting a homophonic moniker – Holiday Inn – began a $1 billion initiative that has, since its relaunch in 2012, propelled the brand into a level of luxury suitable not only for the “Dogg Father,” but for high-end, discerning clients who expect both convenience and contemporary charm. That is why Dallas-based TriGate Capital, which owns the building, chose to partner with the brand. Well-known to the SMU community due to its proximity to campus, the hotel is within walking distance of Mockingbird Station, and future visitors of the upcoming Bush Library will be able to see their destination and its planned bucolic "prairie" landscaping" from the hotel.

Holiday Inn Dallas Central-Park Cities

All 295 rooms have been renovated, with updates chosen by Dallas designer Sarah Pickard.

Renovating each of the 295 rooms, in addition to the lobby, restaurant, “Great Room” bar area, and 12,000 square feet of meeting and event space, the upgrades showcase local artists with installations and Dallas-themed artwork. Views also include Downtown and even the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, making visitors' stay a "Dallas" experience.

When it comes to recreation, the outside portion of the old indoor-outdoor swimming pool has been filled in and will be replaced with a patio and fire pit. The indoor section has been heated and is cordoned off from the lobby and bar with double-pane glass to ensure a quiet and relaxed environment inside. Within the “Great Room,” patrons will find a full bar and coffee shop-style seating with outlets for easy laptop access. The restaurant, Park Cities Grill, features a massive chef’s table with hidden heating implements that will allow for cooking right in front of guests by Chef Horacio Scarna. And, throughout, the open design lends itself to mixers and events that encourage a social atmosphere.

Photo by Brentney Hamilton

The chef's table features a built-in heating element that allows guests to interact with the chef during special events.

This attention to the local permeates the hotel's ethos; it plans to partner with the university and surrounding institutions to provide the best deals and location for mixers, parties, and events, such as a happy hour and book signing tonight, November 29, for SMU alumnus David Blewett in honor of his new publication, The Pony Trap.

“Because of its location, this hotel has always been a staple for the SMU community,” said PR representative and SMU alumnus Cooper Smith Koch. “We want to emphasize a real commitment to growing those ties and making this a place Dallas can rely on for high-end fun."