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The Dallas Morning News: ‘A resort in the middle of Arlington’: Live! by Loews Hotel is ready for its debut
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The Dallas Morning News: ‘A resort in the middle of Arlington’: Live! by Loews Hotel is ready for its debut

It’s billed as a multi-concept sports and entertainment resort and it delivers on the name.

It might not have a name that rolls smoothly off your tongue, but the resort-style hotel opening Thursday in Arlington is already booked up for its first week.

The $150 million hotel, formally named "Live! by Loews Hotel – Arlington, TX," is the anchor of the Texas Live! entertainment district that's gone up between the Texas Rangers' future ballpark, the Dallas Cowboys' AT&T Stadium and the Arlington Esports Stadium. All are within walking distance.

Workers swarmed the site Wednesday to get the all-glass hotel ready for its debut. It's billed as a multi-concept sports and entertainment resort and it delivers on the name.

"It truly is designed to be an urban oasis. A resort in the middle of Arlington," said Jonathan Tisch, chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels, a subsidiary of the multibillion-dollar Loews Corp. He's also a co-owner of the NFL's New York Giants.

The hotel features 35,000 square feet of event space, 300 rooms and lavish amenities catering to sports fans, business groups and families. Loews conceived the hotel's inverted pyramid design, working alongside the Texas Rangers and The Cordish Cos., the Baltimore-based developer of the $250 million entertainment district.

 

As you go up the floors in the 14-story hotel, some suites get slightly larger, taking advantage of the structure's unique design. Floor to ceiling windows line each floor, as well as every hotel suite, and include views of the Rangers' soon-to-be-completed $1.1 billion Globe Life Field.

The hotel includes five restaurant concepts from a grab-and-go market to its Cut & Bourbon steakhouse attached to the lobby. Outside is a modern-looking outdoor bar called the Arlington Clover Club that serves cocktails and shared bites.

Next to the outdoor bar, an infinity pool complete with a swim-up bar and a giant dual-sided TV screen overlooks a lawn and creek that developers have agreed to spruce up as part of building the resort. Beyond the creek, AT&T Stadium can be seen from almost any point on the property.

At the edge of the lawn is a Las Vegas-style, 80-foot-tall water fountain that will also shoot fire, according to the hotel's general manager.

Inside the hotel rooms, visitors have access to 55-inch smart TVs, 24-hour room service and bathrooms with marble countertops. The hotel even amped up internet speeds to accommodate teams visiting the neighboring esports stadium.

Room rates will run $159 to $500 a night, depending on events and demand.

Tisch brings a unique background to the sports-centric accommodations. The billionaire hotelier worked with the Rangers and Dallas-based HKS Architects to hand-select minimalistic art for the resort that draws inspiration from the region's rich sports history. He said that gives visitors a "sense of place and a sense of purpose" without overwhelming non-sports fans and business visitors. HKS also worked on the resort's interior and exterior design.

The design is intended to provide something for everyone while also competing with Dallas and Fort Worth hotels as a destination for business travelers. For families, the Six Flags Over Texas amusement park and its Hurricane Harbor water park are across the street from the hotel.

 

The hotel's amenities go above and beyond the usual for tourists, with two large ballrooms and an executive boardroom overlooking the outdoor bar and live event space below.

"The city of Arlington has been able to see firsthand what's it's like to partner with the innovative Tisch family to take our tourism options to the next level," said Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams.

The hotel is a homecoming of sorts for Tisch, whose company last had a presence in North Texas in 1995 when Loews Hotels parted ways with the Anatole, now the Hilton Anatole, in Dallas.

"To come back in such a special way with such a unique property is really exciting," he said.

The Arlington hotel employs 240 people and more than half of its senior management relocated from other Loews properties around the country, Tisch said.

The entertainment district surrounding the hotel has been open for about a year and the bustle of construction activity on the Rangers' new stadium is to be complete in the spring. Texas Live! includes a multilevel sports bar, restaurants and a 5,000-seat concert venue.

The stadium is more than 70% complete, according to the Rangers. Workers are installing trusses for the stadium’s new 19,000-ton steel retractable roof and establishing functioning air conditioning in some parts of the ballpark.