FORT WORTH, Texas — New hotels couldn't come at a better time, like the one now under construction in Fort Worth's Cultural District, especially with Fort Worth being identified as one of the fastest-growing cities in the country right now.
It's no wonder Fort Worth can't keep up with the number of hotel rooms available for a city its size.
The upscale crescent will have 200 luxury rooms and more when finished in Fort Worth's Cultural District.
Jonathan Morris said, "I love Fort Worth."
So much so that after opening the Fort Worth Barbershop, Morris took a leap of faith on his biggest investment ever. He attributes it all to what he has seen in his travels around the United States and abroad.
"I love to travel, and I love Fort Worth, Texas, and when I travel to other places, I like to find independent, small hotels," said Morris, "and here in Fort Worth, I couldn't find it."
Since culture is also what Morris wanted as the co-owner of Fort Worth's newest hotel, he took a chance on creating and opening it this past August, despite the pandemic-struck economy.
The venture all started when Morris and his business partner found an old Dry Ice warehouse for sale. The building itself was rundown and had not been used in months, if not years.
But Morris had a vision for it.
"We took the Dry Ice warehouse and turned it into Hotel Dryce, a 21-room hotel," said Morris.
The young hotel owners also promote local artists not just in the hotel lobby, but also in all 21 rooms. He wanted his guests to check out knowing they had experienced something different because of the authentic designs in each room.
He chose culture over luxury and teamed up with an interior designer. Morris had a hand in the room designs, too.
Morris and his business partner invite both visitors and locals to experience Hotel Dryce.
They've set up the lobby for occasional weekend live entertainment and often you'll find a DJ on hand to play music for people visiting or enjoying happy hour.
Morris said, "This was definitely sometimes scary."
For Visit Fort Worth President Bob Jameson, the more hotel rooms available the better.
Jameson shared with WFAA that his office is wide open to investors who want to talk about doing business in Fort Worth. Jameson is convinced that once the city continues its campaign to expand the Fort Worth Convention Center downtown, people who work and live in Cowtown will see an explosion in the economy like in previous years.
Jameson used the opening of the Omni Hotel downtown as an example. It gave Fort Worth a boost it had not seen in years.
Visit Fort Worth has staff working to help attract businesses to the area. There is even a campaign designed to attract other ethnic investments.
For example, some of the Visit Forth Worth staff focus on growth in the Latino community. Culture and diversity play a huge role in the city's economic growth.
Jameson said, "The addition of boutique hotels like the Hotel Dryce really speaks to the varied and diverse interest of what people have and what they want."
Still, Jameson has his heart set on Fort Worth one day opening an 800- to 1,000-room hotel to help keep up with Cowtown's growth.
Although Hotel Dryce is not Fort Worth's first Black-owned hotel, Morris wants young dreamers to follow in his footsteps so it's not the last.
Morris said, "I definitely wanted to follow in the footsteps of Goose Neck McDonald who as an entrepreneur was a legend in Fort Worth."
Morris encourages would-be entrepreneurs, especially young people, not to let people discourage them from going after their dreams.
The fact that most weekends Hotel Dryce has been close to or fully booked with guests is reason enough for the young businessman.
"Sometimes, I look out of the lobby window onto the patio and see my grandmother sitting there. I say, 'oh there is grandma.' She is proud of me and brings family members by sometimes to show them the hotel," said Morris.