City officials, developers, and other stakeholders cut the ribbon on Hotel Drover on March 25, 2021.
Set against the backdrop of a manicured lawn and steers guided by the Fort Worth Herd, dozens of notable names — including family members of iconic Western film actor John Wayne — came to the Fort Worth Stockyards on Thursday to celebrate the opening of the highly anticipated Hotel Drover.
"Now, the Stockyards is not just a one-shot day, not just a few hours, but it's a multi-day project," Mayor Betsy Price said at the event. "You can scoot your boots, you can have a little to drink, you can dine, and you can walk away with indelible memories."
The ribbon cutting drew a slew of noteworthy attendees including Price, former mayor Mike Moncrief, and members of the influential Hickman family. Members of the Wayne family were also in the crowd, as several nods to John Wayne are found around the hotel.
Samantha Calimbahin
Several nods to John Wayne are found throughout the hotel.
Hotel Drover, part of the Marriott Autograph Collection, has been open since Monday. Sporting 200 rooms and suites, a barn for special events, the 97 West Kitchen and Bar, and other amenities marked by cowboy-inspired, luxury finishes, it's the anchor of the newly opened Mule Alley development — a revamp of what once were mule and horse barns, now turned into a shopping and dining destination spearheaded by Stockyards Heritage Development Co.
Hotel Drover joins previously opened tenants like The Biscuit Bar, Shake Shack, and Lucchese Bootmaker; and, very soon, the development will add two new concepts by acclaimed Fort Worth chef Tim Love.
Love spoke at the ribbon cutting, getting emotional as he talked about the growth of the Stockyards and the criticism the project faced prior to its construction.
"This isn't Disneyland, as was spoken about sometimes. What this is, is the greatest development that Fort Worth has seen in recent history," Love said.
Pam Minick, former marketing director at Billy Bob's Texas and longtime influencer in the Stockyards, called Hotel Drover a "promise fulfilled," recalling her meetings with Mayor Betsy Price and other city staff during the planning stages for the hotel, in which she told them, "'I promise you, this is something that not only the Stockyards would be proud of, but all of Fort Worth will be proud of — you just need to trust us.' What we knew, other people didn't know from the outside. There was some controversy, and that was the elephant in the room, but what they didn't know, what they overlooked was the heart and the passion of [the developers] ... passion is greater than profit in the mind of these people."
Craig Cavileer, executive vice president of Majestic Realty Co. and managing partner of Stockyards Heritage, also acknowledged late Stockyards developer Holt Hickman and his vision for the development, one realized seven years after his death.
“He’s with us,” Cavileer said.
Read more about Hotel Drover's design and other notable features here.
Samantha Calimbahin
