Hotel News

Fairmont Dallas joins wave of downtown Dallas hotels reopening

Poolside service will resume Thursdays-Saturdays.

Photo courtesy of Fairmont Dallas

One of downtown Dallas' most iconic hotels is set to return, following the onset of the coronavirus pandemic: The Fairmont Dallas will reopen on July 31, after being closed for three months.

The hotel will reopen with new cleaning protocols, as well as some food & beverage options.

The Starbucks located on the hotel's lobby level will reopen and will be open every day.

The Pyramid Bar will reopen with limited hours: Thursday-Sunday from 4 pm-12 am. Poolside service will also resume Thursday–Sunday.

The Pyramid Restaurant will not be open when the hotel reopens on July 31, but a spokesperson says they'll have more information regarding the restaurant's schedule in August.

The hotel had been closed since March 31.

General manager Sven-Erik Richter says in a release that their top priority is the safety, care, and well-being of the Fairmont Dallas family.

"Welcoming, safeguarding, and taking care of others is at the very heart of what we do and who we are,” Richter says. "Today, this means keeping our guests and employees safe by preventing the spread of COVID-19 – partnering with top experts to implement new standards of safety and enhanced operational protocols and procedures which are among the most stringent in the hospitality industry."

The new operational standards being implemented at Fairmont Dallas and at Fairmont properties across North & Central America were developed and vetted by a team of expert advisors to ensure maximum efficacy in preventing the spread of all viruses and pathogens, including COVID-19.

New measures include

physical distancing
mandatory screening for all guests and employees, which may include temperature check
masks provided to guests and worn by all employees
48-hour "settling period" for occupied rooms post-departure

Other actions include cleaning and disinfecting, employee training, a dedicated on-property rollout committee, and an audit program, validated under the global ALLSAFE Cleanliness label.

The Fairmont is among the last downtown hotel properties to open, joining other recent openings that include:

Joule Dallas, which reopened May 22.
Cambria Hotel Downtown Dallas, which reopened in mid-June.
Adolphus Hotel, which reopened Memorial Day weekend after being closed for 60 days.

Some downtown hotels never closed, including the Omni Dallas Hotel, AC Hotel Dallas Downtown, and W Hotel in Victory Park.

hotels

Downtown News

Dallas convention center re-do will shut down DART stop for 3 years

Courtesy photo

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Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is about to shut down its stop at the Convention Center Station for the next three years.

The agency is being forced to close the station to accommodate the city of Dallas' construction and redevelopment of the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center. As part of the project, the station will be closed for the duration of construction, which is currently estimated at three years.

The Convention Center Station is a stop on both the Red and Blue lines, and the shutdown will affect anyone traveling to or from southwest Dallas. North Dallas, Plano, Rowlett, and Carrollton will thankfully be spared.

Rail detours
Riders who previously used the Convention Center Station will be directed to nearby alternative stations at Cedars or EBJ Union. DART has prepared clear signage, rider alerts, and bus connections to support customers and make navigating the closure as easy as possible.

Bus detours
Routes 28 and 106 will maintain regular service outside of downtown. Within downtown, instead of taking Lamar to the Convention Center, the bus will turn left on Young Street, right on Akard Street, right on Marilla Street where the Akard and Marilla bus stop is located (stop number 20685).

Outbound, routes 28 and 106 will turn left on Young Street, right on Lamar Street and then proceed on their regular route.

Layover at Akard and Marilla: Passengers deboard at Cedars Station and take the special South Dallas GoLink to bus stops at Akard and Marilla or to EBJ Union Station.

Route 224 will operate a detour going inbound. Inbound trips will come downtown via Elm and continue to Houston, turn left on Commerce and continue to Harwood. It will then turn left to go to the East Transfer Center where it will layover. Outbound trips will originate from the East Transfer Center and operate a regular route out of downtown.

Layover at East Transfer Center

Passengers arriving by train can deboard at Convention Center Station to board route 224.
Another option for passengers is to deboard at Akard Station, then board 224 at Elm and Akard.

Route 383 East Transfer Center is your final stop. 383 will not continue past this station. This route will be discontinued on February 02, 2026.

DART will implement a new GoLink Zone for Convention Center Station customers that will only provide service for trips originating at EBJ Union Station, Cedars Station, or the substitute bus layover location on Akard and Marilla and terminating at one of those locations.

The service will operate 7 days a week, from 5 am to midnight. Customers using this GoLink Zone may only travel between these three designated points.

All changes will be reflected online and in the GoPass app for the duration of construction.

downtown transportation