Hotel News
New hotel in Irving draws inspiration from Clint Eastwood spaghetti Western
A new hotel with a "motor court" approach is getting ready to welcome guests. Valencia Group's Texican Court is a 152-room, retro-inspired motor court concept opening in the Las Colinas Urban Center in Irving on November 15.
Texican Court has a prime location across from the Irving Convention Center and Toyota Music Factory, Irving's concert venue, entertainment, and dining destination. It has three distinct courtyards, a circular pool, wood-burning fire pits, rocking chairs, and live music.
The name "Texican" is a nod to the hotel's design featuring Spanish mission-style architecture with a subtle layer of Texas. There's also a restaurant on site called Two Mules Cantina.
Valencia Group president Doyle Graham, Jr. says in a release that they sought inspiration from a film's theme song.
"We wanted to bring the theme song from the spaghetti Western film The Good, The Bad and The Ugly to life through the design of this hotel," Graham says. "When you listen to the song, you can envision the larger-than-life vistas filled with dramatic backdrops and excitement, and we captured the essence of the tension, and drama characterized by this song in the walls of this hotel to create a captivating experience for our guests."
Two Mules Cantina, which keeps up the Clint Eastwood theme via the 1970 Ennio Morricone film Two Mules For Sister Sara, will be open to hotel guests and the public. It's a stucco building with a grand, two-story-high space surrounded by glass partitions at the front and back; large clerestory windows; a large fireplace; and a central bar as a backdrop.
Executive chef is Patrick Hildebrandt, whose prior experience includes Sweet Basil in Vail, the Empty Stomach Group in San Antonio, and The Hollow in Georgetown, Texas.
He says his menu showcases dishes that remind native Texans of their grandma’s cooking but also provides out-of-state visitors the bona fide Texan dining experience with a bit of a twist. The website describes the food as "some of the best Tex-Mex in the Las Colinas urban area," with tacos and margaritas.
Group accommodations and meeting spaces include the Little Chapel, holding 160 people and ideal for meetings, weddings, and receptions; and the Serape Boardroom, which holds up to 18 people.
A throwback to a time when travel was an adventure, Texican Court provides a home away from home for discerning travelers. The colors, fabrics, textures, sights, and sounds were developed by architecture and design firm Rottet Studio.
Based in Houston, Valencia Group provides management, development, branding, and repositioning services for independent, full-service hotels owned by the company, in addition to third parties. Exceptional service, style and location have become brand trademarks.
The company forges a niche with hotels that anchor and add value to urban, mixed-use environments. Its portfolio includes the Valencia brands: Hotel Valencia Santana Row in San Jose, California and Hotel Valencia Riverwalk in San Antonio. The Sorella brand includes Hotel Sorella Citycentre in Houston. Other brands include Midway and Valencia Group's The George in College Station and Midway's Hotel Alessandra in Houston. The Court concept brands include Lone Star Court in Austin, Cavalry Court in College Station, and now Texican Court, coming soon to Irving.
Grape Creek Vineyards has three locations in the Hill Country. Courtesy of Grape Creek Vineyards 