Hotel News

The Clara Hotel to open in Plano with shiny $4 million renovation

The Clara Hotel will debut this spring.

Photo courtesy of Clara Hotel

A newly transformed hotel will spring up in Plano, taking over where one left off: Called The Clara Hotel, it's a new hotel brand that will debut at 8201 Preston Rd., in the former NYLO Dallas/Plano Hotel space.

According to a release, it'll open in the spring, following a $4 million renovation.

Located on the Plano-Frisco border, the NYLO property was acquired in August 2025 by Dallas-based investment firm NewcrestImage, whose portfolio of hospitality and real estate assets across the U.S. includes partnerships with hotel firms such as Coury Hospitality and Summit Hotel Properties. Other renovations in which NewcrestImage has been involved include the Elmore Hotel in Southlake; they also acquired the Beeman Hotel near SMU in 2024.

The NYLO originally opened in December 2007. It was the first property launched by the NYLO Hotels brand and according to Wikipedia, was also the first loft-style lifestyle hotel to open in the U.S.

The Clara will maintain The NYLO's affiliation with Hilton's Tapestry Collection, but nearly every guest-facing element — interiors, food & beverage, service approach, and brand positioning — has been reimagined under the new ownership.

“We saw an opportunity to thoughtfully transform this property into something that feels deeply connected to its surroundings and to today’s traveler,” says NewcrestImage Managing Partner Mehu Patel in a statement. “The Clara Hotel represents our commitment to creating places that are not only beautifully designed, but intentionally experienced. From the materials and textures to the programming and hospitality approach, every element is being reimagined to deliver something distinctive for this market."

Decor
With 176 total guest rooms — including eight suites ranging from Junior Suites to One-Bedroom and Presidential Suites — the hotel is designed to serve both business and leisure travelers seeking comfort, intention and a sense of ease.

The design will incorporate natural textures, wood finishes, greenery, and a warmer color palette, conveying a more residential feel, anchored by tactile materials and calming tones.

Dining room at The Clara HotelThe Clara Hotel

Food
The Clara Hotel will incorporate two distinct new hospitality concepts:

Field & Vine, the hotel’s reimagined restaurant, will offer an approachable yet elevated dining experience designed for both guests and locals
The Library, a newly transformed space within the hotel, will operate as a library-inspired lounge by day and an intimate, reservation-only speakeasy Thursday through Saturday evenings.

Courtyard and event spaces
An already-existing heated outdoor pool will remain a central feature, but with a refreshed patio and courtyard experience. The courtyard is a 4,000-square-foot outdoor space that will receive new landscaping, turf, and flexible seating, creating a venue for events and gatherings of up to 300 guests.

Indoor meeting spaces include two meeting rooms with capacity for 30 or 50, as well as two boardrooms with capacity for 4 or 10 people.

hotels openings

Where the Bison Roam

Popular Texas Panhandle park expands with 2,200 more acres to explore

Popular Texas state park expands with massive 2,200-acre acquisition

Caprock Canyons has 2,200 more acres to explore.

A popular state park in the Texas Panhandle that's known for its roaming bison population is getting a major expansion after recent land acquisitions by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).

Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway, located at 850 State Park Rd. in Quitaque, approximately an hour-and-a-half north of Lubbock, has added approximately 2,200 acres. It will now encompass 17,500 total acres of the Caprock Escarpment in Briscoe County, according to a press release.

TPWD first expanded the park with the purchase of the 1,066-acre Rocking W Ranch in 2024, and then the department acquired the 1,120-acre Hawkins Ranch in January 2026.

"The Hawkins Ranch is the last piece of property to the west [of the park] that protects our viewshed of the canyon and affects our watershed," said Superintendent Donald Beard in the release. "The Rocking W Ranch was also important because it expands the park to the northwest, allowing the Texas State Bison Herd potential access to the high plains."

The release said a 5,000-square-foot, fully furnished "barndominium" was included in the purchase of the Rocking W Ranch property, and it will be used for "future family-style retreats for activities like hiking and horseback riding."

Park visitors have access to more than 90 miles of trails at Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and bison-watching. Lake Theo, a 120-acre lake on the south side of the park, is open for swimming, fishing, and no-wake boating.

Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway TPWD encourages visitors to take caution when observing bison.Photo courtesy of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Wildlife enthusiasts can search for bats roosting in the Clarity Tunnel, an abandoned railroad tunnel that 500,000 Mexican free-tailed bats call home from late April through mid-October. TPWD said even more local wildlife can be found by visitors with the acquisition of the Hawkins Ranch, such as quail, mule deer, coyotes, bobcats, and more.

The park is also a designated International Dark Sky Park, meaning overnight campers have unobstructed views of the stars in the sky thanks to light pollution reduction and prevention efforts.

"At night, Caprock Canyons transforms into one of the darkest and most awe-inspiring skies in Texas," the International Dark Sky Association said. "Far from urban light pollution, the park’s remote location allows visitors to experience an exceptional view of the Milky Way, countless constellations, and celestial events in their purest form."

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