Hotel reno

Luxury hotel near DFW Airport unveils major refresh and new dining

House of Toro is the new chophouse at The Ricardo Marriott.

Photo courtesy of Ricardo Marriott

A longtime Westlake luxury hotel is ready to unveil a major renovation and rebrand to the public: The former Marriott Westlake has reopened as The Ricardo Marriott, named for famed Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta, the original designer of the hotel and its surrounding Solana Plaza.

According to a release, the 293-room property near DFW Airport recent underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation that included several new dining concepts and social spaces, along with new design elements, guest room refurbishments, and a pool refresh.

Dallas-based Coury Hospitality led the overhaul of the Marriott, Bonvoy Collection hotel.

"The Ricardo Marriott represents an exciting new chapter for this property,” said Andrew Casperson, President of Coury Hospitality, in a statement. “This transformation goes beyond a renovation. It reflects an intentional effort to honor the building’s architectural significance while introducing a renewed identity that is bold, design-driven, and reflective of Westlake’s evolving character.”

The renovations aimed to honor and augment Legorreta's original, 1987 design for the building and its campus, featuring his signature bold geometry and vibrant colors. (Legorreta's other well-known local building is the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, which features similarly striking colors and shapes.)

"Legorreta’s architecture anchors the experience, creating a strong sense of arrival, while refreshed interiors introduce layered materials, contemporary furnishings and curated color that elevate the guest journey," says the release.

The centerpiece of the renovation are the food and beverage offerings:

A new restaurant called House of Toro Chophouse & Patio serves as the hotel’s signature chophouse.
Black Pearl Lounge offers cocktails, light bites, and tableside caviar service.
Solana Lounge & Kitchen provides all-day dining with breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Café31 offers Lavazza coffees, fresh pastries, and grab-and-go options.

The hotel also features more than 15,000 square feet of updated meeting and event space, along with outdoor areas and a new-and-improved pool. The spaces are designed to accommodate a range of uses, from corporate meetings to weddings and social events, the release says.

The Ricardo Marriott is now open and welcoming guests, at 1301 Solana Boulevard, Building 3, Westlake.

dfw airport renovation hotels

Shopping for a cause

Dallas nonprofit Bonton Farms spreads its wings with 2 DFW Airport stores

DFW Airport

Bonton Farms stand at DFW Airport

South Dallas nonprofit Bonton Farms is going international without straying too far from home. The organization is debuting two storefronts at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport: one that just opened and another coming this fall.

The larger Bonton Farms marketplace, a 2,895-square-foot space in Terminal A, quietly opened in mid-August.

A second, smaller 551-square-foot newsstand near the A-Pier will open in October, when the airport's A-Pier expansion is scheduled to open, a spokesperson says. (Exact date is still TBA.)

The shops are called, simply, "Bonton Farms" and are operated by Marshall Retail Group, a subsidiary of WHSmith North America, which is partnering with Bonton Farms on the airport concept.

According to a release, both stores will sell Bonton Farms products such as locally made honey, handmade jam, and goat-milk soap, along with apparel, merchandise, and products made by "Bontonpreneurs," the local entrepreneurs supported through the nonprofit's business-development programs.

Bonton Farms' goods are now sold at DFW Airport Terminal A. Photo courtesy of Bonton Farms

The stores will also offer fresh grab-and-go food, including sandwiches, wraps, salads and sweet treats, as well as travel essentials and souvenirs and gifts.

The airport project was first announced in 2024 as a partnership between Bonton Farms, WHSmith, and DFW Airport. The plan called for Bonton Farms products to be sold alongside goods from other North Texas businesses, including Fort Worth's Sons Coffee, Lettuce Cook, and Pearl Honey Spreads.

Bonton Farms began in the Bonton neighborhood with a small beekeeping operation and has grown into a nonprofit farm, market and community hub. Its operations now include two farm sites, a coffeehouse, farmers market, preservatory and farm-to-table Market/Café, along with programs focused on workforce development, education, health and wellness, economic opportunity and access to fresh food.

"This opening represents an exciting milestone for Bonton Farms and the community we serve," says Mark Jones, President & CEO of Bonton Farms, in the release. "For the first time, our products and our story will reach travelers from around the world. Through this partnership with WHSmith North America, we're creating new opportunities to share the mission of Bonton Farms while generating additional support for programs that help our neighbors thrive."

The airport shops are designed to introduce Bonton Farms to travelers who may not otherwise encounter the organization or its products.

"This store isn't just retail space, it's a front door to our mission," says Kendra Charisse Smith, Director of Operations at Bonton Farms, who oversaw execution of the partnership. "From sourcing and packaging our products to meet the demands of a whole new scale of distribution, every step was about making sure Bonton Farms shows up authentically in one of the busiest airports in the world. This launch reflects the same care and intentionality we put into everything we do in South Dallas.”

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