The Storybook Capital of America has a brand new castle fit for royalty and everyday folks to spend a night or two or just stop by for a drink and a meal.
The DoubleTree by Hilton Abilene Downtown Convention Center opened in July to much fanfare, befitting a project that was 30 years in the making. Since then, the sparkling new hotel has been the talk of the town.
“The jewel in the middle of Abilene” is a comment that John Kukreja, general manager, has heard more than once from overnight guests and others who drop in to enjoy one of the hotel’s amenities, such as the Smokehouse restaurant, a Sunday brunch, or the Cattleman’s Exchange full-service bar. Kukreja stresses that the hotel is for everyone, not just overnight guests.
“This is Abilene’s hotel,” he said.
And, in fact, it does have an Abilene vibe to it, both the past and the present. The Cattleman’s Exchange bar and rustic elements like artwork featuring saddles and creative photos of farm and ranch scenes are a nod to the city’s roots. A neon “Write Your Story” sign, an imaginative fountain pen design, a library-themed meeting room, and framed origami creations made from book pages are a nod to its present and future as the Storybook Capital of America.
Everything about the seven-story DoubleTree is state of the art, from the amenity-filled 200 guest rooms, with three-meal room service, to the fitness center to its meeting spaces. The hotel’s 13 meeting rooms include a 12,000 square-foot Heritage Ballroom that can accommodate up to 1,000 people and can be partitioned for smaller events. The hotel also features an outdoor patio and a second-floor outdoor pool.
A grand opening celebration was held July 11, but the first guests stayed overnight on June 28. Hotel management invited city council members and other dignitaries to try out the rooms and enjoy meals at the Smokehouse. The first person to sign in was Nanci Liles, former executive director of the Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau who retired in 2022 after 36 years on the job. She began promoting a downtown convention hotel almost from Day 1 and was thrilled with the finished product.
“It was wonderful,” Liles said. “Abilene is very fortunate to finally get this.”
“Finally” is the perfect word to describe the opening of the hotel. The idea started percolating about 30 years ago and got a boost 10 years ago when then-Mayor Norm Archibald talked about it in his State of the City address. Then, in May 2017, the Texas Legislature passed a bill to return state tax revenues to cities for projects that would boost development.
“I think that was what made it happen,” Liles said.
It may have taken a while to get the DoubleTree by Hilton Abilene Downtown Convention Center, but the Hilton name is well known in Abilene and the surrounding area. Conrad Hilton bought his first hotel, The Mobley, in Cisco during the 1919 oil boom. Today, it serves residents as The Conrad Hilton Center. Hilton began operating the Windsor Hotel in Abilene in 1927. The first hotel to bear the Hilton name opened in Dallas in 1925.
After years of planning and promotion, groundbreaking for the new downtown hotel was held in October 2021, with a projected 18-month construction timetable. Now that it is open, guests are rightfully calling it a jewel in the middle of Abilene. Rooms range from the Presidential Suite on the seventh floor to rooms outfitted with two queen beds or one king bed. Two “five feet to fitness” rooms feature Peloton exercise machines. All rooms have complimentary coffee and bottled water, a mini-fridge, iron and ironing board, and a closet safe.
Not so coincidentally, this new castle in the heart of downtown is located across the street from the Abilene Convention Center with its Adamson-Spalding Storybook Garden and within walking distance of the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature.
Once upon a time, a gleaming downtown convention hotel was just an idea that was being touted by Nanci Liles, Norm Archibald, and other civic leaders. The project turned out not to be just another fairy tale, but it did have a storybook ending.
“It’s great to see your dreams come true,” Liles said.
By Loretta Fulton
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