The Belmont Hotel is turning heads again. The 64-room hotel and bar at the corner of Fort Worth and Sylvan avenues was recently reinitiated for historic designation. While we await the new draft designation report and the next incarnation of this historic hotel, let’s look at the glory days in Belmont Hotel history.
Renowned Dallas architect Charles Dilbeck designed the Belmont Motor Hotel, as it was known in 1947. “The hotel with the sky-view of Dallas” was a truly cutting-edge concept and a popular destination for that first decade. A pool was added in 1950, a restaurant in 1953, and things were going extremely well.
Saving The Belmont Hotel – A Historic And Cultural Icon
Then, in 1957, the Dallas-Fort Worth Turnpike (I-30) opened. It diverted traffic and travelers from Fort Worth Avenue, and a downward spiral began. By 1965 the first good knights in shining armor came to the hotel’s rescue.
It was purchased by real estate broker J. DuVal West Sr. and his two sons. Quoted in the Dallas Morning News in June 1965, Mr. West Sr. said:
“I have always admired this property due to its architecture, excellent construction, central location, and its beautiful view overlooking downtown Dallas.”
Though neighborhood restaurant favorite the Hungry Bear was thriving next door, unfortunately, it was not long before the Belmont again spiraled downward. Newspaper archives through the decades are full of distressing stories about activities that took place at the once majestic destination.
- 1968 An attempted robbery at The Travelodge Motel resulted in the death of a motel clerk.
- 1973 The motel was under consideration for use as a minimum security jail.
- 1980 Methamphetamine dealer arrested
- 1979 The Hungry Bear went up for lease.
- 1983 Now known as the Travel Inn, a guest was murdered in their room.
- 1992 What was now known as the Travel Budget Motel had a room fire, causing $165,000 in damages.
As you can see, the Belmont experienced about 30 years of steady decline, shady characters, and questionable activities. The Belmont needed another knight to save the day.
In 2004, Another Good Knight Saved the Belmont Hotel
That knight was Monte Anderson, a real estate developer known for his love of historic properties and sensitive redevelopment. Anderson had grown up looking up the hill to the Belmont and always found it intriguing.
“In the 1960s, my dad would take me to the Hungry Bear to eat, so the area holds a lot of memories for me,” Anderson said. “I drove by it almost every day over the years, and it struck me that someone might tear the hotel down. I didn’t want that to happen.”
On a trip to Austin in 2004 Anderson stayed at the Hotel San Jose. It was originally a 1936 motor court hotel that was renovated byLiz Lambert into a boutique hotel in 2000.
“I drove straight back to Dallas and up the hill, went in, and bought it right then,” Anderson said. “I did not really know what I was getting myself into. I thought, ‘I can do this. I can fix up old buildings. I did the Texas Theater, so no problem. How hard could it be?'”
Hard, Really Hard
Anderson didn’t know the hospitality industry, but he knew people and had great resources and relationships. He hired architect Sally Johnson and planner and landscape architect Carol Whitmire. Preservation architect Marcel Quimby came on board to help with investment tax credits. Dwayne Jones, ExecutiveDirector at Preservation Dallas, then wrote the first part of the historic designation application. It was submitted and approved.
Quimby worked on the second part of the investment tax credit application, developing the description of the proposed rehabilitation. “It fell apart on the windows,” Quimby said. “Sally and Carol worked hard to find aluminum windows that met audio, design, preservation, and price needs. It was taking too long, and Monte had to move forward.”
So, for those of you wondering why landmark designation did not happen at that time, that’s the reason. At some point, you have to look at economic feasibility and start operating.
The restoration took about a year and a half to complete, and the hotel opened on November 19, 2005. By 2006, the Belmont was being called the city’s newest overnight sensation.
“It was years of hard work,” Anderson said. “We put our blood, sweat, and soul into the Belmont. I refinanced my house twice and told my bankers if we could not afford a manager, I’d run it, and I did. It was a complete labor of love. When we partnered with Smoke Restaurant in 2009, we were on the right trajectory.”
That’s putting it very humbly. The Belmont was it. Movies were screened outdoors by the pool. Game nights, bands, author talks, and photo exhibits were held. People were married outside, overlooking the city skyline. A pool-side music series was held, and Bar Belmont was the place to be seen. The Old 97s even wrote a song about the hotel. It was a complete success story.
Then, in 2015, at the very peak of the Belmont’s success, Anderson received an offer he could not refuse.
Stay tuned for CandysDirt.com’s next Belmont feature — despite what you’ve read or heard before, you probably don’t know the whole story.
