Hotel Drover
By Meda Kessler
Photos courtesy of Hotel Drover
Western Flair With A Modern Spin
While new shops, restaurants and workspaces have popped up over the past year in Fort Worth’s renovated Mule Alley, the most anticipated Stockyards opening has been Hotel Drover.
Part of the Marriott Autograph Collection of boutique properties, the Drover embraces Fort Worth’s Western heritage with its name — drovers moved livestock to market — and myriad design details inside and out.
The low-slung building resembles a swanky hacienda with its clay tile roof and stone facade studded with metal sconces and copper longhorns. At night, it glows with large neon “Drover” signs and a rope-throwing neon cowboy standing tall in the front courtyard of 97 West Kitchen & Bar. With water features, trees and lanterns strung overhead, the space is an inviting one.
Inside, the lobby includes a two-story library filled with Texas-themed books and a bar with comfy lounge seating (there’s also a bar with an open dining area in 97 West).
The Drover’s lobby makes you feel like you’ve stepped into a luxe ranch with lots of leather, wood and metal. It also features its own bar and library.
Order s’mores kits from the kitchen and enjoy an evening in front of the fire pits.
The restaurant is accessible from the hotel or from the brick-lined street. While the chef’s table — there’s also one located outdoors — has a prime view of the open kitchen, we also like the seating that offers views of The Backyard. The Drover has taken advantage of its acreage along the tree-lined Marine Creek by adding an inviting pool and lounge area with cabanas, fire pits, yard games and a live-entertainment stage.
Families will like the bunk rooms, which offer flexible sleeping options. Suites feature luxe touches such as custom artwork, fireplaces and private patios. Room details include wood beams, area rugs and custom textiles. Rooms start at $189 a night.
And while there are plenty of shopping options in the Stockyards, you’ll find two inside Hotel Drover’s lobby. The Lucchese Custom Collection offers accessories, plus custom and made-to-fit boots exclusive to this store. Little White Lies is a boutique featuring apparel, gifts, jewelry and more, all in pale colors befitting the name.
Looking for an event space big or small? The Drover has several options, including private dining rooms in the restaurant. Do check out The Barn with its tin siding, massive vaulted ceilings featuring 150-year-old wood beams from Montana, crystal chandeliers and a private outdoor space.
200 Mule Alley Drive, Fort Worth, 817-420-6014, hoteldrover.com