Digging Dallas’s Joule Hotel

March 2, 2015

If you’re ever looking for a jewel of a hotel in downtown Dallas, I know just the place: the luxurious 5-star Joule.

Photo Courtesy of jouledallas.com

It’s a visual feast of art and architecture, from the Gothic exterior of the original 1920s building to the contemporary art collection on site and oh yes - the “Eye.” It’s a 30-foot fiberglass and steel sculpture of an eyeball created by artist Tony Tasset. You might remember it from its visit to Chicago’s Pritzker Park in 2010 before it was acquired by the hotel.

Photo Courtesy of ssl.panoramio.com

Earlier this year I spent several days at this incredible, 160-room boutique hotel with the Design Trust, a New York-based think-tank of interior designers from across the country. Steve Nobel, a consultant in the business of interior design, gathers us all periodically to brainstorm ways to improve our businesses.

He couldn’t have chosen a more inspirational spot for a bunch of interior designers. The hotel is owned by art lover Tim Headington, a Texas oil tycoon who also is a financial backer for many top Hollywood films such as “The Aviator” with Leonardo DiCaprio and “The Departed” with DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson.

He knows how to equip a hotel, too! The rooms are gorgeous and the spa, called Espa, is the most beautiful I have ever visited. It is loaded with artwork, too. The hotel also is known for its 10th floor pool which cantilevers eight feet over the easement below.

Photo Courtesy of jouledallas.com