Hotel Drover, an Autograph Collection hotel, has opened in the heart of the historic Fort Worth Stockyards district. HKS served as the project’s architect, while Kayla Wilkie and Craig Cavileer of Majestic Realty Co. oversaw the interior design and New York-based Celano Design Studio contributed to interior architecture.
“Hotel Drover is designed to pay homage to the storied history of the great cattle drives in Texas through an elevated, modern lens,” Wilkie says. “Around every corner, the spirit of the West comes to life through intentional and eye-catching touchpoints, including the mix of both traditional and modern art, extensive use of reclaimed woods, copper, steel, and native Texas Stone.”
The rustic-luxe interpretation is characterized by elements like neon signage, historic fountains, and a hybrid metal sculpture by artist John Lopez. Custom furnishings, including statement-making leather check-in booths, by Texas artisans also populate interiors.
97 West Kitchen & Bar at Fort Worth Stockyards serves as the hotel’s signature eatery. The restaurant is crafted with custom handmade furniture and artwork, repurposed wood floors, and an open kitchen. A trio of private dining rooms, an indoor chef’s table, and an outdoor chef’s table are also featured alongside an alfresco courtyard anchored by a fountain centerpiece. A lobby bar that features a 30-foot-tall limestone fireplace and the outdoor Veranda Bar round out the onsite F&B options.
The two-story lobby library—outfitted with bespoke chandeliers composed of antlers and blackened steel—serves as a key social hub, in addition an outdoor space dubbed the Backyard. Spread across a half-acre, the Backyard comprises a ranch-style outdoor pool and Jacuzzi, fire pits, gaming, and three private cabanas equipped with suspended daybeds and custom chandeliers.
Hotel Drover’s 200 guestrooms and spa suites feature a wide range of accommodations—including the playful Bunkhouse rooms, which host both a king bed and a double bunkbed—conceived to ensure that no two rooms are exactly alike. Twenty-six suites boast oversized bronze soaking tubs, fireplaces, and expansive terraces, while the presidential suite features an indoor-outdoor fireplace.
