The effects of the pandemic on the hotel industry and construction process were enough to rattle experienced hotel developers, let alone ones working on their first project. But Jonathan Morris, owner of the soon-to-open Hotel Dryce in Fort Worth, Texas, was determined to keep the process moving—and the location helped.
“We actually started construction officially in March of 2020, so right after the pandemic had started in the U.S.,” Morris said. “And here in Texas, development pushed right through the pandemic, so we weren’t halted. Most of the complexity is with the build itself, with a ton of different trades all on the property at one time.”
Hotel Dryce is a 21-room property located in the city’s Cultural District that features a lobby bar and an outdoor courtyard. About 20 percent of the building is an old dry ice warehouse that was converted to hotel space, while the rest is newly built.
“We are really glad that we were able to get our construction financing before the pandemic hit,” Morris said. “I don't know if a bank in town would have to lent us given at times where [the industry was]. We were able to get started and hit the ground running.”
While COVID-19 didn’t put a stop to construction, it did throw some wrenches into the plans.
“One of the things that we did not see coming was the rise in lumber costs. That happened to us in the middle of the build,” Morris said. “I think lumber went up by 40 percent or something like that. Luckily we already had our bid in with our construction company, and so they had to eat a lot of that cost. But I know a lot of construction all over the United States that, especially here, had come to a crashing halt because of the price of lumber.”
Furniture, fixtures and equipment also were impacted by the pandemic.
“There's been some decisions on the FF&E side where we were looking for particular furniture pieces, and with those things coming from [overseas], they’re on back order,” he said. “And then, shipping-wise, you have to change direction, because you won't be able to get it in time before opening.”
The biggest challenge faced during the development of Hotel Dryce was weather. In February, Texas experienced a winter storm that knocked out power and water across the state. While it created problems at the time, the event was a blessing in disguise, according to Morris. “We had not made plans, at that time, for a backup generator system for the hotel in the event that we lose power, lose electrical function,” he said. “And honestly, this historical freeze that came through Texas kind of forced us to think about what if we were to get something like that again. That forced us to think about what our strategy was going to be around alternate power, and so it was then that we made the decision to lean into preparation for the worst-case scenario.”
Small but Mighty
Morris and co-owner Allen Mederos made a strategic decision to keep Hotel Dryce on the smaller side.
“That's what we felt like we needed in the city. I'm just particularly inspired by the smaller hotels and independent hotels that are able to reflect the site back to the visitor, the authenticity of the city, and the character of the city,” Morris said. “That's what we wanted to do, and we felt like we could do that really, really well on a small scale. We look forward to being able to really create a bespoke experience for our visitors.”