Escape: Places: A Joule in Dallas

A Joule in Dallas

In recent years, Dallas has emerged as a vibrant, fast-growing art destination, drawing connoisseurs who come for weekend-long pilgrimages to explore the riches. There’s the well-endowed Arts District (home to the renowned Dallas Museum of Art and Nasher Sculpture Center) and big plans for the future, including an ambitious new Center for the Performing Arts. As befits this kind of creative growth, the city just saw the debut of its first designer boutique hotel, the Joule, a Luxury Collection Hotel, that was created by renowned, New York–based Adam D. Tihany.

Housed in a gorgeous neo-Gothic structure, dating from the 1920s, the Joule has become the centerpiece of the renaissance of Downtown Dallas with its striking design scheme and Charlie Palmer restaurant that has been drawing foodies since it opened in May 2008. Tihany’s witty touch—this is the man, after all, who transformed the dining room of New York’s original Le Cirque into a bona fide circus tent—is unmistakable from the moment guests arrive in the intimate lobby where a myriad of textures and materials co-exist. Chocolate leather armchairs, groupings of purple velvet fauteuils, coffee tables laden with design books and dark wood-paneled walls imbue a cozy ambience; the check-in desk is all-but-hidden at the back of the long room, behind two gigantic rotating iron wheels. The Joule is named after a unit of energy, which also functions as the hotel’s main theme, though the rotating cogs in the lobby could also be interpreted as a reference to the sixteen-story building’s original function (it served as the Dallas National Bank in the 1920s). The interiors of the 129 guest rooms are equally rich, with deep red-chocolate-blue color schemes, lacquered wood furniture (all made in Italy), high ceilings and spacious bathrooms with dramatic, dark-tiled showers. On first glance, it’s all about contemporary design, but ever-the-pro, Tihany always bears function in mind, as seen in smart touches, like the tiny, individual reading lamps that fold out of the headboard of the king-sized beds and soothing, three-level lighting system in the bathrooms. Of course, there are LCD televisions and wifi throughout.

Most dramatic at the Joule is the cantilever plunge pool on the 10th floor, with fabulous views of the downtown area and beyond (on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the plush space, with day beds and bar service, is open to the public as well). Joule owner Tim Headington, who makes his money in oil but is more eager to talk about art, film and the revival of downtown Dallas, avows that he was skeptical when Tihany first came up with the concept of having the pool jut out above main street (passersby are known to stare up), but now says the 10th floor is one of his favorite areas in the hotel. A close second may well be the adjacent Charlie Palmer restaurant, which has been drawing throngs of local foodies since it opened in May 2008. Palmer, the owner of Aureole in New York and Sonoma’s acclaimed Dry Creek Kitchen, has based his very successful career on showcasing artisanal ingredients in simply prepared flavor combinations, and his American menu at the Joule showcases this philosophy beautifully. During a recent meal, dishes included a rich duck confit served with foie gras ravioli; filet mignon with a blue cheese crust; and a combination of caramelized scallops and crispy pork belly (named, of course, Surf and Swine). When asked what drew him to the project, Palmer says: “I loved the fact that the Joule is in the heart of the revival of downtown Dallas. I was one of the first chefs to go into Vegas more than ten years ago and everyone told me I was crazy. But I like the sense of being a pioneer.”

It’s true that downtown, a formerly dilapidated district, has come a long way in the past five years, with an ever-buzzing scene of restaurants, bars and museums, including soon-to-open museum Dallas Contemporary. But visitors expecting Highland Park prettiness will still find it a touch too gritty. The Joule occupies a prime location, though, in easy proximity to the Arts District (home of the excellent Dallas Art Museum and Nasher Sculpture Center), as well as in walking distance to the Kennedy Museum, in the old Dallas Book Depository facing the Grassy Knoll. More than forty years later, the Kennedy assassination is still a major talking point in the city. Headington himself watched the motorcade with his father while standing on Main Street—directly opposite the building that he now turned into the city’s newest boutique hotel. Rooms from $380.

WHO SHOULD STAY: During the week, the Joule attracts mainly business travelers who appreciate the proximity to the financial district. Weekends draw couples who explore the Arts District and highly rated restaurants. Shoppers will appreciate the flagship Neiman Marcus next door to the Joule (guest room telephones have a direct line to a personal shopper there).

WHO SHOULD NOT STAY: Travelers expecting the manicured setting of Highland Park. Downtown is in midst of a revival, and the nearby Art District is a draw, but the surrounding area is still a lot less polished than some other Dallas neighborhoods.

ROOMS TO GET: The Joule has eleven room categories. The smallest rooms, the Demi-Joule, have round beds, which give them a Vegas-y feel. More sleek are the two-story Joule Lofts and Deluxe Suites. The higher you are the better the view. The ultimate splurge is the 2,587 square-foot Penthouse Suite (Oscar de la Renta will be its first guest this Fall), which has two terraces with amazing views.