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PaperCity Magazine
By Billy Fong
If you’re a big fan of Hotel Crescent Court in Dallas, whose amenities and exemplary service are legendary, then make plans to stay at The Crescent’s new outpost in Fort Worth, which was named the No. 1 Hotel in Texas by Condé Nast Traveler’s 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards.
If you have fashionable friends in the know over there, perhaps they have access to Ralph’s. Yes, a fabulous part of The Crescent Hotel, Fort Worth, is the recently opened members-only club Ralph’s on the top floor — but more on that in a minute.
Located in the cultural district, the new Crescent Hotel is a short walk to The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Kimbell Art Museum, and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. Even if you never leave the luxurious interiors, you’ll still be surrounded by art. In the elegantly appointed lounge, The Circle Bar, you’ll find artist Monica Subide’s tribute to the Fort Worth Circle, a group of local artists who were active in the 1940s and ’50s. In the courtyard, is Mexican artist and architect Jose Dávila’s nine-foot-tall sculpture Joint Effort, 2023, which pushes the boundaries of perception and balance. An ode to the museum district can be found in the work of American artist Matt Kleberg, whose painting Twister Totem (for R.T.), 2023, pays respect to the iconic Louis Kahn-designed arches of the Kimbell Art Museum.
Other works by national and international artists in the hotel’s collection include photographs by Richard Misrach and Allison V. Smith, a relief by Carolyn Salas, and paintings by Cornelia Baltes, Aaron Garber-Maikovska, and Marcel Vidal. Even the coffee-table books in the lobby balance the local and global appeal.
For your stay, there are 200 beautiful rooms, including 12 suites. Most have floor-to-ceiling windows, creating light-filled sanctuaries for business (which nowadays ranges from oil and cattle to Hollywood, with producer Taylor Sheridan filming many of his projects locally) or pleasure (perhaps a weekend of museum visits or checking out the forever evolving Fort Worth Stockyards).
The interiors were designed by Rottet Studio (The Surrey; The St. Regis Aspen Resort; The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles; Four Seasons Hotel Chicago) headed by acclaimed architect Lauren Rottet, with offices in Los Angeles, New York, and Houston.
Emilia’s and The Blue Room
The Crescent’s restaurants are overseen by executive chef Preston Paine. My Sunday-evening dinner at Emilia’s was divine. The name references Fort Worth’s Italian sister city, Reggio Emilia, and the Mediterranean theme carries throughout the seasonal menu laced with the flavors and scents from the sun-kissed shores of Italy, France, Spain, Greece, and Morocco — all translated through ingredients from local ranchers and Texas purveyors. Think if Taylor Sheridan created a mash-up of The Bear and Lumdam, but with a Bella Hadid-like hostess overseeing the lively dining-room. We started with the shellfish tower consisting of steamed lobster tails, poached shrimp, East Coast oysters, and snow crab claws, paired with unique house sauces. My friend indulged in the 16-ounce prime ribeye, and I had the short rib caramelle — candy-shaped pasta filled with a tasty short-rib ragu and served atop au jus. My dish was a nod to foodies, with both technical and tasteful notes.
At Emilia’s elevated dining room, The Blue Room, the menu always includes a fresh fish of the day, filleted tableside; caviar service (in my book, whenever on vacation, every meal should include this); and reserve wines and vintage champagne. Set aside at least two hours to appreciate this experience.
Canyon Ranch Fort Worth Wellness Club + Spa
John Goff’s Crescent Real Estate purchased Canyon Ranch in 2017 and has taken it into a new chapter, with clubs accessible to both locals and those traveling who expect the same level of service and amenities at all locations. The Fort Worth outpost within The Crescent Hotel is 20,000 square feet and offers state-of-the-art fitness equipment, with dozens of group fitness classes per week. There’s also a salon (for men’s cut or quick blowout sandwiched between your workout and your luncheon meeting at one of the nearby country clubs) and full-service spa treatment rooms, steam rooms, showers, and lounge area.
Ralph’s
It’s the dawn of a new era. There was a time when “chic and cool” meant standoffish and sullen in an affected way. We all have stories of walking into an Ian Schrager property and gaining entry to the elevator (yes, there were often velvet ropes), where we’d find ourselves amongst leggy models who hadn’t eaten a full meal since the Bush (and I mean the 41st not 43rd) White House years, listening to Moby’s iconic “Porcelain.” We’d realize we were standing next to the sallow DJ just as the doors opened to some hush-hush lounge area — more than likely for members only. Today, the elevator ride to a private club seems like a happier moment, with smiles in abundance. That’s how it felt as I made my way to Ralph’s on the top floor of The Crescent Hotel. I was greeted by a welcoming hostess in a moodily lit foyer before gaining access to the club — an wide-open space that seems to continue into the museum district, due to floor-to-ceiling windows that open to a wraparound patio for cocktails and delicious dishing about who wore what to the rodeo. Since my visit was impromptu, and I had not texted my local posse to meet me, within 15 minutes in the back smoker’s corner of the balcony, I had made six new friends.
The name Ralph’s is a reverential nod to a famed Fort Worthian: grande dame Mary Ralph Lowe, who was known for her largesse (in life and philanthropy and idle pursuits including horsesteading and horses), eccentricities, and inimitable style. John Goff had his sights set on the land where The Crescent now sits, which his neighbor, Mary Ralph Lowe, owned. As goes, over a beer, Lowe graciously agreed to sell the property for a hotel, but with the stipulation that they name a watering hole after her.
As with most private clubs, the members list is secret, and even the number of memberships is unknown, but I suspect it’s intentionally intimate to provide bespoke privileges — perhaps an assortment of cattle baron ranchers and oil tycoons, art collectors, and the new influx of West Coast celebrities. On my recent visit, guests were discussing the Steeplechase and Assembly debutante balls, indie film productions, and the upcoming arrival of the Dallas institution Forty Five Ten, slated to open around the corner from The Crescent Hotel this fall.
Ralph’s design details include further winks to Miz Lowe.
The glamorous and sultry room with wafting breezes feels like it might be somewhere in Africa — one of her favorite places. Camels are inscribed on the back of velvet bar stools for a fabulous reason: In 1967, Lowe purchased a camel from the Neiman Marcus catalog and named it Erma Camel to lift the spirits of her mother, Erma Lowe, after the passing of her husband. Rottet Interiors included a local Cowtown vibe via an entrance wall saluting other famous Fort Worthians, including NFL star Davey O’Brien; Kay Kimbell, entrepreneur and benefactor of the Kimbell Art Museum; philanthropist Amon Carter, owner of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram; human rights activist Edna Gladney; I.M. Terrell, head of the first public school for African Americans; Texas army commander Ripley Arnold; and pianist Van Cliburn, founder of his namesake competition.
As for cocktails, might I suggest you order either Bad Decisions, inspired by Miz Lowe herself — a drink made for fun nights and bad decisions — or a Damn Fool, which is what her mother called her daughter when she was gifted the camel. After all, isn’t every fun night meant to be filled with bad decisions and being called a damn fool?
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