The Grand Hotel announced a series of recently completed renovations on Oct. 25, noting that all 45 of the hotel’s rooms had been restored and renovated. The renovations included new lighting, carpet and paint throughout various rooms and parts of the hotel and ballroom. The renovations focused on reusing or refinishing existing furniture, retaining historical elements already in the hotel and mixing historical features with modern conveniences, Rick Wells, co-founder of the Wells Group, said.
“My design team and I hand picked everything that went to the hotel, so we're very conscious about how we restore a building,” Wells said
The decor also incorporated art pieces that reflected the region, primarily with artwork from local North Texas artists, Wells said.
Birds & Words, a home decor store on the McKinney Square, also contributed to the project, including refurbishing nightstands already in the rooms and creating tables from reclaimed wood, Wells said. The hotel also added antique desks in 25 rooms to attract business travelers, Wells said.
“Taking that hotel to this level, it continues to allow us to march toward creating ... one of the best culture districts in the United States,” Wells said.
Rick Wells and his wife Robbin Wells have been part of the Grand Hotel for years with their previously renovated restaurant Rick’s Chophouse, located at 107 N. Kentucky St., serving as the hotel’s food and beverage partner. The Wells Group purchased the hotel property at 114 W. Louisiana St. in summer 2021. Wells said the hotel is key to the growth of McKinney’s downtown cultural district.
Wells Group also purchased the Masonic Lodge building, located at 215 Kentucky St., which is set to be the future home of his restaurant, Harvest Seasonal Kitchen. Harvest is a farm-to-table restaurant offering seasonal dishes and is currently located on the McKinney Square. It will soon be relocated to the Masonic Lodge building, which is currently undergoing renovations. Wells anticipates the restaurant to move to its new location in late May 2023.
“We really believe that ... moving Harvest to the Masonic [Lodge] will be another one of those feathers in our cap to continue trying to create a great culture district because at the end of the day, that's what we're trying to do,” Wells said.
214-726-9250. www.grandhotelmckinney.com
