It's a milestone. This year marks The Stoneleigh's centennial. Originally opened in 1923, the hotel, now Le Meridien Dallas - The Stoneleigh, embraces its past while looking forward.
"As there is only one hotel older than we are in town, the Adolphus, our century mark, and the fact we have many original pieces here makes us different from other Dallas hotels," Stacy Martin, general manager of Le Meridien Dallas tells Local Profile. "Many of our team members have been here for 10-plus years and are very proud of The Stoneleigh’s heritage."
Out front, the neon Stoneleigh sign glows and greets us. Inside the lobby is contemporary and neat, belying that heritage — a heritage that dates back a century.
According to Historic Dallas Hotels, the $1.5 million Stoneleigh was, at that time, one of the tallest hotels west of the Mississippi. The hotel boasted a barbershop and a beauty salon, as well as a gym for children, and it even had a grocery store.
While the lobby looks contemporary, the 11th floor, the penthouse, is a time capsule. The marble floor reflects the hallway's warm lights, leading us to a wood-paneled room. Five-hundred-year-old imported from
Over a decade later, in 1934, Col. Harry Stewart, who made his fortune as a Ford distributor in Texas, bought the hotel and brought in Dorthy Draper, the most famous interior decorator of her day, to leave her mark. And that, she did.
While the lobby looks contemporary, the penthouse floor, which includes the 12th floor, is a time capsule. Golden hour light illuminates light blue walls, leading us to a wood-paneled room. "Draper & Company sourced the wood from London's Charterhouse School," says Martin. "At that time, in the 1930s, it was described as 500 years old, so today it is nearly 600 years old."
A nearby hallway is covered with wallpaper: a black and white floral print that Draper flipped, setting off an upside-down wallpaper trend.
Walking around the penthouse, you can feel the history — a history that guests at The Stoneleigh's upcoming gala on Oct. 26 will experience firsthand during its centennial celebration with Jazz Age cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and music.
When we sit down to dinner at Perle on Maple, the hotel's restaurant, dining on a steak meal inspired by a 1920s recipe, it strikes me how The Stoneleigh isn't content to simply look backward. The hotel brought in Chef Esayas Estifanos as its executive chef to head up its culinary program, blending his native Eritrean cuisine with Mediterranean and New American — resulting in an exciting fusion of flavors that have been highlighted in special pairing dinners.
Leaving the hotel, the neon sign burns brightly in the night. Waiting for the car, I think of the guests that have come before — and try to imagine future guests. What will 2123 be like? No idea what the lays ahead, but I do know one thing: The Stoneleigh will be celebrating.
The Stoneleigh's October Centennial Gala will be held on Oct. 26 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.