Deep Ellum

Kimpton Pittman Hotel

★★★★★

The Pittman is the hotel that brought Deep Ellum its first proper place to stay, and it did so with a story. The building is the Knights of Pythias Temple of 1916, a Beaux-Arts landmark designed by William Sidney Pittman, the first licensed Black architect in Texas, for one of the leading Black fraternal organizations of its day; for decades it was a center of Black professional and civic life in Dallas, before falling empty. A careful restoration preserved the historic facade and grand spaces and added a modern glass-and-steel wing behind, and the Kimpton brand opened it in 2020 with 165 rooms. Inside, the look mixes the temple's century-old bones with art-filled common areas, warm wood and brass, and bold contemporary color; rooms are comfortable and well designed, with the playful touches Kimpton is known for. Elm and Good, the American tavern in the lobby, cooks over wood fire, and an outdoor deck with craft beer and live music feeds straight into the neighborhood's soundtrack; there is a pool for warm afternoons, and the brand's evening social hour, when offered, makes it easy to meet fellow travelers. The location is the point: you are on Elm Street in the middle of Deep Ellum's murals, bars, breweries and music venues, with downtown a fifteen-minute walk or one stop on DART. It is the right base for music lovers and anyone who wants the city's creative side, with a building whose history deserves to be known.

Pittman's life is worth knowing before you check in. Trained at the Tuskegee Institute and later Drexel, and married to Booker T. Washington's daughter, he moved to Dallas in the 1910s and designed churches, lodges and homes for the city's Black community at a time when segregation shut him out of most commissions. The Pythian Temple was his largest Dallas building, a statement of pride and prosperity in the heart of a district that was then the commercial hub of Black Dallas. The hotel tells this story in its public spaces, and it gives a stay here a meaning beyond the design.

Staying here: rooms range from compact queens to suites; those in the historic section have more character, while the new wing has more space and light. Deep Ellum is lively, especially on weekend nights, so light sleepers should ask for a room away from Elm Street. Pets are welcome, in Kimpton style. Valet parking is available, but you will hardly need a car for the neighborhood and downtown; DART rail connects to the airport via downtown, and rideshare covers the rest.

Who it suits: couples and friends on a fun city break, music and art lovers, and design-minded travelers who prefer character to marble. Families can stay comfortably, though the neighborhood is nightlife-heavy after dark. If you want quiet luxury, go to Turtle Creek; if you want to walk out to a gig and back, this is the place.