Rosewood Updates Mansion on Turtle Creek with $20mil Redesign

Comprehensive project adds modern design elements to Texas’ only five-star, five-diamond hotel

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. October 14, 2008

DALLAS, TX, June 14, 2007. Rosewood Hotels & Resorts presents a nearly $20 million redesign project that begins with The Mansion on Turtle Creek's storied restaurant and bar. The innovative project brings contemporary design elements to a Texas classic while paying tribute to its signature historic and architectural details. The result is three distinctive venues that debut this fall, including the casually elegant restaurant, a 22-seat formal "Chef's Room" and the comfortable, stylish bar. A second phase of the redesign follows in early 2008 and includes all 143 guestrooms and suites as well as public areas.

"The signature main dining room, veranda, library and bar will transform into a modern-day reflection of the restaurant's past," said Mrs. Caroline Rose Hunt, founder of The Mansion on Turtle Creek and Rosewood Hotels & Resorts. "In 1925, cotton and oil magnate Sheppard King built this estate for his family, and this redesign project carries the King family tradition of residential warmth and elegant style into the next era."

Led by San Francisco's Engstrom Design Group, The Mansion on Turtle Creek Restaurant redesign project brings modern elegance and a vibrant atmosphere to its signature dining room. Key architectural elements, such as the carved grape leaf columns, ornate fireplaces and elaborately carved wooden ceilings are restored and surrounded by a new color palette including fabrics and materials in cognac, taupe, amber and green. New touches include contemporary carpeting, light sconces, wall coverings and artwork. In the new dining room, dark wooden tables sans table cloths are accompanied by chairs in taupe-colored leather, and honey-onyx colored walls divide the main dining area from the new Chef's Room.

Intimate and refined, the Chef's Room highlights historic details, such as the fireplace with wooden mantel carved by Swiss artist Peter Mansbendel and stained glass windows bearing the coats of arms of the barons who witnessed the signing of the Magna Carta. Featuring luxurious printed fabrics in cognac and gold and traditional stylish furnishings, the materials and accents in the Chef's Room are rich and soft. They embody the refined residential ambiance for which The Mansion is known. Located in the original oak-paneled library, the Chef's Room offers the highest level of formal luxury.

Along with the sleek new design, the Mansion on Turtle Creek Restaurant debuts new breakfast, lunch and dinner menus featuring executive chef John Tesar's signature contemporary American cuisine. In the Chef's Room, prix-fixe and seasonal tasting menus will reign supreme.

"Our tradition of offering the most impeccable service and finest cuisine will continue, and now we have more dining options for guests to enjoy," said Bob Boulogne, COO for Rosewood Hotels & Resorts. "The new restaurant is designed to deliver the ultimate luxury experience in an elegant atmosphere, whether casual or more formal."

Adding to The Mansion's updated design is a new dress code, where jackets are optional and jeans are welcome in the restaurant's main dining room. Gentlemen are required to wear a jacket in the Chef's Room.

The Mansion Bar continues its tradition of being a comfortable and stylish neighborhood bar, whether it is to enjoy a casual meal, an apr`es-work cocktail or a late night bite. The bar's Old World sophistication receives a modern twist. A color palette of warm amber and cranberry together with the wood paneled walls, wood flooring, leather table tops, glass cabinets and recessed book cases blend this modernized look with the bar's signature charm. New lighting offers a warm glow, and live jazz music adds to the relaxed and cozy ambiance. Chef Tesar's bar menu offers traditional comforts and luxurious inventions, including an enticing "seafood tower."

As this historic redesign begins, the current restaurant relocates to the hotel's Promenade. During this time, The Mansion on Turtle Creek presents breakfast, lunch, dinner and cocktail service in this terrace-inspired space. The Promenade offers The Mansion's renowned service along with a first taste of several menu items executive chef John Tesar debuts with the expanded menus come fall.

In early 2008, San Francisco design firm Babey Moulton Jue & Booth will begin The Mansion's guest room renovation project. The complete renovation centers on the hotel's residential feel and brings classical decorating style to each guest room. The Mansion's signature coral color is accented throughout the design, and it is set against a new palette of complementary colors from parchment to cappuccino. The design will mix finishes and furniture styles for the unique, intimate feel of a grand home.