The Joule

100   Recommended
September 11, 2014 by EXPERT

 Map | 4 Reviews | 50% Recommended
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The Joule
 Map | 4 Reviews | 50% Recommended

Save

Share
Liked:
Location
Service
Food
Amenities
Room
Stats

I site inspected the Joule and was lucky enough to be able to view the new wing of rooms which is slated to open sometime in September. The Oklahoma billionaire who owns The Joule has spent a lot of money on the property as of late. Up until recently it was a Starwood Luxury Collection property but apparently Starwood suddenly wanted to terminate their affiliation. This did impact the hotel quite significantly from which the hotel is starting to recover.

Location

The location is quite good, right in downtown on Main Street, adjacent to the Mothership Neiman Marcus and not too far from the 6th Floor Museum and Dealy Plaza. The Lobby was expanded so that there are now two entrances to the hotel, the original one on Main Street and now from Commerce Street. On the Commerce Street entrance is a new coffee shop, a fancy "gift" shop full of expensive knick knacks one really doesn't need but neat enough that one probably would want. There also now a Lobby Bar on the Commerce Street side entrance. I am unsure of this -- it gives the Lobby a very train station/airport terminal feel.

Room

Rooms in the original wing are small -- "Joule" box sized is an understatement and even suites, a small space sub-divided into even smaller spaces, feel very claustrophobic. Many of the rooms feature on showers as there simply is no space for a tub. Suites feature tubs and separate showers. The new Premier wing is where to stay -- the Premier rooms are much larger open concept rooms, averaging about 600 sq ft, and are less claustrophobic and is, in my opinion, preferable to the suites in the original wing. The Premier Wing will also feature a Spa by ESPA and the Bulgari toiletries in the bathrooms will be phased out and replaced with ESPA branded toiletries. The rooms are on the dark side, with a lot of dark greys, blues, and blacks in the carpet and furniture with enough accents of color to give it some pop. There are strong art deco influences in the rooms and public spaces which give the Premier Wing a contemporary feel without being painfully hip. The Premier Wing will feature a brand new all-day "farm to table" and "market-driven" restaurant. Once open, the existing Charlie Palmer restaurant in the original wing will be re-conceptualized and as of my visit it wasn't certain the level of involvement, if any, Charlie Palmer will have in the new dining space.

Pool

The Joule is known for its glass-bottomed swimming pool which canterlever's off the roof over Main Street. It is a small pool and is on a small pool deck with sun loungers, a cabana, and a poolside F&B service. The pool deck is sometimes rented out for private functions but the hotel is mindful of the impact to guests -- typically in the evening when the pool is less used and during times of low or lower occupancy.

Amenities

The Virtuoso amenities currently are: Upgrade at time of booking subject to availability; daily full breakfast for up to 2 guests; and $100 Hotel credit once per stay.

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