Blackstone Hotel Site Celebration marks next step for Downtown Tyler

After years of planning, the future Blackstone Hotel took another visible step forward as Valencia Hotel Group and the City of Tyler gathered on Friday, May 1, for the Blackstone Hotel Site Celebration in Downtown Tyler.

Held in the Plaza Tower Atrium, the event brought together guests to mark the progress of the project and celebrate what the future hotel will bring to the heart of Downtown. During the event, Valencia Hotel Group President and CEO Doyle Graham presented Mayor Don Warren with a plaque in appreciation of his support for the hotel project and his commitment to Downtown Tyler's continued growth.

The future Blackstone Hotel will bring a full-service hotel experience to Downtown Tyler, with plans for 140 guest rooms, 5,700 square feet of meeting space, and amenities designed to serve both visitors and the local community. In addition to welcoming overnight guests, the hotel is expected to create new opportunities for conferences, weddings, celebrations, and other gatherings in the city's core.

The project will rise near the site of the original Blackstone Hotel, which opened in 1922 and became one of Downtown Tyler's most recognized landmarks. Known as a center for business activity and social events, the original hotel was demolished in 1985. The new development is intended to honor that legacy while helping shape the next chapter of Downtown Tyler.

"At the 2024 State of the City event, I announced that Valencia Hotel Group would develop a full-service hotel in Downtown Tyler, and it is exciting to see that vision continue moving forward," said Mayor Don Warren. "This project reflects the confidence in our community and in the future of Downtown Tyler."

Valencia Hotel Group is investing $47.7 million in the project, which is expected to bring new energy, activity and opportunity to the Downtown area. City leaders have emphasized the role the hotel will play in supporting Downtown as a destination for residents, visitors, businesses and events.

The Blackstone Hotel complements the City's Downtown Improvement Project, which is reshaping streets, sidewalks, utilities and public spaces to create a more welcoming and connected environment. The hotel project is expected to break ground in the last quarter of 2026 and anticipated to be finished in the first quarter of 2028.

As work continues to move toward construction, Friday's site celebration served as both a milestone and a reminder that a long-anticipated piece of Downtown Tyler's future is moving closer to reality.

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