A 42-year-old Texas hotel drew a crowd when it came down in under a minute, and the new one will cost half a billion dollars

The 19-story Sheraton Arlington hotel, a long-standing Texas landmark, was reduced to rubble in less than a minute on June 7. A crowd of onlookers gathered in the city’s Entertainment District to watch the structure come down, marking the end of a building that had defined the local skyline for over four decades. The implosion was the first step toward clearing the site for a new half-a-billion-dollar luxury resort.

The Sheraton had been standing since 1984, originally built to support the nearby Arlington Expo Center, now known as the Esports Stadium Arlington. As reported by UPI, the 311-room building was leveled to make room for the upcoming Americana by Loews Hotels, a 507-room facility set to become the company’s third property in the Entertainment District.

The name pays tribute to the iconic Americana Hotel in Bal Harbour, Florida, a Loews landmark that first opened in 1956. As detailed in a company announcement, the choice embodies a spirit of American hospitality the brand has maintained for decades. Alex Tisch, President and Chief Executive Officer of Loews Hotels & Co, said the project “reflects our strong belief in Arlington as a dynamic destination,” and that it will bring “scale, service excellence, and design to support group and leisure travelers alike.”

The Sheraton’s demolition clears the ground for one of Arlington’s most ambitious builds yet

The new resort has been designed with meetings and events at its core, offering more than 83,000 square feet of combined indoor and outdoor space. That figure includes a 10,000-square-foot Event Barn, a 17,337-square-foot Grand Ballroom, and a 6,808-square-foot Junior Ballroom, as well as a 23,820-square-foot Event Lawn and a 7,633-square-foot Pool Terrace. Demand for premium live event experiences has remained a consistent topic this week, with NBA Finals ticket costs drawing attention to what attendees pay to access high-profile gatherings.

Amid a week of large-scale U.S. investment announcements that included Trump’s $700M coal commitment, the Loews project represents one of the more significant privately funded hospitality investments announced this year. Standard guest rooms will range from 350 to 400 square feet, with 39 suites among the 507 total.

Once the third hotel is operational, the Loews campus in Arlington will total 1,695 guest rooms and more than 374,000 square feet of combined meeting space. The company currently operates 27 hotels and resorts across the United States, including eleven at Universal Orlando Resort, and has described the Arlington market as central to its long-term growth strategy.

The project was first announced on January 22, 2026, with Saturday’s demolition serving as the official ground-breaking event. Construction on the Americana by Loews Hotel is set to begin this summer, with the property expected to open between late 2028 and early 2029.