ABILENE, TX — Oct. 22, 2019 — It will be a homecoming of sorts when a full-service convention Hilton property returns to the heart of downtown Abilene in late 2021. From 1927-1945, Abilene’s Hilton Hotel – only the second in the country to bear that iconic name  — brought a new standard of luxury to west Texas. Fast forward 76 years, as Abilene eagerly prepares to welcome the new Doubletree by Hilton. The hotel is poised to become a popular home-base for visitors, just steps from the Convention Center as well as all of downtown’s dining offerings and historic attractions.

In a special ceremony on Friday, October 18th, the City of Abilene and project developer Garfield Public/Private LLC signed a Downtown Hotel Master Development Agreement, paving the way for design work to begin. The process is expected to take six to nine months, with the hotel opening projected for late 2021. The full service convention hotel will be located on city property on the west side of the 500 block of Cypress Street. It will have 206 guest rooms, a full-service restaurant, bar and lounge, 200 free parking spaces, free WiFi, the famous DoubleTree chocolate chip cookies, and 38,700 square feet of public meeting space, complementing the 130,000 square feet already offered at the nearby Abilene Convention Center.

“The DoubleTree by Hilton brings full circle our vision to develop downtown Abilene as a meetings destination where modern convenience and friendly, small town charm converge in one concentrated area,” said Nanci Liles, Executive Director of the Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau. “And of course, it increases our appeal to individual leisure travelers and families looking for a fun getaway with lodging, food and fun all within walking distance.”

For more information on Abilene meetings and conventions, events, attractions, accommodations and dining, please see www.abilenevisitors.com.  For high resolution images please contact [email protected].