Mayor Jim Ross remembers a very different Caravan Court Hotel than what sits on Division Street now. The former cop said that he used to go undercover at the central Arlington motel, which was built in the 1960s, to participate in drug bust operations.
Now, the hotel along with its iconic sign stands as a beacon of rejuvenation, he said.
Leaders from the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce and the city gathered at the new Caravan Court, which opened in June, to cut the ribbon on the rebuilt boutique-style hotel Wednesday night. Ross said the city does a lot of ribbon cuttings, but this one was special.
Officials cut the ribbon on the Caravan Court in Arlington on Aug. 19, 2026. (Chris Moss | Arlington Report)
“Very few of the ribbon cuttings have this type of impact, not just from the economic development, but from a perspective of being instrumental and acting as a catalyst between what’s going on in our entertainment district here,” Ross said. “The Caravan Court is instrumental in connecting those two.”
The reborn hotel’s first step began after the old motel was purchased by Sam Mahrouq, a local entrepreneur, who hoped to use it to expand his nearby car dealership.
Mahrouq, who partnered with the Houston-based Valencia Hotel Group for the rebuild, said his original plans changed as he dug into the history of Caravan Court.
“As I started to dig into that little crappy hotel, it was like, man, it’s crappy now, but it wasn’t at some point,” Mahrouq said.
Mahrouq said that, as talks with members of the community progressed, he decided he would rather try to preserve part of the motel’s history.
The hotel, which is themed to the 1960s feel of the city, has 143 guest rooms, a courtyard with an outdoor pool and a luxury restaurant named after Mayor Tom Vandergriff.
Photos of former Arlington Mayor Tom Vandergriff sit behind a booth in the Caravan Court’s restaurant, The Vandy, on Aug. 18, 2026. (Chris Moss | Arlington Report)
Michael Jacobson, the president and CEO of the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce, said the project was a “catalyst” for the revitalization of the area surrounding it and the city.
“There are times where you have to make a decision on how you’re going to invest dollars to make a change of significance,” Jacobson said ahead of the ribbon cutting. “I can promise you, I know Sam (Mahrouq) will agree, this was not an easy project. This was a hard project to make happen, and the fact that it stands here today shows the ability of our city and our business leaders to come together and do something that is a catalyst.”
Bryce Penn, who is taking over management of the property as part of the Valencia Hotel Group, said he wanted the retro-vibed Caravan Court to maintain the integrity of its past while moving into its present and future iterations.
“We look forward to continuing to grow this area and grow this property, and look forward to those wonderful memories that we have in the future,” Penn said.
Chris Moss is a reporter for the Arlington Report. Contact him at chris.moss@arlingtonreport.org.
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