Kimpton Out, Hilton In: The Palomar Hotel is now the Highland Dallas, the first of Hilton’s boutique Curio Collection hotels

If you checked in to the Kimpton Hotel Palomar in Dallas Tuesday night, you woke up Wednesday morning in a different hotel.

Now officially called the Highland Dallas, the hotel has changed hands and is now part of Hilton Worldwide’s new boutique hotel brand called the Curio Collection.  And while the name, look and feel of the hotel and some of its staff are changing, the hotel’s marquee restaurant, Knife, will remain untouched, says John Tesar, Knife’s Tweeting chef.

Kimpton says their hotel and restaurant management contract ended on August 6.

“Knife was an integral part of what attracted Hilton to the property,” Tesar told EscapeHatchDallas. “We are going to keep on getting better, too.”

The Curio Collection is Hilton’s new boutique line of  “hand-picked hotels that are authentic, independent and remarkable.”  The Highland Dallas will be joined by the 1,600-room SLS Las Vegas Resort and Casino when that property opens August 23. The $415 million SLS replaces the shuttered Sahara hotel and casino on Las Vegas Boulevard. 

Hilton has announced plans to add three additional hotels to the Curio Collection: the Sam Houston Hotel in Houston, the Hotel Alex Johnson in Rapid City, S.D., the Franklin Hotel in Chapel Hill, N. C., and an undisclosed hotel in downtown Portland, OR.

Curio – A Collection by Hilton (curiocollection.com) is a global collection of distinctive hotels that are woven into the fabric of their destinations. While each one is unique, they are united in their individuality. Curio guests are passionate travelers seeking local discovery and authentic experiences, while resting easier knowing the Hilton name is behind every stay.