First Full Service, Four-Star Hotel Coming to EpicCentral
Published on September 02, 2026
The Grand Prairie City Council approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for a ground lease and development agreement with Moon Brothers Management, Inc./Sam Moon Group (SMG) to develop and construct a full-service 4-star brand hotel, convention center, and parking garage facility at EpicCentral, located on Warrior Trail and Esplanade Drive off Hwy. 161. This new development will be the City’s first full-service, luxury hotel.
“This is another great win for our city, and everyone really,” said Grand Prairie Mayor Ron Jensen. “EpicCentral continues to grow as a top destination in North Texas, and this new hotel gives our guests another great reason to stay and enjoy everything we have to offer. It also means more returning visitors and more dollars supporting our local economy.”
The approximately 225-room upscale hotel will feature a welcoming lobby with an oversized bar adjacent to a full-service restaurant offering farm-to-table, Texas-inspired dining options and a large resort-style pool experience, including a full-service bar, cabanas, and lush vegetation. The parking garage will feature 500 spaces, with 250 reserved for hotel guests and 250 available for public parking for EpicCentral visitors. A 15,000-square-foot convention center will complete the development, attracting group business and generating new tax dollars year-round.
“We are extremely excited to partner with the City of Grand Prairie. Epic Central continues to grow as a unique and exciting draw for visitors and residents of Grand Prairie. Our design team will do an amazing job to ensure that the addition of this full-service, luxury hotel will enhance Epic Central and the City of Grand Prairie!”
The total project is expected to cost approximately $90 million, with SMG funding the majority of the development. The City will contribute $30.5 million through incentives and debt obligations, which SMG will repay over the life of the ground lease through rent payments. The ground lease agreement is for a fifty-year term with a twenty-five-year extension option, where SMG owns the hotel, and the City retains ownership of the land, the convention center and parking garage.
Construction is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2027, with a planned opening in summer 2029.
About Sam Moon Group (SMG)
Sam Moon Group ("SMG") has developed some of the most exciting and luxurious new full-service hotels in the Dallas area over the past 10 years. In 2014, SMG collaborated with Invesco, Karahan Companies, and the City of Plano to develop a Full-Service Renaissance Hotel within Legacy West. Following the success of Renaissance Plano, SMG partnered with General Growth Properties and the City of Frisco to develop a Full-Service Hyatt Regency Hotel that's attached to Stonebriar Centre. Most recently, SMG co-developed with JPMorgan Chase and Stream Realty to build the first JW Marriott in the DFW area.
About Grand Prairie and Epic Central
Deep in the heart of everything, Grand Prairie, Texas, is a dynamic community with more than 215,000 residents. Consistently ranked among the safest cities in the region, Grand Prairie offers a high quality of life with award-winning parks, top-tier entertainment, and diverse recreational opportunities. The city is home to EpicCentral, a premier destination for dining, entertainment, and family fun, along with other major attractions around town such as Lone Star Park, IKEA, Bass Pro Shops, and the historic Uptown Theater. Known for its central location, business-friendly environment, and vibrant cultural scene, Grand Prairie continues to grow as a welcoming place to live, work, and visit. For more information: gptx.org and epiccentral.com.