A new hotel connected to the Arvest Convention Center in downtown Tulsa is moving forward with Matthews Hospitality selected as the preferred developer. Dallas-based Matthews Hospitality was chosen from a nationwide field of candidates. The company previously developed the Omni Convention Center Hotel in Dallas and is currently working on projects in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Savannah, Ga.
“We are honored the City of Tulsa has engaged us in helping to bring its new convention center hotel to life,” said Mike Garcia, president of Matthews Hospitality. “From the start, we are working to shape a vision that reflects Tulsa’s aspirations for this project and the role it will play in the city’s future.”
Nunzio Marc DeSantis Architects will serve as the design architect, while Tulsa Vision Builders, a joint venture between Flintco Construction and Manhattan Construction, will be the general contractor. GH2 Architects, based in Tulsa, will act as architect of record.
“Matthews Hospitality is a tremendous partner, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity work with them,” said Cara Shimkus Hall, principal of GH2 Architects. “It means so much to be a Tulsa business working on this hotel that will change Tulsa’s landscape on such a profound level, and we cannot wait to get to work.”
Wallace Design Creative, a Tulsa-based structural and civil engineering firm, is also part of the project. One priority is to keep jobs local and use Tulsa-based workers.
“This will be a tremendous addition to the Tulsa economy, and that begins long before the opening of the hotel,” said Erran Persley, chief economic development officer of the City of Tulsa. “The goal was to keep these opportunities in Tulsa, using local partners and businesses as much as possible, and Matthews’s proposal made clear they placed a high value on that. This is the kind of project that generates economic growth and development for generations to come.”
During the 2024-25 fiscal year, Tulsa missed 32 events due to limited hotel rooms or insufficient space under one roof, challenges the new hotel aims to address.
“Adding an anchor hotel to downtown Tulsa will elevate our standing around the world and gets us ‘in the game’ for even more premiere meetings and events,” said Renee McKenney, SVP of tourism for the Tulsa Regional Chamber and president of Tulsa Regional Tourism. “Matthews Hospitality is best-in-class and I am excited to see them continue to work with the City of Tulsa to progress this project even further.”
A Convention Center Hotel Committee, composed of city representatives, hoteliers, developers and partners, is meeting regularly to finalize planning for the project.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for Tulsa’s hotel community and the city as a whole,” said Mike Levinson, Aloft Downtown Hotel. “It is truly a ‘rising tide lifts all boats’ scenario. A downtown, anchor hotel connected to Arvest Convention Center will make Tulsa an even more appealing destination, which will only benefit the entire business community. I am thrilled to see this city-changing project continuing to move forward.”
The hotel project is planned for completion in 2029.
