Ophelia hotel work underway; major construction starts soon
Utilities work is underway at the future site of The Ophelia Hotel and Conference Center near Lakeside Park in Marble Falls. The project has experienced significant delays since it was conceived in 2019 but appears on track for a 2026 completion date. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey
Work crews are moving and installing utilities for The Ophelia Hotel and Conference Center near Lakeside Park in Marble Falls. The project has experienced minor delays due to a change in lenders but is still scheduled for a 2026 completion date.
Major construction and deliveries to the Ophelia site, 305 Buena Vista Drive just outside of downtown, will start soon, according to Marble Falls Economic Development Corp. Executive Director Christian Fletcher.
“Intensive mobilization should be expected in the next couple weeks,” he told DailyTrib.com on Thursday, March 6.
Roads surrounding the build site will remain open. Most of the work and transportation will take place within the property’s confines.
The 127-room hotel, named after Marble Falls’ first woman mayor, Ophelia “Birdie” Harwood, will stand five stories tall, span 96,000 square-feet, and include an attached restaurant and bar. The project has been in the works since 2019 but has faced significant delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, rising costs from inflation, and a switch in development partners.
The hotel broke ground in August 2024 with an announced completion date sometime in the spring of 2026.
According to Fletcher, the project changed lenders from an out-of-town bank to First United Bank in Marble Falls, a move he said will streamline construction and finances down the road.
The Ophelia is a private-public partnership between Marble Falls and the developers, and, as such, the city is scheduled to hold a special-called meeting March 18 to push back multiple contractual deadlines to accommodate the delay from the lender switch, Fletcher said.
While the hotel and conference center will be owned and operated by Phoenix Hospitality Group and Castle Hospitality, the city of Marble Falls was instrumental in bringing it to town. The EDC contributed a value of $7.6 million in incentives, including the $2.5 million property the hotel and center will be built on. The Ophelia is expected to have a $200 million economic impact on Marble Falls within 10 years of its completion.