It was early on Tuesday morning when rumors began to swirl of the impending demise of Craft and Ghostbar at the W Dallas Victory Hotel. The word was that the upscale restaurant Craft was being replaced by a new gastro pub concept to be known as Cook Hall. Craft was expected to close late summer with Cook Hall to open early fall.
Then there was also the casual mention that Ghostbar, the Vegas-style ultra lounge that sits atop the W Hotel on the 33rd floor would close later this month. Since it just celebrated its sixth anniversary and remained one of the destination spots on the DFW nightlife scene, the news came as a shock to many of its faithful clients and staff. Thinking back on all of the buzz and hype that surrounded its opening in the summer of 2006, it is hard to fathom that word would leak out on an otherwise average Tuesday morning that it was closing its doors.
My first thought was at least there was time to drop by for a final visit and check out the amazing panoramic view of the Dallas skyline and share a few memories from the past six years. Then came the official word that there would be no farewell party of any kind and that Ghostbar was shutdown effective immediately.
Just the thought of the people-watching scene that a "Last Hurrah" bash at Ghostbar could have been brought back memories of the many celebrities that have taken the elevator up to the 33rd floor. Big names ranged from Clint Eastwood and Justin Timberlake to Jay Z and Jamie Foxx to Usher and Timbaland to Jessica Simpson and Paris Hilton and many in between. Through the years, most every member of the Cowboys, Mavericks and Stars was spotted there on random occasions. The 2010 NBA All-Star Game week featured exclusive celebrity parties and Tiesto's event was there during Super Bowl XLV week in 2011.
While the fame game played a big part in the club's success, it was not all about the celebrity sightings -- most nights were simply about the huge amount of hot girls and the legendary glass balcony that provided a view directly down to the street. Halloween at Ghost was a can't miss event if simply to see the costume choices of the gorgeous girls who worked there. Tickets for the New Year's Eve parties always sold out far in advance as it was among the 'places to see and be seen' on the biggest party night of the year. The party for the 50th anniversary of the Playboy Club was also a sight to behold.
With the fickle Dallas nightlife crowd, it is a testament to the people behind the scenes that Ghostbar continued to thrive through the years. For the many people who frequented the upscale spot, as of July 10, 2012, Ghostbar is gone, but not forgotten.
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