GlobeSt.com is told that the room bookings were 12% higher than projected and food and beverage tallies rang up 70% above the budgeted amount--and that came in a soft market with a facility that opened right after Christmas.

Charles Givens of Oklahoma City is the owner and a second-time hotel developer. His first, the Waterford in Oklahoma City, is a traditional facility. Gemstone Resorts of Park City, UT holds a five-year contract as manager of Hotel ZaZa, nestled in the eclectic, high-brow mix found in Dallas' Uptown.

"We've exceeded our aggressive demand expectations," Gemstone principal Jeff McIntyre said. So far, the most popular suites are the Exotica and Shag-a-delic while the 144-seat Dragonfly, with celebrity chef Stephan Pyles, has kept customers lined up since the doors at 2403 Thomas Ave.

Mark van Hartesvelt, also a Gemstone principal, describes the venue as "the next generation of uniquely designed hotels." It's being touted as a "lifestyle hotel" rather than a boutique or "hip" hotel. In other words, he said, it "signifies something more than just a flash-in-the-pan." Roughly $150,000 went into creating each room, he previously said.