This fall, WFAA sat down with Baker Hotel developer Randy Nix on the rooftop of The Crazy Water Hotel. The 14-story Baker stood unfinished behind him, and from up there Nix could point out the other downtown buildings and businesses he counts as part of Mineral Wells' revival, as WFAA reported.
That rooftop sums up downtown Mineral Wells right now. For most of a century the Baker has been the building the town measures itself by, and its reopening is still the headline. Much of what a resident can actually do downtown this fall happens in and around the older hotel a few blocks away, which has already reopened once and reorganized itself since. When the Baker does open, it will be adding to a downtown that already works.
The Date on the Baker's Front Page Moved
The Baker opened in 1929, just as the Great Depression began. It had 448 rooms, drew visitors who came for the mineral water, and closed in 1972. The official Baker Hotel and Spa site plans 168 guest rooms after a three-year renovation, plus a spa, ballrooms, a restaurant, a coffee shop and retail. Its homepage now says "OPENING 2029."
Other sources still give earlier dates:
- An August 6, 2026 hotel-industry roundup from THP News listed the Baker for the first quarter of 2028. That roundup puts the room count at 165, not 168.
- Cornerstone Projects Group says spring 2028.
- The Star-Telegram says it should open to the public in 2028.
None of these gives an actual day. The latest date comes from the hotel's own homepage.
Why the Timeline Is Open-Ended
The October WFAA story explains some of the uncertainty. According to WFAA, a group of investors has sued the developers. They allege that a 2023 restructuring agreement wasn't honored and that about $1.8 million in interest built up as a result, and they're asking the court for a full accounting of the project's finances.
Nix rejected the accusations. He said the legal process will settle the disputed issues and that most shareholders support the current plan. He told the station that about $19 million has been spent so far, that the final cost and completion date are still uncertain, and that he hopes the hotel will reopen "within a couple of years."
For residents, the practical point is simple. No one can promise a date for the Baker, and anything planned for downtown in the next year or two has to work without it.
The Hotel That Already Reinvented Itself
The Crazy Water Hotel, at 401 N. Oak Ave., has been through this before. The building was rebuilt after a 1925 fire and reopened in 1927. Its newest change is only about a year old.
The Fort Worth Report reported that the hotel's owners took management in-house in late October 2025, food and beverage included. Oak & Third, from longtime Fort Worth chef Stefon Rishel, then opened on Nov. 6, 2025, in place of Second Bar + Kitchen, which had been the hotel's main restaurant since late 2023. Bridget Shelton joined as general manager during the transition.
Rishel calls the menu global cuisine with Texas ingredients and estimates that about 80% of the food comes from Texas and coastal waters. The menu includes pan-roasted grouper, smoked redfish dip, Niman Ranch braised beef cheek, and the PB&J wings he made popular at Wishbone & Flynt on Fort Worth's Near Southside.
The hotel also lists Crazy Water Coffee & Water Bar and Rickhouse Brewing, which is in Suite 107A of the same building. The hotel's spa page still lists Spa at The Wells as "Coming Soon," with mineral soaks, saunas, body treatments and a spa bar planned. The spa is planned for the hotel's basement. Downtown's mineral-spring spa isn't open yet at either hotel.
Where the Rest of Downtown Already Is
The Crazy Water Hotel isn't the only thing open downtown. Within a short walk of the corner of Oak and Third:
| Place | Address | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| The Crazy Well | 209 NW 6th St. | Free water samples, walking tours and jug fills in the Famous Pavilion |
| Happy Days Diner | 319 N. Oak | 1950s-themed diner in a restored historic building |
| The Collective at Poston's Plaza | 200 W. Hubbard St., Suite 110 | Shared retail space and home of the Let's Grow Crazy indoor market |
| The Market at 76067 | 100 S. Oak | 12,000-square-foot showroom with about 100 vendors |
| Coffee & Cocktails @ 76067 | 100 S. Oak | Coffee and cocktail bar at the same address |
The Crazy Well has drawn visitors for more than 100 years, and it's still free. Crazy Water says visitors can drop by any time to sample the water. Weekday walking tours start at 11 a.m., cost $5, last 60 minutes and cover three blocks. Tours are canceled when it's below 40 degrees, above 95 degrees, or raining, so most of November and the rest of fall should be good walking weather.
The Collective is where downtown has grown most recently. According to Mineral Wells Area News, Let's Grow Crazy, a grassroots nonprofit marking five years in 2026, opened a year-round indoor farmers market inside The Collective that's open seven days a week. It sells sourdough, jams, pickles, honey, salsas and loose-leaf tea, plus cold items like fresh juice and cheesecake from a glass-door refrigerator. It's near the stairs and elevator. A farmers market that runs all year without depending on the outdoor season is the kind of business that keeps a downtown busy on weekdays, Baker or not.
The Next Six Weeks Downtown
The Crazy Water Festival came through in early October. The rest of the fall calendar centers on the same few blocks:
- Thursday, Nov. 12, 8 to 10 p.m. The Damn Quails close out the Fall Crazy Concerts on the Rooftop series at The Crazy Water Hotel. General admission, front row and VIP seats are available. VIP includes a meet and greet and two drink tickets, and every ticket includes light bites.
- Friday, Nov. 27. The Merry Wells tree lighting starts the holiday season the day after Thanksgiving.
- Saturday, Nov. 28, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Merry Wells Christmas Festival fills downtown with a food truck park, handmade goods, kids' activities and performances by local music and dance groups. The lighted Christmas parade starts at 6 p.m.
Visit Mineral Wells says families who came last year described the festival as feeling like "a Hallmark movie." None of these three events depends on the Baker opening.
What the Baker Will Join
Nix called the Baker "the pinnacle" of Mineral Wells' growth as a tourism destination, and he told WFAA that downtown buildings being converted into restaurants and the expansion of Crazy Water Bottling Company are signs of progress. The Baker's own plans show where it will fit in. The site plan includes the Brazos Club restaurant, a first-floor grand ballroom, outdoor mineral baths, a second-floor spa and a family pool deck. Downtown already has a hotel restaurant, a rooftop concert series, a mineral spring, a year-round market and a holiday festival. The Brazos Club would open with Oak & Third already serving down the street, and the Baker's mineral baths could open after Spa at The Wells.
Whatever date the Baker finally opens, downtown's fall calendar is already set: the rooftop show on Nov. 12, the tree lighting on Nov. 27, and the parade at 6 p.m. on Nov. 28.
If you live in Palo Pinto County and want to talk through how downtown Mineral Wells' progress affects property on your side of the county, The Atkins Agency is glad to share what we're seeing locally, whether you're thinking of making a move or just want to follow what's being built next door.
