HOTEL DRYCE

Culture, representation and creation:

Jada Nicome came to Fort Worth to help start something new, and through that, better the community

By Elle Davis Photos by Agustin Gonzalez

SHE IS WEARING TAN OVERALLS AND SNEAKERS. Her vibrant smile says welcome before her words invite a patchwork quilt of guests to have a seat at the lobby bar for a drink or to stay for a night in the 21-room, boutique-style Hotel Dryce.

At a wooden table across from two large photos of Black cowboys, she trains an employee and does not miss a beat as other guests enter the lobby.

Meet Jada Nicome, Hotel Dryce’s magnetic personality who pulls it all together as the general manager. That and her ability to be relatable yet professional is why Jonathan Morris, her cousin and owner of the hotel, says he chose her to be their general manager.

But managing a hotel is not Jada’s first rodeo at running a business. This D.C. native’s quest began in high school when she discovered the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship. This educational nonprofit gave her the tools she needed at 16 to start her first business creating customizable hoodies for canines.

“NFTE taught me that you could create your own job instead of waiting for something to happen,” Jada says.

Not only did Jada learn to create for herself, but she also learned to create new experiences for others. Before moving to Fort Worth, Jada was the assistant manager of Marketing and Events for Madewell and later the Community Lead Generalist for WeWork in Washington D.C. Creating for others through these roles helped Jada realize the power of community. Becoming the top event generator in the D.C. market did not stop Jada from believing that business was more than generating revenue.

“Business is about the people,” Jada says. She knows that collaboration with the right individuals can be what Jada calls an “ecosystem of entrepreneurship,” and that community is what makes a business thrive.

The Chocolate City may have influenced the principles Jada uses to run the hotel, but she says the Fort Worth locals set the tone. The cowboy culture and Western traditions permeate this wooden and stucco structure. A mixture of indie pop and alternative hip-hop flows through the lobby and onto the spacious patio inviting guests from all over and up the street to stay awhile and enjoy the vibes. Between Byers and Linden avenues along Montgomery Street in the Cultural District of Fort Worth, Jada and the team at Hotel Dryce have converted a former dry ice factory into a hub for human connection. “I’m happy to be here. D.C. was rush, rush, rush. I was feeling burnt out and like I was losing myself,” Jada says. Fort Worth brings Jada a sense of calm and community. “I can wake up to birds chirping in the morning and not sirens and traffic. It’s the calmest I’ve ever felt.”

“I didn’t come here for myself. I didn’t come here for Jonathan. I came down here for the culture, for the representation. I came to create something new and help better the community of Fort Worth. When it comes to hospitality, bigger cities like D.C. have lobby culture in their hotels where locals can hang out and have a community spot to go to and not feel judged.”

- JADA NICOME