By Judy Peacock
Mention The Texas Hill Country, and most people envision winding 2-lane roads through beautiful countryside, wildflowers, small towns, and lots of unique venues and things to do. That is absolutely true. But, the Hill Country is also home to the 4th largest city in this great state of Texas and its capital – Austin.
Obviously, Austin is a fun and exciting place to live and to visit. Almost anything you can think of to see or do can be found here. One vibrant and unique neighborhood in Austin is on South Congress Avenue, an area famously nicknamed “SoCo”. SoCo is packed full of fun restaurants, bars, boutiques, music venues, as well as an eclectic group of food trucks and street vendors. It is one of “THE” places to go for visitors and locals alike to enjoy a taste of Austin’s lively and quirky vibe, all in one place.
To take care of the city’s constant influx of visitors, Austin has over 33,000 hotel rooms, in hotels anywhere from large, expensive chain hotels and beautiful boutique hotels in Austin to small, quirky places to stay with lots of personality. In the SoCo area, there are dozens of wonderfully unique places to stay of all different kinds. There are far too many to mention in one article, so this articles focuses on only five that deserve a look-see.
Photo: www.AustinMotel.com
The Austin Motel is a small, older motel, not anything new and flashy looking, but its history and friendly, accommodating management make it a place that people want to stay. It has been family owned and operated for 77 years, since 1938. Quoting from their website, it is “modernized but not commercialized” and they are “proud to remain unabashedly old-fashioned and charming.” They have 41 rooms, which are decorated in great colors and differing styles – lots of antiques and pretty, creative designs. They are constantly changing and updating their accommodations. There are not a lot of amenities here, but they do have a cool, 50’s style pool, and a friendly staff dedicated to make your stay a great one and to help you get around to all the sights and events you want to see.
Details: Austin Motel, 1220 S. Congress Ave., Austin, Texas 78704; 512.441.1157;
www.AustinMotel.com
Photo: sanjosehotel.com
Hotel San Jose is a 40-room property which opened in 2000 at the location of a 1930’s roadside motor court hotel. It has been thoughtfully designed and re-imagined and is a place where people want to be. Like others in this list, the grounds here are lush and beautiful, containing ivy-covered walls, black bamboo and a serene garden courtyard leading to the different rooms. The hotel’s guestrooms feature seven distinct room types, ranging from European-style shared baths to spacious courtyard suites with balconies. While no two rooms are exactly alike, all feature concrete floors and minimalist interiors. Amenities include custom-made linens and kimono bathrobes. Another very important feature for a large sector of the population is that “dogs are always welcome,” a motto which prompted the accompanying picture.
Details: Hotel San Jose, 1316 South Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas 78704; 512.852.2360;
800.574.8897; www.SanJoseHotel.com
Photo: KimberModern.com
An ultra-modern Designer Hotel is what you will find when you visit Kimber Modern. Think luxury and comfort, with modern architecture and art. The hotel has seven all-inclusive rooms: five 300-sq.ft. rooms with custom-made beds and walk-in spa-like showers, and two amazing suites with locally made custom bath salts and one with its own private relaxation deck. The creators of this hotel have paid great attention to detail and strive for a perfect stay for every guest. They have coined the phrase “invisible service” and are innovators of the keyless entry concept. They say they have “raised the bar on leaving your worries behind once you enter your customized code.” We suggest you check out their website to see what all this state-of-the art hotel has to offer.
Details: Kimber Modern, 110 The Circle, Austin Texas 78704; 512.912.1046;
www.KimberModern.com
Photo: tablethotels.com
A true “boutique” hotel, Hotel Saint Cecelia has 14 rooms, made up of suites, studios, and poolside bungalows, spread out over the beautiful grounds. When you enter the property, you feel a unique sense of seclusion and privacy even though you are located right in the heart of busy South Austin. Saint Cecelia was the patron saint of music and poetry, and the hotel takes inspiration from that and tries to reach the artist that lies within everyone. The rooms are each uniquely and beautifully decorated, using sumptuous linens and one of a kind furniture and décor. Some of their amenities include custom kimono bathrobes and Le Labo bath products, and amazingly comfortable handmade organic beds made by Hastens, from Sweden. Like the other hotels listed here, Hotel Saint Cecelia has a very friendly and helpful staff.
Details: Hotel Saint Cecelia, 112 Academy Drive Austin, Texas 78704; 512.852.2400;
www.HotelSaintCecelia.com
Photo: Austin.culturemap.com
South Congress Hotel opened in September of 2015. They are proud of the fact that they did not have to tear down any existing buildings to do so even though they built from the ground up. They bought land from a church next door, so none of the great SoCo area was destroyed to create this beautiful new addition to Austin’s boutique hotels. There are 83 rooms here, including 12 suites. All rooms include a king-size bed, and the furniture is custom-made. Amenities include sumptuous custom linens, rain forest showers, and Aesop products from Australia. They are new in the area, but have already mastered the friendliness and helpfulness that you are looking for. Their representative that we spoke with said that they pride themselves on being “a luxurious yet laid back hotel, giving guests a great stay with a strong Austin feel.”
Details: South Congress Hotel, 1603 S. Congress, Austin, Texas 78704; 512.902.6405;
www.SouthCongressHotel.com
Check out these interesting boutique hotels, as well as many others, when you get a chance. It could take a long time of fun exploring in the city of Austin to locate these along with many more charming overnight stays that the city has to offer.
