There’s Texas. And then there’s Austin.
The capital city of Texas has grown from the ‘city where South by Southwest happens’ to becoming a rocking cultural center vibrating with music, great food, and culture. When most people think of Texas they think of: heat, cowboys and desert. Well, not in Austin. The city primarily votes liberal in most elections (although state-wide is overwhelmingly conservative). The city is proud of its Texan culture, but it also definitely exists outside of it at the same time.
Instead of picking the fanciest or most expensive hotels, we went for a list that would give you the most ‘Austin’-like experience during your next visit here.
1. Kimpton Hotel Van Zandt
This hotel is a must-stay for music lovers. The hotel walks the line between high end luxury and a laid back rock n’ roll spirit. The new hotel has surprises and character for days. The hotel staff all wear jeans and will hand you a Teja beer when you walk in. The rooms have all the up-to-date amenities you would need for your devices, plus a Vinyl record player and other cool music-lover touches.
There is a social work/play lounge that serves drinks, as well as ‘writing rooms’, where musicians can go in and try out new material in solitude. Their main restaurant, Geraldine’s, has live music 365 days/year.
But the best feature of the hotel may be its location: right next to Rainey street, where there are trendy bars, restaurants and food trucks all within a two minute walk. Hotel Van Zandt combines luxury with the distinctive character of Austin in a way that’ll give you a trip you’ll remember for the rest of your lives.
Official Website: http://www.hotelvanzandt.com/
A More In-Depth Review from Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/annabel/2016/02/22/the-best-new-not-so-little-hotel-in-texas-hotel-van-zandt-in-austin/#7b86824b3faa
Hotel Saint Cecilia
Hotel Saint Cecilia (named after the patron saint of rock n roll) is a boutique hotel that also does short term rentals, so be aware of that before you book. The hotel has lot of cool features: shiny chrome fixtures, black and white tiled floors, basically everything you expect a rock n roll hotel to be. It has a curated library of record, CDs and books for you to take in some tunes while you stay (each room has a fully functioning sound system).
Official Website: http://hotelsaintcecilia.com/
The Kimber Modern
The Kimber Modern is our second “Kimber Hotels” selection (after the Van Zandt hotel, which is also a Kimber property). The hotel is the definition of modern elegance. The rooms look like they belong to new buildings on Million Dollar Listing. The floor to ceiling windows and local artisan paintings are an architects’ delight.
Official Website: http://kimbermodern.com/
Here’s a glimpse of their offerings:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ai97MY5uAs