Are There Any New Hotels In Austin?

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by BevoLJ

@ THL: I think we are in agreement somewhat. It is just that when it comes to building exciting stuff on places that there is noting, or nothing of any worth or benefit to us as a community and public, then I think it is a good thing. Adding hotel rooms to downtown is exciting to me. Yes it does benefit me some financially, but more that that I think it adds to the vibrancy and excitement of what is happening downtown. At least it does much more-so that what it is replacing, empty parking lots. Those empty parking lots I think destroy the vibrancy and fun of visiting downtown.

But I totally agree we should learn from the mistakes. The destructive development behavior that has cost us some of our biggest treasures. I mean I can't even fathom say if someone planned on tearing down Antone's or replacing Stubb's with another of those God ugly boring as hell apartment blocks! lol.

But just because Austin has done that in the past (and no doubt it will happen again) doesn't mean we have to live with the wasteland it left us with. I think putting stuff that makes the area more vibrant and full of life in the left over parking lots that are the result of that past destruction is a good thing. I think that is moving on.

Oh, I can easily imagine that happening. Without even trying hard, because I've seen it happen too often in the past. The Broken Spoke is living on borrowed time and the developers of the land around it are already pushing James White to clean it up and make it more "spiffy" and less what it is and it's only a matter of time until the condos are built and the people who move into them complain about the music and it's torn down and more condos built. What makes you think that your favorite landmarks are immune?

[jeffutsa2001]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

In other words, Austin belongs to those who moving in who want to make it into Anywhere Else, USA and those who love it and want to preserve even a modicum of what makes it special should tuck tail and run? Don't think so.

Heck, let's bulldoze the Capitol! Imagine what an awesome skyscraper could be built in its place!

This is so true!

[atxcio]

I can't help but wonder whether these same conversations took place when the original capitol building burnt down (or was torn down), and they decided to replace it with one taller than the US Capitol. Or when they decided to demolish the old main building at UT and replace it with a 29 story tower. Both must have seemed garishly large at the time.

[Dupont]

Thanks to BevoLJ for actually answering my question: )! Didn't mean to foment a civil war! hee hee I am only visiting - not moving to Austin - and I really hate staying in hotels. The newer the better for me.

[owlman]

I guess none of the hotel search websites let you sort by opening date? Surely that would be a popular feature. :/

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Dupont

Thanks to BevoLJ for actually answering my question: )! Didn't mean to foment a civil war! hee hee I am only visiting - not moving to Austin - and I really hate staying in hotels. The newer the better for me.

Ha! I'm laffing. You were just trying to find a new place to stay but the discussion got dragged off topic by the usual suspects.

[Dupont]

Originally Posted by owlman

I guess none of the hotel search websites let you sort by opening date? Surely that would be a popular feature. :/

No, you can't do that kind of search - at least I haven't found a site where I can do that. No surprisingly I would LOVE that feature!

[BevoLJ]

What sort of experience would you like to have for your stay? Like what are you looking for?

The newest one is the W which opened in Dec of 2010. It is like a year and a half old. It is quite nice.

Austin has some pretty nice other hotels, but some of the nicer ones are pretty old. Like the two most well known hotels are two of the oldest in town (Driskill and SFA). The Driskill on 6th St which is the oldest hotel in Austin is my favorite hotel and probably the nicest hotel in Austin and it is from 1880's. Though it did go though a major renovation several times (most recent late 1990's) and smaller renovations since then. It is sort of a western luxury feel. The Steven F Austin is from the 1920's and more of a business luxury type hotel less western.

Another I like that is quite different is the Hotel Saint Cecilia just south on the other side of the river. It is about 4 years old and already one of the most popular hotels in Austin. It is named after the patron saint of music and has turntables and great vinyl collections in every room. The atmosphere could not possibly be any more different than the Driskill! It is very nice and has become the hotel for the big stars to stay at. Lady Gaga, Eminem and others stayed there during SXSW this year, and while I've been out of town recently I know Lady Gaga has been in Austin quite a bit the past month or so doing a Robert Rodriguez movie and I think she has been staying there for it. But not sure. Lots of other well known people are always there. One of our local musicians who won the Grammy for Best New Artist (Esperanza Spalding) lives just up the street in Travis Heights and is seen there a lot. If you want to see famous people that is the place to stay. However it is pretty small and quite expensive. Super nice though. It is an old Victorian house and some bungalows.

There are a few interesting other hotels (Clarksvillemom suggested one that is kind of an Asian Zen hotel) but most of the rest of the hotels in Austin are your typical kinda boring hotels like you would find anywhere else, USA (to borrow from THL, ).

[OpenD]

Call me crazy, but I just have this wild hunch that when the OP said "the newer the better for me," what he meant by that is "the newer the better for me."