Austin Motel

01/06/2007 Posted by ilovechicago

My friend, her sister, and I recently returned to Chicago after a short stay at the Austin Motel. We stayed in the waterfall room, which was comfortable and cozy. The room was clean and had just the bare necessities (which was great because we mainly needed the room for sleeping). The staff was extremely helpful and knowledgable about Austin; they were able to recommend places to see and restaurants at which to eat. We happened to be there for the First Thursday so the area was a bit more happening than usual. It's just too bad we didn't have more time in Austin!

Pros: location, helpful staff

08/03/2006 Posted by estherfay1

Stayed there for the first time on one of my many visits. It was great! Rooms not plush but comfortable. Short walk to what makes Austin...Austin! Great for shopping, eating and just people watching. Had a blast. Don't go there if you expect to be catered too. Go there if you want to have a fun and eclectic stay in Austin.

Pros: Fun & Funky

Cons: No amenities.....hardly

03/10/2005 Posted by josh

With a great location close to everything, the Austin Motel is far from a boring Holiday Inn. It's great for first-timers to Austin, because it is infused with lots of local charm. Great bars and live music venues are a short walk away.

08/20/2004 Posted by crystalcrys25

if you dont know enjoy the artisan scene, or purposefully avoid the "hippies" when in austin, stay home or book the super 8, because the Austin motel is not for you. I would live there if i could afford it. The most inexpensive room there is 60 bucks a nite, and since i am a broke college kid just in town for one nite, it worked... but even if i wasnt, i would still come here for the kitchy-ness and atmosphere. you really must appreciate the personality of the city of austin to appreciate the personality of the austin motel.

Pros: artsy, funky, clean

Cons: , lowtech, simple

01/04/2004 Posted by juliecaldwell

Great location, great pool, easy to find, helpful staff, but the rooms were not comfortable AT ALL. I think the mattresses are original to the buildings and getting a comfortable temperature in the room was almost impossible. If you can sleep on a cardboard box and feel refreshed in the morning, then you won't have any problems. But if you are over 30 and accustomed to decent back support, you may wanna try a chain.

Pros: funky, location, price

Cons: crap mattresses, bad window units, tiny shower

05/22/2003 Posted by jennstock

What a Fantastic Pool and surrounding landscape. Hotel is in an easy area to find.

Pros: Pool

Cons: Few deluxe rooms

05/04/2003 Posted by ponderos

If you like chain hotels, Dallas nightlife and meals at Chili's, steer clear of what is one of the hippest examples of what Austin is about. There's no better way to feel the flavor of Austin than by walking down South Congress to check out all the funky furniture and jewelry stores. In the middle of the week, enjoy the SoCo festivals where artisans, musicians, dancers and hip Austinites blow off some steam. The legendary Continental Club is right across the street. Guero's is about a block away and has some of the best Tex-Mex in Austin. Even though I live in Austin, I stayed there one night with a date just as a different thing to do on the weekend. The saltillo-tiled floors and antiqued furnishings gave the place character. The ambiance of South Austin gave it a down-to-earth feel. I can't recommend the Austin Motel highly enough.

12/14/2002 Posted by sick_of_liars

Umm..I believe the category said best vlaue...not most overrated eclectic ripoff.. this place is waaaayyy overpriced... the whole theme thing is way tacky...i wouldnt put my mother-in-law in this place... any naitonal chain kicks ass over this place

10/13/2002 Posted by rgisassi

I recently stayed at the Austin Motel for 4 nights on a business trip. The lima bean-shaped pool was nice, as were the tables and chairs surrounding it. The rooms were definatly old; at first I was a bit disappointed, but I eventually came around. The wall outlets were only 2-pronged and my laptop was 3-pronged so I had to buy an adapter. They don't provide an iron or ironing board in your room, but you can borrow one from the lobby. I brought my own, having called ahead to check. There was no alarm clock in my room so I had to rely on a wake-up call to get me to my meetings on time. That said, I still had a really good time there. The neighborhood was cool, as I jogged the area there were many restaurants and interesting nightclubs. It may just grow on you!

Pros: Nice Pool, Nice View, Funky Area

Cons: 2-prong wall sockets, No in-room iron, No alarm clock

08/14/2002 Posted by chris_peimann

My boyfriend and I happened upon the Austin Motel on a one day stop over on the way to San Antonio. As soon as we saw the neon sign from the street we knew we had to stay there. The rooms were small, but extremely charming, and the swimming pool looked like something out of an old Hollywood movie. We still talk about it two years later, and even have a photo of it framed in our living room! It is that cool . . .I can't wait to go back.