Aloft Austin Southwest — Hotel in Austin

This hotel is a good option if you want a hip and convenient accommodation outside of downtown. Overall our experience was enjoyable. However, I do have some feedback that might be helpful.

The hotel is designed to appeal to a younger or more modern-minded patron. The decor is a mix of urban chic and environmentally friendly features, with references to Austin music and technology. This result is cool decorative touches, wide open hard surfaces, and minimalism. As a result, the room itself isn’t quite as “warm”. The laminate floors create echoes in the room for every little sound. Add to that the energy-saving mini-split AC unit (that cycles to a complete stop instead of running the fan - and thereby offering some white noise at night), the sleeping experience leaves a lot to be desired. We heard constant noise inside and outside of the room all night long.

The lobby and bar are very cool and a great spot for hanging out. There is a pool table and plenty of games and music for entertainment. The bartender and drinks were top notch. But again, the design kills the mood slightly. There are bright overhead LED lights everywhere, which (again) kills the warmth you might prefer in a lounge experience. You kind of feel like you’re under a spotlight the entire time.

The lighting issue even crosses over into the rooms. The wall lights (3 of them) in our room didn’t work. We were left to the bedside lamp, which is literally a bright LED light bulb with a black metal shroud that didn’t diffuse the light at all. We either had to use it, the bright overhead bathroom light, or the TV. Not very warm or sexy, if you catch my drift. The room kind of felt like a hostel or a slightly cozier extended-stay hospital room.

The Re:Fuel cafe downstairs was a little misleading. All of the menu items were not available when we were there. Neither was breakfast, which was pretty underwhelming. Instead, there was a variety of packaged foods (“healthy” chips and granola bars, etc) available for snacking. Probably want to call ahead if you plan on relying on food at the hotel.

The in room coffee setup had a lot of teas, two caffeinated coffee pods, and one decaf. Suggestion to the staff: more coffee, less tea. One cup of coffee per person was a bit of an eye rolling moment for us. Thankfully the “cafe” had fresh coffee for us to ferry up to our room.

I’ll wrap up by stating once again that we did enjoy our stay, but our likelihood of staying here again is pretty low. Even if we do, we’ll come prepared to deal with noise, the bright lights, and the lack of...

Beware of Bedbugs and Hotel Response

Caution: Issues with Room 235

Here’s a detailed account of my recent experience:

Previous Positive Experiences • I’ve stayed at the Aloft for years and have had positive interactions with staff, particularly Megan and Kaylee, who recognize me by name.

Incident in Room 235 • During my recent stay in Room 235, I woke up with numerous bites, which were later confirmed by a doctor as bedbug bites. • I reported the issue to front desk staff Megan and Kaylee, who provided Benadryl to address the symptoms.

Hotel’s Initial Response • Angeline provided two trash bags to quarantine my belongings and advised placing my clothes in a dryer on high heat to eliminate any pests.

Medical Confirmation • I visited a doctor immediately after leaving the hotel, where the bites were confirmed as bedbug-related due to their pattern and location.

Follow-Up with Management • I contacted the general manager, Steven, to inform him of the situation and shared the doctor’s confirmation. • I inquired about potential reimbursement for medical expenses or other compensation, but Steven declined, citing concerns about admitting fault. • Steven assured me that Ecolab would inspect the room and promised to follow up, but I did not receive further communication from him.

Inspection and Outcome • Staff later informed me that Ecolab inspected the room two days after my stay and reported no findings. • The room was not treated for bedbugs following the inspection. Key Takeaways for Future Guests • Bedbugs can be challenging to eliminate and require specific treatment methods, such as heat above 125°F or diatomaceous earth. • Based on my experience, Room 235 may pose a risk, and the hotel’s handling of such situations could be improved.

This experience highlights the importance of thorough inspections and follow-up in maintaining guest safety. Future guests may want to take precautions when considering this hotel.

It is such a missed opportunity on behalf of the Aloft Hotel. Had they handled this differently they could’ve made me a customer for life.

If I were the General Manager, I would have instructed Ecolab to sterilize the room for bedbugs, regardless of what they found. I would have offered to pay for my medical, give points, and upgrade to a nicer room for the next few stays.

What they did, is actually a case study in how not to handle these types...

Here’s a detailed account of my recent experience:||||Previous Positive Experiences|| • I’ve stayed at the Aloft for years and have had positive interactions with staff, particularly Megan and Kaylee, who recognize me by name.||Incident in Room 235|| • During my recent stay in Room 235, I woke up with numerous bites, which were later confirmed by a doctor as bedbug bites.|| • I reported the issue to front desk staff Megan and Kaylee, who provided Benadryl to address the symptoms.||||Hotel’s Initial Response|| • Angeline provided two trash bags to quarantine my belongings and advised placing my clothes in a dryer on high heat to eliminate any pests.||||Medical Confirmation|| • I visited a doctor immediately after leaving the hotel, where the bites were confirmed as bedbug-related due to their pattern and location.||||Follow-Up with Management|| • I contacted the general manager, Steven, to inform him of the situation and shared the doctor’s confirmation.|| • I inquired about potential reimbursement for medical expenses or other compensation, but Steven declined, citing concerns about admitting fault.|| • Steven assured me that Ecolab would inspect the room and promised to follow up, but I did not receive further communication from him.||||Inspection and Outcome|| • Staff later informed me that Ecolab inspected the room two days after my stay and reported no findings.|| • The room was not treated for bedbugs following the inspection.||Key Takeaways for Future Guests|| • Bedbugs can be challenging to eliminate and require specific treatment methods, such as heat above 125°F or diatomaceous earth.|| • Based on my experience, Room 235 may pose a risk, and the hotel’s handling of such situations could be improved.||||This experience highlights the importance of thorough inspections and follow-up in maintaining guest safety. Future guests may want to take precautions when considering this hotel.||||It is such a missed opportunity on behalf of the Aloft Hotel. Had they handled this differently they could’ve made me a customer for life.||||If I were the General Manager, I would have instructed Ecolab to sterilize the room for bedbugs, regardless of what they found. I would have offered to pay for my medical, give points, and upgrade to a nicer room for the next few stays.||||What they did, is actually a case study in how not to handle these types...