Austin Motel — Hotel in Austin

I’ve had the pleasure of staying in the Austin Motel five times now, most recently in July of 2024. This place is an absolute treasure and offers a unique, authentic experience that nowhere else has come close to replicating.

I have visited 42 countries and have stayed in hundreds of hotels – big, small, 5-star, 1-star, you name it. What makes Austin Motel great is its aesthetics, location, and vibe. The hotel is just, for lack of a better term, “cool.” It has an old-school neon sign on the outside that really pops at night and makes for an amazing photo op. The hotel – or motel, as the name suggests – is a throwback as well. The buildings containing the rooms are built upon three levels accessible by stairs, with the original building occupying the lowest level. You enter the rooms, which you enter directly from the courtyard – are at the same time vintage and hip; stylishly furnished but with a layout and modeling which resembles a true motel from the 1950’s. You can definitely hear the noise coming in from the outside, but it’s not overwhelming and I had no problems falling asleep despite being a notoriously light sleeper. In the mornings the lobby serves up free coffee which – unlike most of the free caffeinated options I’ve consumed in hotels over the years – is actually good.

The heart of the motel is the pool, which is nicely shaded and contains cold water that feels great on a hot Texas summer day. It overlooks South Congress, has a top-notch bar, and frequently hosts events which are fun and quirky (one such event included a fortune teller, an ice cream bar with free ice cream, and a live band). There are usually a good number of people in and around the pool area, but somehow it never feels crowded.

Attached to the motel is JoAnn’s Fine Foods, a SUPER cool diner-style restaurant that deserves an outstanding review in its own right. JoAnn’s serves up great drinks and food that is interesting and tasty. The diner is retro in every sense of the word; it’s worth dining there if for no other reason than to soak in the ambiance of times gone by.

Lastly, the location is amazing. Situated in the heart of trendy South Congress, the enormous amount of shopping and dining experiences that are within walking distance of Austin Motel is one of the main reasons we keep coming back, not to mention that downtown Austin is just a quick 5-minute Uber ride away.

In sum, Austin Motel isn’t really a stay, it’s an experience. I highly recommend this hotel to those looking for those wanting a unique, memorable experience that cannot be found in a...

It’s the infamous Austin’s SoCo? Just do it! · This was my second stay at the Austin Motel in the last year and my recent stay did not disappoint! This time I had my 15 year old granddaughter and my 40lb labradoodle with me. Since moving from Austin to Fredericksburg a few years ago, my husband and I have found that coming to Austin for an overnight from time to time - to see family, listen to some great music or to eat some killer sushi, was a must. Last night it was my turn to treat my 15 yr old granddaughter to some Austintacious fun. Choosing the Austin Motel was a no brainer. They are dog friendly, within walking distance to some great restaurants and music and the kind of wonderful window shopping that grabs the eye of grandmothers (and their teenager grand girls) for a post dining stroll. This is a must after eating at Guerro’s, a SoCo icon for great Tex-Mex. Before venturing out to eat, we chilled in the pool and I was delighted to find out it was free swim night for locals and travelers alike. That meant some good music, margaritas and (and soft drinks) and snacks for us. It was Austin’s first triple digit day this summer and the pool was the perfect way to chill while waiting for the sun to go down. After exiting Guerro’s in a literal food coma, we spent the next hour or so walking and window shopping and getting a selfie in front of the “i love you so much” mural (!) before grabbing an Amy’s Ice Cream and calling it a day. A GREAT day. Highly recommended for people of all ages. Guerro’s was fabulous but for a more romantic stay with my husband, I would choose LasPerlas seafood restaurant (both just steps from the Motel- reservations recommended for both). Before check-out, I enjoyed some complimentary Joe’s coffee in the reception area, followed by a few Austin Motel logo purchases (I LOVE their robes!) to commemorate our stay there. A nightly stay may seem pricey for a mid LAST century motel room. Trust me, it’s well worth the price for a quintessential Austin...

The motel was in a great location if you’re looking to be on South Congress. The rooms didn’t have a lot of frills but for a couple or younger people would probably be just fine. For families with young children, not so much. We had communicated ahead of time requesting a main floor room because we were traveling with a toddler and a stroller. We were shocked when we entered the room to see lips covering the walls and two pink phallic coat hooks right on two of those lips. Inappropriate, particularly for a toddler who likes to ask why and what about everything she sees. We requested a room change and were shocked when that room had the same wallpaper but luckily the coat hooks were tucked on a different wall. My biggest surprise was when I went to exchange keys, the first person was very nice and we had a pleasant exchange. As I was leaving the lobby another girl came out of the back and called me back over by them and proceeded to tell me the wallpaper is actually lips (I knew that?) and the coat hooks were NOT phallic, that I just had a dirty mind. That they were shaped like the sign (they were not, there was a clear outline on the bottom). Truly do not understand why she thought the best route was to gaslight me about what I was seeing when I had already had a pleasant exchange. Later on they offered us two free drinks and we asked if we could have 2 waters comped from the minibar instead of going to the office, which they agreed to. We were later billed for those waters. To be fair, Trisha did reach out the next day but because we were on vacation and leaving the next morning we just wanted to move on and enjoy the rest of our time instead of belaboring the issue. Parents may want to consider this when choosing between this or a...