Heywood Hotel — Hotel in Austin

Our stay at Heywood Hotel was nothing short of amazing. Probably the best interaction/experience I have ever had with a hotel or B&B. Our flight to Austin landed late, around 11PM. Kathy tracked our flight, stayed up and waited for us to check in, and when we landed, we had a text message from her with suggestions of places that were still open for a late dinner. The hotel is very modern, clean and has a cool and comfortable feel.

Rooms: Our first night we stayed in room #1, the room off of the lobby facing the road. The room was beautiful and had a cozy-vibe with decorative fireplace and sitting chairs. There was a mini-fridge with two complementary local beers! The king-sized bed was comfortable, and we had no issues with noise at all. We stayed in room # 1 for one night and stayed the next day in San Antonio; my significant other wanted to go back to Austin so we could stay two more nights in the hotel! Luckily, they had availability over the weekend, and we were booked in room #2 (which is also off of the lobby) for two more nights. This room was also big, with a clean modern-design and had a skylight too. I think it was a queen-sized bed but still very comfortable. This room also has a mini-fridge with more complementary local beers!! Bathrooms in both rooms had humungous tubs, nice shampoos, conditioner and body wash that my girlfriend liked (and haaaaad to purchase from amazon on the spot). Rooms also had concierge iPads with information about the hotel and things to do which was a cool touch.

Amenities: Wi-Fi was super-fast. Never had issues with connectivity. Free parking. There is complementary coffee in the lobby starting around 7 in the morning (but we usually opted to go next door to Flat Track coffee). Also, these taps in the rooms that provided hot water for tea (tea bags included in the rooms). There are free bicycles that we didn’t get to use (we just used the electric scooters that were everywhere). We hung out for a bit in the hammock out front and on the swinging chairs on the porch. The GF said there was a really beautiful outdoor space on the second floor, but I never got to check it out.

Location: When booking the hotel, I was initially looking just in the downtown area, but didn’t really want to stay in a big chain Hilton-type hotel next to a convention center. This place is about a 10-minute walk, or $5 taxi ride to downtown; but when you are looking at places you would actually want to go – pretty centrally located. It’s in a trendy area that reminds me of Brooklyn. Everywhere you would want to go is walkable. Across the street is Veracruz, we had breakfast tacos here every morning (from talking to people in Austin, it seems like this is one of, if not the best, taco spot). A few blocks away is east 6th street which has a ton of cool bars. We learned the Texas two-step at Whitehorse and made our own bar-crawl down the street. Area has tons of cool food trucks and we ate so much good food here. I also recommend going to Barton Springs pool, it’s a huge public pool but fed from a natural spring. Very refreshing in the summer heat.

Service: Here I was blown away. I travel often for work and have never experienced anything at this level. Staff were so helpful with recommendations and making sure everything was excellent. As I mentioned before, when we landed, we had restaurant recommendations waiting for us (when has that ever happened to you from a hotel!?). The next morning, we mentioned we wanted to go to a country bar that night in passing on our way out for breakfast. Later in the day, the person at the front-desk said she had called around, and recommended a bar that had two-step lessons that night. You can tell that the staff just want you to have a great time in Austin and they really go out of their way to make sure that happens!

I could not highly recommend this hotel enough. I will definitely be staying here again and will be recommending to friends who...

The Heywood was truly my home-away-from home for 6 nights! I was so attached to the property (and my Queen Balcony room specifically) that I became wistful at the idea of leaving!

HOSPITALITY: Will and Erin hosted the property during my stay, and both of them were so welcoming, helpful, accommodating, and offered much-appreciated recommendations for local activities and under-the-radar food spots to check out. I feel that Will and Erin struck just the right balance of professionalism and helpfulness, while allowing me my privacy and solitude. While I didn't run into the housekeepers since I was gone from 8am-5pm, they were thorough and thoughtful. My room was spotlessly clean every day when I got "home". The Heywood has a kitchenette-type area inside the main building (about 20 feet from my door), where there is filtered hot and cold water on tap, a microwave, and stacks of coffee cups, clean bowls, plates, cutlery, and napkins, among other things. On my first morning, I took a bowl to my room for my yogurt and fruit for breakfast. The housekeepers took notice, and from that point on, placed a new clean bowl and spoon above my mini fridge every day when they came into clean. It is small, thoughtful touches like this that make you feel at home, and I appreciated it so much.

CREATURE COMFORTS: I entered my room to find an awesome welcome basket containing various snacks from local vendors, coupons for local businesses, organic energy drinks, chocolate bark, etc. plus a thoughtful handwritten note from the staff welcoming me to Austin. My room was outfitted with a coffee machine, fresh ground coffee and all accoutrements, mini fridge stocked with local beers, a high-end air purifier, and an EXCELLENT and versatile air conditioning unit, which is much appreciated with Austin's weather in June. One unexpected and neat discovery was the white noise machine that Heywood provided; I had never used one before, and it was a total game-changer for falling asleep fast, and staying asleep! The Heywood also provides each guest their own designated parking spot, free of charge, which is so valuable in the age of giant corporate hotels that charge an arm and a leg for that convenience. The parking spots are just down the stairs from the courtyard, which made coming and going throughout the day a total breeze. Lastly, the Heywood provides bikes to guests, which is such a cool way to explore the local food spots, explore the surrounding residential areas, and take in the beautiful Colorado River that is literally down the street!

ROOM INFO: I stayed in the Queen Balcony room, which is on the Northeast side of the property, with its door opening to the outdoor courtyard. It is spacious, thoughtful, and comfortable. It has a long desk area with a window facing out into the courtyard, and since I came to Austin for a clinical residency, it was wonderful to sit here in the evenings and work on my reports as the sun went down. Both this window and the glass door leading to the balcony have blackout blinds, in case you don't want the sun to wake you in the morning. The room has a cute balcony with seating for two, which is set well off the street (so it's not too noisy), and is in a nook over the driveway, so you get the outdoor access without being stared at by passers-by. The balcony was such a peaceful place to spend my morning, drinking coffee as the sun rose, and listening to the grackle birds Austin is known for. The bathroom is sleek and modern, and the shower has a skylight peeking into the massive tree above the room, giving you a little window into nature.

If you visit Austin, staying at the Heywood is an absolute must... it is one of those truly unique, one-of-a-kind stays that are so rare to...

This hotel is a gem, a true oasis in the city. Admittedly, I am somewhat of a neat freak as well as a frequent traveler and this hotel is quite honestly the cleanest I have stayed in, anywhere. Linens and bedding are consistently pristine, clean corners, dust free and every detail attended to. I stayed in room two, located on the main level next to the lobby.

The room is spacious and well appointed, has a desk, wet bar and includes ample seating (2 chairs and a comfortable bench). The A/C in the room is wonderful, easy to use remote and temperature quickly adjusts to requested setting. Room also includes a speaker and auxiliary cable for podcasts, music etc. The floors are wood, with accent carpeting and decorated in a sleek modern style. There is a mini fridge and a snack bar with an assortment of beverages or snacks reasonably priced for purchase. There are also 2 beers that are available in the fridge, on the house!

The bed is extremely cozy and a white noise machine is provided and that combination provides a wonderful night of sleep. Waking up to the smell of coffee in the lobby and a friendly, knowledgeable staff is wonderful. The upstairs patio may be my favorite place to hang out, ever. Ample seating and tables, recycling and trash bins and it is private, only open to guests. Attention to detail is obvious everywhere making this truly is a one of a kind property.

The staff is friendly and knowledgable, devoted to a wonderful guest experience as well as being approachable and friendly. They are the real deal, kind of like hospitality ninjas, appearing instantly when you need them but not hovering over you when you don't. They are a tight team and their dedication to your stay is evident from check in to check out.

It is located in East Austin, a treasure trove unto itself of eateries and bars and one of the fastest growing and highly sought after areas in Austin. The Hewyood is super close to downtown proper and several other districts including Rainey street, South Congress and the 2nd Street district. Just a truly wonderful hotel from top to bottom,. Show less

Room Tip: Depends on what you are looking for, all the rooms are great and a little bit different from...