tommie Austin - JDV by Hyatt — Hotel in Austin

To enjoy your stay at this hotel you need to have the correct expectations when booking it. While the Tommie is connected to and shares all amenities with the ultra-lux Thompson hotel, the Tommie is the Thompson’s little brother in almost all respects. If you are looking for a large standard-sized room and the full luxury experience of the Thompson, then that's what you need to book. If you choose the Tommie with the expectation of the Thompson for half the price, you will undoubtedly be disappointed. I noted several negative reviews citing the room size but the hotel website clearly depicts micro-hotel rooms and lists the average square footage of rooms to be under 300 sq feet, so don't be deterred by these reviews as they appear to be travelers expecting something that was never offered. If you are willing to compromise a bit on room size, the Tommie is a fantastic choice for those looking for elevated stay at an extremely reasonable downtown Austin price point. 

The rooms at The Tommie are compact but very well designed. Even though they are about half the square footage of a standard hotel room, they contain everything one may need for a comfortable stay. Plenty of under-bed storage, the extra-large sink/counter area doubles as the desk and, the shower is integrated into the toilet area to maximize usage of space. The 55 inch TV feels massive in relation to the room size and I counted no less than 6 power outlets spaced around the room. The minibar selections are a bit limited with no snack food and the only alcoholic drink in it was beer… no wine or liqueur. Also, there is no coffeemaker in the room. Coffee can be found downstairs in their coffee shop but is a little steep at $7 for a latte. The rooms are perfect for solo travelers and would be suitable for couples who are only in the room to sleep and bathe. Beyond those circumstances, these rooms simply do not offer the space that would be considered comfortable. 

Be aware that the hotel has only been open for a month and is still working out the kinks and staff are still getting comfortable with operations. Many of the common spaces were still gearing up for opening including the full service restaurants and pool area. However, quality food is available from 24/7 room service and during business hours in the lobby coffee shop. One of the best-equipped gyms I have seen in a hotel is also open. If you go into your stay with realistic expectations on what the hotel offers and patience with a new operation…you likely will...

I live in Austin, so this was a romantic one-night staycation with my partner as a night away from the kids. Located on 5th street, it is very walkable to nearby hot spots. Our room faced the iconic 6th street where we could watch all the action from a birds eye view, which was entertaining until it was time to go to sleep. The hotel is aware of the noise, so they do provide earplugs for guests to keep. Our room was VERY TINY. Reminded me of when I went backpacking in Europe 20 years ago. For a solo traveler, it would be a nice room, but to share with 2 people, it was a tight fit. There was no door for the bathroom, so there was no privacy. The toilet shares the same space with the shower. It's also worth noting that there is a rain showerhead only. If you don't want to get your hair wet, bring a showercap. Not everyone washes their hair every time they shower, but it's tough to shower without getting your hair wet with no alternative than a rain shower. The sink shares a space with your small counter space as well. There is little space to place your things or sit down much less to store your luggage. We had to move things around the room as we moved from one side to the other. The room and accessories were nice, but for what we paid for one night, we felt like they cut a normal size room in half so they could charge the rate of a full-size room twice. We did not have a chance to eat at their restaurant, but we did have a nightcap at the downstairs restaurant bar as the upstairs bar that is advertised was closed. While we relaxed at the bar, the fire alarm went off. This is probably an isolated experience, but it's worth noting that the staff had no idea what to do and it took 10 minutes of everyone, including the restaurant full of guests, ignoring the alarm before management told us that we needed to evacuate. We stood outside in the cold for another 10 minutes before the false alarm was confirmed. The concern here is not only did no one know what to do, but we had friends in their room where the alarm never went off. Strange, but it could be a potential safety hazard. Aside from the compact rooms, the faulty fire alarm, and their featured entertainment venue being unavailable, the lobby was beautiful, and the staff was friendly. I probably would not stay there again as we left feeling like it was not worth the price at all. You are paying for the luxury brand of The Thompson, but are getting a fraction of the experience, and we felt that should be more reflected...

Booked based on location & photos. Location is fantastic. Staff, first rate. Photos were obviously very well angled to make rooms appear larger. Tiniest room EVER. Room for king bed & only a nightstand on one side. Other side was right against a wall so had to slide down the bed to get out. I cannot imagine the size of a double room!?! No mini fridge. No ice machines…had to request a bucket of ice from the front desk & wait for it to be brought to the room. No closet. 4 hangers on an industrial lamp. When garments were hung, they dragged the floor. No iron. There was a steamer. No dresser but two, high awkward shelves wedged in a corner. Lots of unusable space below the shelf that served no purpose. Only place to open luggage was on the bed. No counterspace/vanity. Bathroom was, literally, the size of a typical hotel closet & contained both the toilet & shower (wet room style) with a lightly frosted barn door. Zero sound absorption & zero privacy. When you shower, the entire room, toilet and all, gets wet. Nice rainfall shower head, however, it was “fixed” in one place at an awkward angle so many of the shower holes didn’t even spray water. Only one small bath towel & two washcloths for a king room. No hand towels, even by the sink. No bathmat so you step from the wet shower tile onto the bare concrete floor. All shampoos & soaps, while large sizes & lovely scents, were sitting on the shower floor as there were no shelves or niches. This also meant no place for personal items like razors or facial scrubbers. Not convenient as they took up valuable floor space, nor was it safe. The only good light in the room was the one inside the wet room. Nice for showering but when someone uses the toilet in the night, the entire room lights up. On the final day of our 3 day stay, my husband discovered 3 tiny drawers built into the foot of the bed! Would not hold more than one top or a pair of pants each in the first two….opened the third & it was completely taken up by a room safe. This would have been a nice detail to have pointed out at check in.

Overall feeling is that the design idea was getting as many possible rooms in a space as humanly possible & it is apparent the designers of the rooms NEVER spent a night in one of their own designs. Unfortunate & costly. Next time we will stay at the more affordable Hyatt Place where the surroundings may always be the exact same, we know...