Austin Proper Hotel

Austin Proper Hotel

On the fifth floor of Austin Proper Hotel, the rooftop pool deck pours small-batch tequilas as the sun drops over downtown's Second Street District, the signature evening here rather than a footnote. The 244-room, 32-storey tower sits an easy walk from Lady Bird Lake, ACL Live and Austin's best shopping, with the Austin Central Library and Shoal Beach close enough for a stroll after check-in. Kelly Wearstler designed the interiors and McGuire Moorman Lambert Hospitality runs the kitchens, so the five food and drink venues, The Peacock, La Piscina, Goldie's, The Quill Room and Kappo Kappo, read less like hotel outlets and more like a proper night out that happens to have rooms attached, a spread of design and dining few Austin hotels can match under one roof. Rooms carry private bathrooms, in-room safes, mini bars and blackout blinds, and the desk staff work in English, Spanish, Italian and German. There is a 24-hour fitness center, Verbena Spa, and over 9,500 square feet of meeting and event space for anyone folding work into the trip. Pets are welcome for a flat $100 per stay. None of this suits someone chasing quiet: this is a downtown hotel built around its bars and pool deck, not an escape from the city, and the $200 nightly damage deposit taken at check-in is worth knowing before booking. For a traveller who wants design, a serious drinks list and the Second Street District at the doorstep, that trade is the whole point. Austin Proper's fifth-floor pool deck and five Kelly Wearstler-designed dining rooms are the draw, a short walk from Lady Bird Lake and ACL Live. It suits travellers who want design and a real drinks scene, not those seeking quiet, and pets travel for a flat $100 fee.