No doubt, Austin, the wildly liberal, music-loving, infinitely trending, fabulously faddish capital city of Texas, quickens the heart. It’s an unpretentious cool kid’s fantasy land of fun, a less quintessential slice of Texas with just enough cowboy chic to feel western. Its big university and throngs of tech folk ensure everybody’s smart. And it attracts the best chefs and bartenders who fit right into its artsy milieu.
On a river, edged by a top American wine region and surrounded by hillocks, it isn’t a tumbleweed wasteland—more a vivacious rendition of bold Texan charisma all abuzz. For those venturing to the annual Austin City Limits Music Festival in October, one of the city’s top draws for world travelers, look no further than Fairmont Austin for your home base.
Sure, you could check into a quieter, more intimate hotel, but I submit that this landmark hotspot encapsulates ATX’s vibe like no other. It’s the sort of place you enter, unable to stifle your satisfied moan of instant delight. Perhaps it’s the airiness, the art, the very hugeness of the place. Maybe it’s how it’s ever populated by kinetic crowds, animated, perky people purposefully enveloped in conversations—the sort you want to overhear.
Rising 37 stories, sleekly contemporary, the hotel boasts 1,048 lavishly appointed rooms and suites, has six restaurants, meeting rooms galore, a seventh-floor rooftop pool and it vaunts a canopied walkway to the highly touted Austin Convention Center. Eye-popping and capacious, it emanates a vibe so festive, you’ll see it as an urban resort, not a city hotel at all. Just to enter electrifies and elevates the spirit. That’s so Austin.
Stay
‘Spacious,’ as a word, doesn’t do this hotel justice. But, imagine this: Fairmont Austin soars 590 ft toward the sky and occupies a mind-boggling 1.4m square feet. It reigns as the largest hotel in Austin and the country’s biggest Fairmont. And yet, expect an array of intimate spaces and nooks, cleverly carved out to allow for more diminutive experiences.
Though its party spirit roars, the hotel also manages to have hotel-within-the-hotel options and experiences. For example, the Fairmont Gold Lounge, which proffers private check-in and check-out concierge services, as well as a variety of snacks, drinks and meal offerings from breakfast to evening dessert. Guest rooms and suites on four floors, 32-35, have access. Brandishing splendid city views from panoramic windows—as do all the hotel’s 1,048 rooms and suites, the lounge is ideal for work or play.
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Elegant penthouse-style decor and innovative art ensure no aspect of the hotel feels corporate. For a coveted stay, take over one of two Presidential Suites. Each suite stretches 1,640 sq ft, incorporating peerless amenities such as a large wet bar with a separate refrigerator and microwave; two luxurious baths; living room with dining table; and a private fitness space, replete with a peloton bike, weights, elastic bands and TV.
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Dine
Not surprisingly, this hotel has the capacity to house six restaurants and bars, each distinctive. Again, city hotels rarely present such a trove for guests—there’s enough variety here to warrant a month-long stay. With a AAA Four Diamond rating, chef-driven Garrison fulfills cravings for Texan-style campfire fare with ranch-raised beef and Gulf seafood gastronomically cooked over a post oak live fire. All very elevated, of course, and fancy enough for a hot date.
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Revue has been rated as a top Italian restaurant in the nation and Fulton, complete with a tree, summons lazy picnics on the range. But, my most cherished venue, Room 725, shows how Fairmont Austin can do jewel box as well as large scale. Behind a curtain, with secret club, speakeasy undertones and the sort of magic carpet-ride fantastical elements that feel like you’ve passed through a time machine (think a crystalline piano that can play itself, regal golden trays and bowls, and a swirly marble bar), it serves the best champagne, not to mention caviar and pre-embargo Cuban cigars.
I sipped from a flight of three favorite tipples. Called the High End it included coupes of Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque 2012, Armand de Brignac Gold Brut NV and Krug Grande Cuvée, Brut NV. While howling with joy, I nibbled caviar galore (Kaluga, Osetra), tuna carpaccio and double-baked fingerling potatoes, topped with crème fraîche, chives and golden Kaluga caviar. Other onsite eateries and drink establishments include Good Things for coffee and Rules & Regs for a sports bar-ish vibe.
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Relax
The hotel’s most tranquil destination Fairmont Spa Austin bases its soulfulness on crystal healing, imbuing gravitas via an anchoring, glimmering crystal chandelier. Make an intention and choose a stone as you enter the realm of restoration. Built to feel like it floats amid the clouds in the sky, the airy spa has two VIP couples’ suites and curative snugs such as a eucalyptus steam grotto, a sauna, nail salon and nine treatment rooms.
With many more couples’ treatment options than most spas (nine!), the Fairmont Spa offers everything from facials to massages. Don’t miss a swim and cabana time at the happening rooftop pool, where views of the city are as potent as the drinks. A huge fitness room ensures all your sins are forgiven.
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Sustainability
Frankly amazing for such a large hotel, Fairmont Austin has been recognized by Green Key Global as a leader in corporate social responsibility and environmental management. The hotel also has joined the UN Global Tourism Plastics Initiative to remove all single-use plastic items from the guest experience.
Explore
Music festivals aside, you’ll find at least 250 live music venues around town, but the city offers a plethora of things to do besides grooving to tunes. Just a stone’s throw from the hotel, Rainey Street beckons. Brimming with unique bungalow bars, restaurants and food trucks, it’s one of the city’s pride and joys.
Lady Bird Lake, also steps from the hotel, features a ten-mile hike and bike trail for workouts and wildlife spotting. Barton Springs Pool, a historic, immensely long, natural springs pool welcomes swimmers to its perennial 68-degree water year-round. And SoCO (South Congress), a neighborhood and entertainment district just south of the bridge from downtown tempts with a bevy of shops, boutiques, galleries and restaurants. (Tip: Want to bring home those souvenir cowboy boots? Allens Boots is a classic. )
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