19 Best Hotels in Austin

"Hip hotelier Liz Lambert redesigned this Austin icon into exactly the kind of stripped down spot all the cool kids love. Rooms have been updated but are original to the hotel (apparently they didn't need closets in the '30s), and the decor is funky and playful: red, tufted-vinyl platforms, custom Voutsa wallpaper in a pattern of lips, old-school push-button phones. On warm days, the massive kidney-shaped pool is filled with guests, almost all with a cocktail or Austin Motel koozie in-hand. Its proximity to bustling South Congress is ideal for some travelers, but know that this is a true motel (not hotel) experience." - Mandy Ellis, Allison Bagley