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    Element Austin Downtown

    3.9 (102 reviews)
    Open Open 24 hours

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    Complimentary Breakfast area
    Maryann S.

    I love this place so much.... The representatives at the front desk are so cheerful... the complimentary breakfast was so good. The room is lovely... the location is great... I just love this hotel...

    View from the room!
    Brandie A.

    I didn't know I was checking into a studio with a full kitchen. It was trendy, the staff was friendly and I won 2000 bonus points at check in. So cute, it was hidden in a fortune cookie. I was shocked when the hotel offered complimentary, beer and wine. That's an awesome Happy Hour. They also offered a continental breakfast in the lobby . I will be back again and again. 6 stars.

    Pup approved!
    Eva B.

    Element Austin Downtown is one of the best hotels I've ever been privileged enough to stay at! I have been here for the last three weeks and am having such a wonderful experience! Every staff member I encounter, from the valet to the front desk, to the cleaning staff, is delightful and eager to help! Laura (front desk) is always the highlight of my day! She is AWESOME and has made the hotel feel like a home away from home! Also, my puppy Zoey highly recommends staying here if you have a fur-friend!

    Dirty drain

    Really disappointing. The neighborhood feels unsafe- lots of homeless people wandering around at all hours and sleeping on the benches. The valets were courteous and prompt but the cost is CRAZY! The lobby has a smell of garbage which I suppose comes from the take-out counter. Two hotels are in the same building simultaneously- the Element and the Aloft. The check in counters are on different floors. It's very, very loud- street noise, hall noise. The breakfast was pathetic and they had no tea bags. The room had a full kitchen but hardly equipped to do anything. I don't think they expect it to be used aside from the refrigerator. The curtains were tattered, the sofa was frayed, the kitchen utensils were barely there and there were pieces that were dirty and rusty. Hair in the shower. Need I say more?

    Kitchen

    Let's start with the front desk agent, Ken. SHE is awesome - personable, professional, and welcoming. Promote her or give her a raise, actually both! And now, the hotel itself: This is my third stay here, and it's becoming my permanent home away from home in Austin. The room is spacious, with an invaluable kitchen area. I'm here for SXSW, the property is one block from the chaos that is 6th st at night. All in all, I highly recommend this place.

    In the are where breakfast is served.
    Samantha E.

    Nice and comfortable mid-grade hotel in an excellent location in downtown Austin. It oddly shares a building with the Aloft hotel with the floor dictating which hotel. They have different lobbies as well. The hotel rooms are comfortable with nice beds and bedding. My room came with a mini fridge, sink, microwave, coffee maker and even a few dishes. The toiletries in the shower include body wash and shampoo conditioner combo in a wall unit not in individual several use containers. I always need conditioner so this situation does not really work for me. A complementary breakfast was also served that included breakfast tacos and even a vegetarian variety. Otherwise it was a basic continental breakfast. The hotel also has a small business center with a few computers and several bikes that you can use which are complementary for hotel guests. I enjoyed staying at the Element and would definitely stay again.

    Dirty towels

    Worst experience ever at a hotel. Couldn't get checked in until almost 7pm. The room was dirty. Sticky floor with small paper all over. Their was a lot of trash in the closet with the previous guests name and address, dirty towels in the closet, dirty bedding, and dirty shower (false eyelashes in shower). We had to clean our own room and change our own bedding as they had no housekeeping. They said they would comp one night, then finally agreed to comp 2 of the 3 nights. Still feel that is not enough since we paid $475 a night for a suite. Would not return to this hotel. Overall dirty, poor customer service, and lack of empathy, very expensive parking.

    Terry E.

    Rooms were just great. Very clean. Girl at the front desk was super helpful and pleasant to deal with. There is a mini-fridge, microwave and sink (so kitchenette) in the room. The bathrooms are beautiful. The hotel is half aLoft and half Element. It's interesting, but it works. There is a little bakery type restaurant on the first floor. Then you go to the 3rd floor to check in for the Element. We really liked it. It's not fancy dancy, but it has top notch sparkly clean versions of everything you need. What more do you want? Way to go Element!

    When you book a suite (Element's best room), this is what you get. Welcome to the "suite life". Didn't bother to paint Sheetrock damage.
    Vicki G.

    This may perhaps be the worst hotel experience of my life. The positive reviews from Element were written years ago. It is clear this hotel has taken a turn for the worse. I understand the hospitality and travel industry is still recovering from the pandemic, but this is the 4th hotel I have stayed at in 2021, and it's the only one where I have had a bad experience. First off, I want to say that I felt completely mislead by this hotel. If you are a Marriott member, you will see this hotel is rated as a category 6 hotel. The highest ranking is an 8, and there were no hotels listed above a category 6 when I was booking. The other category 6 hotels Marriott hotels in Austin include the JW Marriott and the W hotel. I have stayed at both and had a great experience, but I really wanted a suite for this weekend and neither hotel had this option available. I noticed Element did and because it was categorically rated just as high, I went ahead & booked. Apparently not all category 6 hotels are created equal. Let's start with the valet "service". It is $49/night (certainly not cheap). No one ever offers to open your car door. There is no bell service, & they don't help you with your bags at all. There are apparently rolling carts available, but no one could find one when we arrived. We had to make multiple car trips to unload. I have a toddler and I'm 6 months pregnant; so my husband was left to this task alone. Not to mention the lobby is located on the third floor--meaning my poor husband had to unload all the stuff multiple times--once in the entry on the 1st floor, once in the lobby on the 3rd floor, and once on the 9th floor where our room was. This is horribly inconvenient for any guest! At the very least they should invest in more carts if the staff can't offer to assist. I had booked our room weeks in advance. I had requested a high floor with a city view, but no one at the front desk seems to review requests. In fact, the front desk is hardly ever open. The front desk opens at 7 AM, and it appears they are closed by noon (although their hours aren't posted). I don't understand how these hours make sense particularly during weekends since that is when you would expect hotels to be their busiest. May God be with you if you call the front desk or valet and expect someone to answer. Apparently the valet line isn't even connected to the valet. What's the point of programming it onto the phone then?!? Now let's get to the "suite" I booked. I have never seen one in a more horrendous condition. It appears our room had Sheetrock damage, and no one has bothered painting over it to match the original color. The city view, high floor suite I had booked landed us on the 9th floor in a hotel with over 30 floors, and we were left with a view staring into another building. When I went back to the lobby to see if they could give me another suite that met my requests, they said they didn't have another suite available for the weekend. They offered to put me in a room with the view I requested, but said they "wouldn't be able to refund (me) the difference for the suite". WHAT?!?! I had to pretend they never said that in order to avoid getting verbally aggressive, but they were really asking for it. I am Marriott Platinum member and have never been treated worse by Marriott staff. In fact, Marriott hotels I have stayed at usually go above and beyond for their Elite members. Not here! Besides all the scratches and messed up attempts to correct wall damage, the carpet had stains that no one has bothered to clean. When I tried to move a nightstand over to get to a back plug, I felt grossed out by sticky, dirty residue. I thought with a pandemic, hotels would make an extra effort to clean--not here! The vents in the rooms are horrible. You can smell everything from the other rooms. Again this is a pandemic we are dealing with; so it's time to upgrade the ventilation. From the photos on Yelp, it appears this hotel used to employ cooks to make a fresh continental breakfast. Not anymore. You're not getting breakfast tacos, fresh juice, an oatmeal bar, a yogurt bar, or fancy pastries anymore. You can expect for there to be Jimmy Dean ham and cheese sandwiches, rock hard kolaches with freezer burn, instant oatmeal containers, cold packaged muffins, and milk containers that are one day from their expiration. Upon check out, no one asked me how my experience was. I really wanted to give them a piece of my mind. It seems they already expect you to have a horrendous experience so they don't even bother to ask. I overheard the person ahead of me at checkout report that their sink was falling off. Did they offer any apology? Nope! I'm surprised this hotel hasn't been shutdown or fallen bankrupt yet, but Marriott if you're reading this, you really need to demote the Element's categorical rank. If you have read this review, and still decide to stay here, good luck! It's your funeral.

    Grab -n- Go area next to check-in
    Angela E.

    Beautiful downtown location! Conveniently located next to the historic Driskel hotel which is a fantastic place to stop for a drink. It's also about 2-3 blocks from the capital. The Element has a very cool vibe with a hipster "rooftop" bar that was very relaxing serving craft cocktails. I say "rooftop" because it's on the 3rd floor and off to one side of the building. The bar had many options to sit and was open to the outdoors, so if it rains- there's no place to go! I enjoyed the complimentary breakfast which had a little something for everyone. My only complaint was the cheap scratchy sheets which i resolved by moving the comforter under the top sheet. I'd definitely stay here again.

    Damage to front left body working typical of parking and hitting something while turning
    Steven L.

    The hotel is very nice and up to Marriott Bonvoy usual standards. The valet parking by Flash Valet is reckless though and ruined our stay on 06/11 by damaging our new luxury car and the valet parking attendant not reporting the damaged they caused when the vehicle was in their care. I hate trusting valet parking at hotels and this incident reaffirmed by lack of trust. The $52 daily valet fee was somewhat higher than I have paid in the past. I tipped generously hoping this would help the attendants exercise care. The valet last evening that took our vehicle seemed very harried and scrambling more than the others we had at Element Austin so we think he was involved. We will see how the hotel and Flash Parking treat this damage

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    Ask the Community - Element Austin Downtown

    Review Highlights - Element Austin Downtown

    Caroline's Restaurant is attached to the hotel and I had the Salt and Pepper Salmon with cauliflower rice.

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    Loren Hotels - Inside room

    Loren Hotels

    (32 reviews)

    Bouldin Creek, 78704 (South Austin)

    We stayed at The Loren Hotel for a night and had a wonderful overall experience. The rooms are…read morespacious, beautifully decorated, and feel very luxurious--perfect for a relaxing stay. We also dined at Nido, the hotel's restaurant, for both dinner and breakfast, and it was definitely a highlight. Located on the topmost floor, Nido offers stunning views of the river and downtown Austin. With both indoor and outdoor seating, the ambiance is elegant and ideal for a special evening. During our visit, we saw a couple of groups celebrating birthdays and wedding anniversaries, which shows how perfect this place is for special occasions. The pricing is on the higher side, but it matches the upscale experience and beautiful setting. For dinner, we ordered the Burrata as an appetizer and the Autumn Garden for the main course, along with an American IPA and a Jack Frost cocktail. Everything was delicious, but the Burrata truly stood out as my favorite. Breakfast was equally enjoyable--we had custom-made omelettes with veggies and avocado toast, both fresh and flavorful. Overall, The Loren Hotel, along with Nido, offers a great blend of comfort, excellent food, and a beautiful atmosphere. A perfect choice if you're looking to celebrate something special or simply treat yourself to a high-end experience.

    We looked forward for months to our event at the Loren Hotel. What's better than a family wedding…read morewhen you haven't seen your family in a few years? We stayed for two nights. The Friday night gathering was amazing. It was a perfect setting on the eight floor to talk, mingle, and meet new people. The evening was warm enough to go outside on the balcony/deck and have conversations and enjoy a breeze. The room itself is large with a water station and a bar. A few short tables were set up for sitting and a few tall ones for standing. They had a nice selection of drinks from beer and wine to mixed drinks. The food included lobster rolls, sliders (chicken and beef), a tray of different veggies and dips, little balls of cheese and something, and aroncini? My favorite was canapés of Mellon and prosciutto. The saltiness of the prosciutto added to the flavor of the melon. This event was 5***** I blame the architect for the room setup. Why would you put bedrooms on the side of a hotel next to traffic. The noise, honking and sirens. It finally quieted down around 11:30. Saturday was also an issue. They do provide ear plugs and sound machines, neither works for me. I was also surprised there was no lotion in the room. There was no microwave. Everything else in the room was top notch. Robes, slippers, a safe, a bar, and fridge. Overall, the noise is what created the 3*** rating. That was very disappointing.

    JW Marriott Austin - Exterior

    JW Marriott Austin

    (653 reviews)

    $$$

    Downtown

    I stayed here for three nights while attending a work conference in the hotel and had an excellent…read morestay. The hospitality was unmatched and the rooms were spacious and modern. While I mostly kept to the hotel, when I did venture out, I found that there were lots of great dining options within walking distance. My only nitpick is that the Wi-Fi was unreliable, which I've seen mentioned in a few other reviews. My first night, there was an outage throughout the entire hotel. If this stay were not reimbursed, I would have removed a star considering rooms average $500 a night and reliable internet access is expected. However, I was given 2,500 bonus points after calling the front desk when I first noticed I didn't have service. Completely unexpected but very much appreciated and yet another testament to the great service here.

    Recently my BFF attended a work conference at the JW Marriott and I tagged along for a little…read morevacation in Austin. I absolutely loved this hotel! The bed was super comfortable, the location was exceptional and walkable to everywhere I wanted to go while my friend was working. The staff members were super nice and I really enjoyed the flavored waters in the lobby and that the reception desk gave us bottles of water when we checked in. I so wish I'd taken a picture of the shower! The shower was luxurious and I started each day feeling like I was showing in a spa. I definitely will stay here again next time I am in Austin!

    Colton House

    Colton House

    (43 reviews)

    78704 (South Austin)

    This is a great hotel. We were there because a family member had a procedure at St David's. It was…read morea breath of fresh air to walk in the lobby and then our room. It was clean and had everything we needed. We had a two bedroom. They were set up on opposite sides of living area with separate bathrooms too. I appreciate the large kitchen Island and then we had a table that was very large too. It faces the TV so I could eat and watch TV. The bed was comfortable. The pillows too hard for me. The shower was a AMAZING! It was large. They had a washer /dryer but without detergent. There was a nice bar and a great workout room. They have a separate yoga studio and do workshops there. You can become a member. The cleaning women were also spectacular. They were nice and friendly and grateful for a tip. They were learning English and thrilled I was helping them. There is no doubt that I would stay again if in area. It was in a convenient location.

    We chose this hotel to stay close but not too close to the hubbub of Austin sights and sounds. Upon…read morewalking to our room into the main hallway, there is a lingering musty smell that lingers. We had a clean and tidy suite on the first level. Two queen beds were comfy and plenty of towels. Our first night's stay was decent. I noticed the shower gel holder was falling out of the wall. A precarious situation of having to carefully pull the mechanism to dispense without pulling too hard. I did notify the night staff but the next day, it didn't seem like anyone came to fix it. No extra body wash or soap was provided even when I asked for some. The wall with the en-suite appliances was not usable. The plugs weren't working so we couldn't toast anything, use the kettle, or the coffee machine. The fridge and microwave were working ok though. The rod for one of the curtains fell off while opening them. Because it's floor to ceiling we just left it alone. The common spaces are well decorated, from the Library, Executive board room, kids corner, gym/yoga studio, and outdoor lounge space. Although the snack/tea/coffee spot with Keurig isn't filled often. We had to ask for the night staff to refill the water for tea. On our second to last day, I found the hot water and still water station downstairs at Simona's. Pros: Clean, comfy, affordable stay. Enjoyed the bottomless coffee and their signature breakfast at Tiffany's latte. Also appreciated them letting us do late checkout and upgrade our room. Cons: Complimentary water station, Keurig / snack station, maintenance of amenities could be better handled. Warning: If booking from 3rd party (BILT, Capital One Portal...) added parking is not the same price that's on Colton's House's website. It's actually $40/day (with in/out priceless). However if booking directly through Colton House, parking is 50% off for $20. Would we stay here again in the future? Most likely not. For an SLH property, we may look for another well-maintained option in the future.

    The Driskill - Guest Room

    The Driskill

    (682 reviews)

    $$$

    Downtown

    I make it a point to stop in The Driskill during the Christmas season and as always, it never…read moredisappoints. The Christmas tree in the lobby area is spectacular! And this year my friends and I had the pleasure of meeting their lovely and very attentive doorman, Nelson. He was the perfect extra touch!

    The rumors are true, the Driskill is haunted. It is haunted by inept and uncaring staff that has…read morelittle or no interest in making your stay enjoyable. our experience started at check in. we had prepaid for a double queen room thru Amex travel for my son and I who were in town for his birthday. Upon arrival we were informed that our room was not only not ready, but they were "sold out" of double queens. Imagine my confusion as at had not reserved this room, I PREPAID for it. We were offered a King room with a fold out and a $75 credit at the bar which I begrudgingly accepted. So off to the bar we went. As we attempted to close out at the bar we were informed that we could not use the credit offered because our room had not been entered into the system. Credit was useless, I paid the tab and went to dinner. Came back 2 hours later, room still not ready. It is now 4 hours past check in time. I ask for a manager and at this point getting upset. Manager appears and threatens to throw me out. At this point I give up, go to the room that I don't want and call Amex to deal with the issue. I have stayed at the Driskill well over a dozen times thru out the years and I am really disappointed that this experience has ruined all of the good memories. Sadly it will be my last stay. I've had better treatment at a Super 8. Hyatt has really ruined a true Texas landmark with this sloppy management and poor customer service.

    Element Austin Downtown - hotels - Updated May 2026

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