Arriving at the hotel it was nice to have valet take care of the car while my girlfriend and I walked in to admire the beauty of the hotel. At check-in the staff are generally nice, but it felt a bit "up-tight" or should I say pressured instead of genuine. Staying at such a nice hotel we decided to stay in one of their more economical rooms so the following would only apply to those rooms as I bet the more expensive rooms are posh. My room was nice with a mini-bar and basic amenities that you would expect. The bathroom was small but manageable. While taking a shower water accumulated in the tub. Even with every manipulation of the drain water would only drain down ever so slowly. This wasn't an issue to me, but I thought it would be something to note. Another thing is turn-down service was requested in person at the front desk, but never delivered by housekeeping staff. Upon check-out I told them about it since it wasn't a big deal to me and they did apologize and I feel they will get it right next time I visit. A nice note to our stay was that the valet staff were really nice and professional helping my girlfriend into the car by opening the door when I forgot to being preoccupied with loading stuff into my trunk. Valet staff also addressed me by last name instead of "Sir" which I personally think is better because I believe its more personable and genuine. As far as the mini-bar prices I would drink elsewhere first before returning to the hotel. The hotel rooms are reasonably priced. The valet is pricey, but with in-out privileges the staff professionalism and convenience I would say take the $38/overnight charge as it makes your stay that much nicer. TL;DR a nice hotel to stay in with all the amenities albeit the room was a bit small. read more

The Driskill is a fantastic hotel. When we arrived there was a bevy of Christmas carolers, and later there was a harpist playing music for high tea. My room wasn't super big, but it was posh for the price (about $150 a night). I thought the ultra high ceiling was fun, and the desserts and breakfast at the cafe were both delicious. The chocolate cake could have used slightly more ice cream though. The Driskill was the highlight of my trip to Austin; I was very underwhelmed by the city in general. The Yelpers who are claiming that there is "spooky music" playing in their rooms when they arrive, apparently haven't heard classical music very many times in their lives. It is playing very softly though, so it might be possible to not notice it at first. We were told that there would be complementary coffee and snacks, but we never saw it there during the morning, so I have no idea when (if) they put it out. The free wi-fi was a nice touch. Too often nice hotels make you pay for wi-fi, whereas it seems like those should be the ones offering it for free since it is a resource that most customers require. read more

Location: 5/5 - The location couldn't be better on 6th & Brazos Streets. Room: 3/5 - The common area was very nice, but the room was old & uncomforbable. I much prefer newer & more comfortable furnishings in the rooms. Service: 4/5 Ambiance: 5/5 read more

The Driskill Bar is where my wife and I had our first date, so we naturally stayed here the night we got married. We rolled up, got our car valeted, walked straight up to our room and had an extremely pleasant evening. One missing piece of information upon checkin is the cost of the valet service and parking. It wasn't horrible ($38 overnight), but it wasn't very well communicated. We stayed in one of the vintage standard rooms. It had high molded ceilings, comfortable linens, updated hardware in the bathroom and plenty of space to move around. The Driskill cafe downstairs has amazing food and, as I mentioned the bar is one of our favorites in town. We'll stay at the Driskill again for another special occasion. read more

# To the Budget Traveler: Visit this historic landmark not just because it is beautiful, but because it is FREE. The Driskill is quite magnificent inside and out. The architecture and design have an air of the early 20th century. Even if you just walk in to go to the bathroom (which is why I was there), it is worth the visit. It is considered a historic museum as it is over 125 years old. I only wish there was someone there giving tours or available for questions. Apparently President Johnson had used this hotel quiet often. read more

The Driskill is a great place for a date with your honey, and it is also a great place to stop and grab a drink before a dinner date or night out. The building itself is charming and you feel transported to a foregone era as soon as you enter. The hospitality of the staff also reminds you of another time. There is frequently live music at happy hour. The atmosphere is low key and romantic and the huge leather chairs are super comfortable. The cafe in the lobby has some delicious desserts and friendly staff to welcome you and make suggestions if you like. read more

What can I say? Besides a beautiful, majestic hotel with so much history nestled right on 6th street. Valet, check in, security, house keeping, and bar staff are exceptionally friendly and courteous to the guests. It's my first time to stay here but not my last! Dewayne (black security guy) was really nice in finding my girlfriend's credit card when she left it in the 1886 bakery. Which by the way is really good for desserts and lattes, etc. Rooms are nicely decorated and AC runs really cold. King size bed is extremely comfortable and the sheets are warm but not hot. Towels are super soft and they also have house robes in the closet. I am from Houston, but I have made the Driskill my hotel choice for Austin. Overall you cannot go wrong with the historic and wonderful Driskill hotel!!! read more

The Driskill - From the bed - Hotels Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I was fortunate enough to spend one night here with my wife. This hotel is beautiful and in a central part of town. I may be biased, but I love these older, grandiose hotels. The staff here was wonderful and the rooms, although smallish, are well appointed. We were there during the holidays and they had a large tree that was decorated in style adorning the lobby. There is a good sized lounge area with live music. The little cafe is a great spot for breakfast read more

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I recently stayed at the Driskill for my cousin's wedding. Our room was nice it had sort of had a boutique feel, but the bathroom was the size of a shoe box! For such an upscale, expensive hotel - you would think you would have a nice lavish bathroom! And sharing it with your mother and brother was not the most fun thing to do!...Also the elevators looked like the elevators from the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland and were soooooooo slow! Also, the Driskall had sort of a funky smell to it...I think it was from the heat, humidity, and the air conditioning..But a lot of places I went to in Texas, sort of had that smell of funk! I'm not from Texas, but all of my family that is from Texas loves this place. It is a very nice historic hotel, but some of the cowboy decorations throughout the hallways is a little much. I guess you have to be from Texas to appreciate it.... My brother, cousins, and I spent a lot of time in the bar area. The bar was great, from what I can remember! ha ha..It sort of reminded me of the old country club where my grandparents belonged - sort of dark, green carpet, yet cozy....There was also a very good restaurant / bakery on the lower level that had great hamburgers. My cousin's reception was beautiful. The mezzanine where it was held was very lavish and large. I think it filled about four or five large areas. It was one of the nicest weddings that I have been to. If I have to go to Texas again, I would not mind staying here again, mainly because of the location and because the Driskall is an interesting place to stay.. read more

I have been putting off writing this review because I have been trying to forget about what we experienced while we were here (June 10th right after the ROT bike rally). First impression was that it was a really nice place. I wanted to stay somewhere special (It was my 50th birthday). It did seem lovely ONLINE. The bar area kind of had that Vegas hotel feel to it though. We stayed in the Yellow Rose suite (I think that was the name of it). It's large but it's really nothing spectacular. Nice tall ceilings which gave it a very grand feel but the furniture was so uncomfortable so I ended up just hanging out in bed. I wish I would have just gotten a regular room instead of paying that price if I was just going to be in bed anyway. Now for the one star rating instead of a 3 star. My husband woke up the next morning with bug bites all over his body. I had a couple but his reaction to them were pretty bad. I have never seen a bed bug in my life so I figured I would call management and have them come up and take a look. I went to take a shower real quick so I could get out of my pajamas before they arrived and as I pulled back the shower curtain there were 2 cockroaches in the tub. I was so disgusted. I immediately called management. They sent up a janitor of some sort who did not speak english. When he called down to tell management what was in our shower in spanish he said cuckarocha. I showed him the bites and at that point he left because we couldn't communicate and didn't come back for a long time. I had to call down again to see what was taking so long and they finally sent management up. They were suggesting that my husband had possibly gotten bitten up by ants (ridiculous) in the middle of the night. She said they would have to basically rip apart the room after we left to see if they could find anything and that they would call to tell me if they found anything. She seemed so sweet and I was hoping that I would get an honest answer when she called. She said that they did not find anything and that the bugs in shower were silverfish. That I knew was dishonest. I heard what the janitor said over the radio. They did comp the room but honestly I would have rather just paid the $400 bucks. They said they take "bugs" very seriously and I do believe that. At one point there were 3 people in our room talking to us. I was so worried thinking about the fact that I might take these critters home with us in our luggage or on our clothes as we finished our trip around texas. I was hoping that we weren't spreading these things around. When we got home I had to put everything in plastic bags and wash and dry all of my clothes on the sanitize cycle (read online that dry cleaning does not kill them) and then put everything in the dryer on super high heat. I ruined a ton of clothes. I still have shoes and luggage in our yard that I haven't brought back in to my house yet. Haven't decided if we should just toss them. I have never had to deal with this before so it was a little nerve wracking trying to figure it all out. Kind of consumed the rest of my trip. Save yourself the headache and stay somewhere else. If you must stay in this area of town there are several nicer choices within a block. I would have stayed in a completely different area of town though had I known. They don't call it dirty 6th for nothing. Streets were just filthy and so many homeless people. At one point we had a homeless man violently yelling at us, cussing us out etc because we didn't want to buy his guitar. He continued yelling at us even though we had crossed the intersection. I am from Los Angeles so I am not new to encountering the homeless but wow this was really on another level. I am just glad to get this review over with. Hopefully it will help other people make an informed decision when planning their trip to Austin. Almost forgot to mention their beautiful art collection. It was truly enjoyable. So maybe at least go in to see that. read more

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The only hotel I stay when I want to visit downtown Austin. Romantic lovely hotel with a great bar upstairs. You know your in texas when you visit this historical hotel! Hotel is walking distance from 6th street which has lively action for the young at heart. Valet is a little pricey but worth it. read more

The Driskill - Hotels Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Beautiful historic Austin hotel. Hotel staff was friendly and responsive mostly. My husband forgot his cell phone in the room when we checked out. We called from the airport and they found the phone. They promised to ship it that same day but in fact it was two more days before it was shipped from the hotel. The bar was very comfortable and the live music was great. On all three visits to the hotel bar, the staff was friendly but slow to serve even when business was slow read more

Perfect location to stay downtown. Hotel is very clean and well maintained. Staff was friendly and work hard to please their guests. Very nice piece of history worth visiting. Would be a 5, but prices are very expensive for what you get and that goes for all the downtown hotels. Austin lodging downtown is very overpriced in general compared to other cities. read more

The Driskill - Dog friendly! - Hotels Near Me - Austin, Texas

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If you are looking for exceptional place to stay in Austin, this is it. The staff is veey friendly & superbly trained. The rooms are gorgeous. The hotel beautifully historic, well kept & clean. The cafe serves some of the best omlets I've ever had. It is close to everything downtown. I am used to fine hotels. This is one of the finest I found in Texas. read more

The Driskill - Hotels Near Me - Austin, Texas

This is a historic and charming hotel full of old world ambience and feel. Came here one Christmas night and really enjoyed our time in the bar, very cosy and comfortable. Good food and drinks. Thought we would try again some months later and what a disappointment. Thought we came to the "bizarro" Driskill. Same bar but sub par service, cold food and uninspired customer service. Our room was nicely decorated but a continually clunking overhead fan and sciatica inducing bed and mattress were unnecessary in a hotel of this standing. Cafe 1886 was an absolute joke for breakfast, sending back bacon and eggs twice due to petrified meat and ice cold eggs. Staff were asleep and lacked human skills. Being gluttons for punishment and always trying to see the bright side, we thought coffee and cake would be worth another try at 1886. Big mistake, cold dishwater coffee and "we have run out of cakes" was our greeting. Way to ruin the day and the F&B Director who was all about hospitality politics seemed disinterested and not surprised. The history and grandeur of the place deserves better than this! read more

Absolute unprofessional person at the counter named Richard. I asked him about validation of parking tickets due to an event that I was there for and told on the way in I needed to be stamped/validated. He Basically told me to "forget it" . Never will support bad manners. Thank you "Jill W." for responding . I called the hotel to thank you personally and offer to remove my review yet they said they could not locate a Jill W. I was there the following morning for breakfast and had zero issue. Same thing was told to me when parking valet and then of coarse it worked perfectly . read more

Granted old hotels aren't really my thing- I'd prefer modern any day. Historic is my husband's thing so I've stayed in quite a few all over the country. The Driskill is nice but I wouldn't call it luxurious (not sure why/how people refer to it as "spoiling yourself") unless they are referring to the price. Driskill isn't overly expensive (see caveats below) but you are definitely paying for the cost to keep up an old hotel/being right downtown. But if you LOVE the history of it all, there is nothing wrong with the Driskill, ignore this review and enjoy your stay. Pros: bed/pillows were super comfy and the room was smallish but clean (minus the smell-see below). You didn't get the grungy feel you get in some historical hotels (e.g McMinnamins). Also the bakery downstairs had amazing almond pastries. Cons: 1) No spoiling yourself- there is no spa (they will arrange for In room massages but have no price lists/bios), no pool, our room had a small tub but nothing you could soak in, the shower head was motel 6 style (no rain shower or ??)-basically nothing luxurious but the bed. 2) The room also had a distinct musty odor which was "addressed" by leaving an electronic air filter in our room. The "city view" was of a construction site (something we weren't warned of before booking) and you had to walk up the stairs through the bar to get to the elevator which was weird. 3) The place had lots of old charm but nothing overly charming. Lots of places have a cocktail service in the lobby or fresh baked cookies at night, the Driskill lacked anything to encourage you to stay at the hotel after you left your room. Maybe an acknowledgement that there is so much else to do downtown? I don't know but I thought it was odd. 4). Room service menu was limited. 5). While the room wasn't overly pricy, everything else was extra. I was also a little annoyed at the price for parking (38/night on weeknights w/out in and out) and the bar- (it was 30 bucks for two basic bar drinks--whiskey on the rocks & vodka cranberry). read more

We did not stay in this hotel, but we visited the Bar/Grill, as well as had breakfast at the 1886 Cafe. Wow, incredible hotel/lots of history/beautiful/friendly staff - fun and unique place to visit for sure on your stay in Austin. It is also located right on 6th, so you can visit and then get onto that crazy Bourbon/New Orleans type street and party into the night. We are definitely going to stay at the Driskill next time we are in town. The lobby and seating area on the first floor are incredible and we had the best breakfast I have EVER had in my life at the 1886 cafe - it was worth the 45 minute wait. BEST bloody mary as well! We stayed at the Inter-Continental down the street and that was a HUGE disappointment! Never again. read more

PROS: Fantastic location! (Great little market around the corner.) Free (albeit slow) car service to local places, like Barton Springs. The hotel is apparently haunted and we had a fun time making jokes about how creepy it *wasn't* ... it's totally fine! CONS: The bathroom was teeny tiny in our room on the original wing. Maybe we should have been asked to move to a different room, but it was about the size of the bathroom on a Boeing 747. Service - primarily the front desk and concierge staff - was unimpressive, informal and ambivalent, especially for a hotel as traditional as the Driskill. Free wifi was spotty. read more

we have been wanting to stay at this hotel since i first saw it during the 2008 SXSW festival and what better time to stay in the 'most haunted place in Austin' than for my husband's 30th birthday which is on Halloween. a couple of days before Halloween we took the 'Austin Ghost Tour' and the Driskill was one of the stops. we were told of a child falling down the stairs to her death. we were also asked to take lots of pictures because sometimes spirits will show up as 'orbs' on photos. and i did indeed get quite a few 'orb' photos during the ghost tour and our stay at the Driskill. on the day we arrived everything went smoothly except we took the wrong elevator to our floor. i guess they told us which one to take but we just took the one closest to us. we ended up walking around on the 4th floor (the most haunted floor) and enjoying the tour of the hotel and we checked out the paintings and displays on the 4th floor. we eventually found the right elevator. we got ready for the zombieball and headed down to the bar for happy hour. there were specials on apps, vodka drinks and draft beers. i unfortunately spilled my white russian right in front of the waitress and she brought me a new one, and when we got the bill i saw that we were charged for that spilled drink. bummer, i thought a place like this could afford to forgive my mistake. the only food i tried were fries and they were great. i will have to agree with Mariah about the ample 'get ready' space because we had 4 people getting ready at the same time and it worked out just fine. there were 2 sinks and at least 4 mirrors in our room. the towels were very much on the scratchy side and there were pillows everywhere! i tripped over some in the morning because i forgot i threw them all on the floor. overall, very cool experience. this is not somewhere i would be able to stay at often because it is obviously very expensive however i am glad i got to stay here at least once. read more

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Please, do not think it had anything to do with staff. Everyone I met was nothing but a pleasure to deal with. I just got the worse luck with my room at this hotel. It was more of a case of bad timing and bad placement. I picked a week before the SXSW to visit Austin. Weather was amazing and I was really excited about my stay and first visit to TX. Upon arrival I sensed that the hotel was extremely busy as I saw what seemed to be a million different functions happening all at once. We grabbed a cold beverage at the lobby bar (coolest bar decor) and checked in into our $499 per night room and thats when my jaw dropped. Unfortunately NOT from excitement but from disappointment in the room. Not going into much detail lets just say it was like asking $100.000 for a 1989 honda civic with a huge wing on the trunk. We requested to be moved but the hotel was extremely busy. Good problem to have, I guess. We were finally moved on our last night here. Hotel has a million pluses and is an amazing property. However, I just got unlucky with the room, thats all. That was a major bummer but Ill get over it :) Hopefully you will have better luck than I did here! read more

Lovely hotel. We stayed here during SXSW - even though Austin was loud and crazy, our room was blissfully quiet. This hotel is a gem and you can't beat it's location in the heart of the city. Service was fantastic. Thank you to the Driskill team for a wonderful trip. read more

The Driskill - Gorgeous room - Hotels Near Me - Austin, Texas

This is not the hotel it used to be. There's no room service and no valet parking, or even self parking! The rooms are still very expensive but not worth the price. I don't want to see an historic hotel go away, but they need to step it up!!! I have been a regular customer it will not be staying here again! read more

I cannot recommend this hotel enough. My boyfriend and I had planned to stay one night for Valentine's Day and got snowed in until Friday, February 19th. The staff were so welcoming and friendly the entire time, while they too were living at the hotel as well. They were able to feed us when food was low and always provide smiles - two employees stood out so much, a young brunette named Erin, who was working every counter available it seems, and an elder gentlemen named Robert, who helped us into our room each time we extended our stay and provided funny antidotes each time we saw him. We definitely plan to stay again, and hope to see these two and all the others that helped us through the week we stayed. read more

Had a lovely time at the bar on a rainy day. Such a cool place to have drinks. The popcorn is interesting and different. The decor is fantastic, and the staff was delightful. A+ for the bar. We didn't stay here or eat but our experience was great. read more

I did not stay here but I did walk around to explore the history because it is open to the public. The rooms and decor are grand and beautiful and the history is interesting. It is extremely old so it was cool to think about all of the interesting things that have happened here. We went to investigate some of the ghost legends of the hotel and that kept us entertained for about 1/2 an hour. My boyfriend got some ice cream from the cafe in the lobby and was not impressed but their cakes looked delicious. Don't make a special trip but if you're on 6th St check it out. read more

A unique city deserves a unique hotel and The Driskill fits the bill impeccably. Comfortable rooms, friendly and capable employees and a "in the thick of things" location make this a gem among Austin lodges! read more

What a hotel. Very pricey but I feel it may actually be worth it. Location is prime and the ambiance is so classic. It hosts the Austin Film Fest which is why I spent a week there loving every second. read more

Visiting Austin we had to stop and see this historic hotel. Saw the western theme bar lounge with the beautiful grand piano. The bathrooms there are a treat, too. Check them out. The room floors have artwork on all the walls, so we took the old elevators up to several floors. The ballroom was nice, as well as the reception area opening to French doors and balconies. Had a very nice lunch in the cafe where there is also a dessert room. Stop in on your next visit. read more

Found a needle with blood and what I can only assume to be heroin. Hotel gave us enough points to stay up to 2 nights at any Hyatt hotel (we stayed 3 nights). Didn't offer to move us to another room that was cleaned thoroughly and downplayed the entire situation. Also did not give us an upgrade although that was one of the deals through AMEX. They told me they were unable to reimburse any payment because I booked through AMEX. Don't plan on going to Austin anytime soon and definitely DO NOT plan on staying here ever. read more

My impressions of this hotel are mixed. The pros: The lobby area and bar are beautiful inside. I love the high ceilings in the rooms, and the drapes made me feel like we were in some type of castle. We needed a crib for our 13-month-old and it was already set up for us and he clearly seemed to enjoy it (I've found the quality of cribs varies drastically between hotels). The room was well laid out. I love the old style decor. The bed was a true king size and very comfortable. You are right in downtown, so it was easy to walk outside, walk down to the river, go out for food and coffee, etc. Even though it is right next to 6th street, we were never bothered by the noise. They provided a nice dog bed, water/food bowls, and yummy treats for our dog. Things that make me not want to go back: We found the attitude among staff to be variable. Some employees were friendly and fantastic (the men at the valet stand, the bellhop, our housekeeper), while others were not so great. When I was checking in, I was standing in line between an elderly couple with nice LV luggage. The front desk agent explained everything to them about the internet, told them sheets are changed every 3 days and asked if that was ok with them or if they would like their sheets changed more frequently, asked if the bellhop had their luggage as he would call for them to make sure it was delivered to their room, etc. Great. Then it was my turn, and I received none of that. We were staying for 4 nights - no offer of whether we would like sheets changed more frequently. No offer to call the bellhop (who actually did have our luggage - I'm standing there wrestling a tired toddler, of course we had someone help us with our luggage!). No info on the wifi. Etc. I'm not sure what the deal was, but I do find it insulting that there was such a blatant difference in the manner in which we were treated. Separately, my husband commented a few days in that every time he called down to housekeeping to ask for something he felt like the person had an attitude and that he was inconveniencing them. I didn't have this happen to me the one time I called, but it happened to him several times (and he usually never complains about that sort of thing). Also, parking is really expensive. I get that it's right in Austin, but we parked a few blocks away for $20/night instead. Additionally, I found the rooms to be nice, but not extremely nice. For instance, there is no type of towel rack near the sink to hang a handtowel on, which was annoying and ultimately resulted in us using towels more frequently (no place to hang the "dirty" towel we could wipe our hands on again, so we would try to leave it on the counter but then we needed space and it ended up on the floor). Trivial, but annoying. Also, there is a partial glass (plastic?) portion installed in the tub, which I'm assuming is one of the older characteristics, but there was mold all along the bottom of it. If you are going to leave something like that in place, there needs to be a way to clean it. I found that to be really gross, especially because I was sitting in the bathtub right next to it to bathe our son. All in all we did have a nice stay and I loved the cultural aspect to the hotel, but we will likely look for a different hotel (one with a pool!) on future trips. read more

The Driskill is a neat property, but the service is mediocre at best. Good for a one-time experience, but not an upscale property. Most of the problems are under-staffed and poor customer satisfaction training. At these prices, one should expect Ritz Carlton type service. My pleasure type service! read more

Hubster want to surprise me with a getaway weekend in Austin and he picked the Driskill; he is a wise, wise man. We pull up and bellman begins unpacking our car for us and ushers us out of the heat an into their lobby. There were friendly staff everywhere we looked. Our suite was on the 12th floor, far, far away from the noisy debauchery occurring on 6th street. The room was spacious, but lacked a mini-fridge, and hubster had the concierge put a dozen black magic roses our room for me... complete with sweet card. Our bags arrived right behind us and the bellman began introducing us to the city (we let him do this, because you can always learn something new!). He offered us VIP cards to come places nearby, and told us all about WINK Wine bar on Lamar. When we returned for the evening, after dinner and drinks, our bead had been turned down and there was a yellow rose on the pillow with a "Happy birthday" note on it. Now, the room was spacious, but also had huge vaulted ceilings and with this 110 degree heatwave it took some time to cool off. We turned the AC on when we left, but either it wasn't working properly or it was turned back up while we were out. This happened on both Friday and Saturday night. We're patient people, and it was my birthday, so we didn't let it get to us. I can't wait to stay here again!! read more

It has been about four years since our last stay but it is everything that we remember. From the courteous staff to the elegance and cleanliness of the hotel. We asked for a room upgrade since we are celebrating our ten year anniversary but unfortunately they weren't able to accommodate that request. Regardless the room we did book is so spacious and beautiful!!! I love the light colors that make the space feel so much bigger and bring such an air of elegance to it. Everywhere you turn the hotel oozes history and Texas pride! The bar was busy with patrons and chatter. Looking forward to grabbing a drink there later. The downtown location is perfect for getting to nearby restaurants and other local hot spots. The capitol building is within walking distance and a must see. So happy we chose to stay here again!! read more

The Driskill - Hotels Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Went to the Driskill Hotel for breakfast with my daughter. The food was fabulous the waiter was friendly and accommodating. We took our time and hung around drinking tea for a while. Then we strolled through the hotel. The Driskill is a gem. I love the high ceilings and the ornate wood work. I enjoy every time I visit there. read more

The Driskill - Hotels Near Me - Austin, Texas

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This hotel is beautiful! The giant, sumptuous lobby reminded me of the big old hotels (St. Francis) in downtown SF. I love that it has character - copper ceiling tiles in the bar, old funky elevators, a bank vault in the lobby. Much better than staying in a "box" hotel where you really could be anywhere. The rooms are small but nicely appointed with tall ceilings, ceiling fans, flat screen TVs and each one is a little different then the next. Our bed and pillows were comfy and our shower was hot. The AC worked well and was not crazy loud. Our room was a little loud from street noise and a pack of girls on our floor who seemed to think they were at a sorority. But security took care of the girls gone wild in a timely and efficient manner and I think a normal night here would be fine in the noise department. read more

We stayed at the Driskill on an anniversary weekend trip to Austin - our room on the 12th floor was very comfortable, quiet, and cozy. The bed was awesome with a cool D iron headboard that was super interesting. Overall the hotel did a great job at making the trip really special - they make it really easy to order nice touches like champagne to the room and have it delivered moments after you arrive. Also, the hotel bar downstairs is a good place to get a drink or appetizer before heading off for dinner elsewhere - the baked brie was the bomb. A few cons - the TV in the room was crap (but if you are staying there to watch TV on your anniversary, you missed the point!), the bathroom door was broken when we checked in with the hinge off the frame - weird they didnt notice that, but it was quickly fixed when we told them, and the room was weirdly hot and then cold sometimes at night so you were constantly kicking on and off covers. A few small points that kept away the five stars, but a CHARMING hotel with an AMAZING location. Would definitely stay there again! read more

If you're a Texan, you probably already know about the Driskill. If you're not, you should get to know it. This place is a Texas institution. Lots of history has been made there. It's on the pricey side but worth the money. Try to get a room in the older part of the hotel, because they're more spacious. The rooms that have balconies that overlook 6th street are great. I've stayed at the Driskill about 12 times. On each occasion, the room was immaculate and the service was excellent. The bar there is very, very good. Ask for Jonathan...he's the best. There's also an older guy there who's Irish or something, and he's kind of grumpy, but he can mix a hell of a drink. The Driskill Grille is a very good restaurant. I've never had a bad meal there. The 1886 Cafe is very good for lunch or breakfast. their bakery products are excellent. read more

Omg I am in love with this place. Have never seen something so beautiful and full of character. The ceiling to the flooring was amazing! This place had great customer service, a bar and an amazing restaurant. Also loved the fact that all the great places in downtown Austin are in walking distance. If you go to Austin The Driskill is definitely the place to stay without a doubt!!!! When I come back to Austin I am staying here!!!! read more

The Driskill Hotel represents everything that makes Texas great; rich history, friendly people, wild west murals, cowhide rugs and spooky encounters of the ghostly kind (well that last one is just a rumor, I didn't see any. But you know, I ain't afraid of no ghosts anyway). I have long been a fan of this historic hotel as an attendee of banquets, galas, parties, and conventions, but had the most fantastic fortune recently of a week here as a guest. Within moments of entering the dimly lit lobby with its dark, rustic furniture and heavy tapestry wall-hangings, you know you're in Texas. And the best kind of Texas. Old Texas. It's beautiful. Close your eyes and you can almost picture 100 years ago when this hotel housed women in beautiful swishing gowns and men in 3-piece suits and top hats. Open your eyes and you will find all the necessary modern day conveniences like wi-fi, cable TV, central air, and paying with plastic. But you can still expect nostalgic nods to the past at every turn. My room was beautiful. A big, comfy King sized bed that was perfectly turned down every night ready for me to crawl in and fall to a cozy sleep. It had a great little desk with a recharging station for all my electronics. The closet was actually much larger than most hotels in which I've stayed and that was a bit surprising considering the fact that this hotel is over 100 years old. Everything around was monogrammed with a gold "D" including the sink in the bathroom. I must give a special shout out to the cleaning staff. I'm pretty much a neat freak while traveling. I don't let my hotel rooms get too messy. But one day I came back and found that they had lined up all my shoes in pairs in front of my suitcase. And the toiletries in my bathroom were organized and placed on a towel with a yellow rose lying on top. When they realized I had running clothes/shoes (and I'm figuring assumed I was going for daily jogs) they started stocking extra bottles of water for me to drink (but I'm a bit cheap and just opted for a stop at the nearby drug store for more affordable agua) and put a map of downtown Austin with running routes marked. I left them a note of appreciation for that one and came back that evening to find they had left me a sport's drink with an energy bar tied to to it with a big, beautiful bow. I truly appreciated those extra touches. If you're looking to spoil yourself during your stay in Austin and are willing to brave the rumored run-ins with ghosts, put this place at the top of your lists. Worth every penny. read more