3-night award stay (Cat 1-7 cert plus points) over the MLK long weekend.
Good:
- If you want access to downtown Austin and the lively bar scene, the location cannot be beaten.
- Beautiful first floor lobby and second floor Driskill Bar. Great historical touches throughout the building.
- Good Globalist breakfast benefit - $100 daily credit at the 1886 Cafe and Bakery (not available through room service) - the Cafe is open until 2:30pm, and there's a takeaway counter with coffee/pastries/etc., so I was able to apply the credit towards multiple purchases over the course of a single morning/afternoon.
- $45/day valet parking fee never showed up on my folio, per Globalist award stay regs.
- Decent upgrade considering the hotel was sold out (no suites available for sale) - booked vintage king, was given a deluxe king corner room on the 10th floor (originally was offered same room on the top 12th floor, but a fellow Globalist had a late 4pm checkout LOL so I took the 10th floor option since it was ready). Nice sitting area with loveseat and armchair and an additional vanity and sink outside the bathroom.
- Small but nice 2nd floor gym with modern cardio machines and full-length windows with street viewing.
- Good service, if not quite luxury hotel quality.
Less good:
- Not great for sleeping. The elevator was right next to the room, there was some street noise even on the 10th floor, and the curtains are set back from the windows allowing light to seep in. There is a ceiling fan though which is a nice touch.
- The bathroom door could not be fully closed, due to being crooked on its hinges. Had I not been traveling solo, that would have been highly annoying. The closet door also did not close. Sink stoppers barely opened, resulting in slow drains and a buildup of gunk. Old faucets and fixtures throughout.
- Globalist welcome letter specifies 2 bottles of water daily in room - these are found in the mini-fridge - and of course I was instantly charged for removing them which requires a manual folio adjustment. Waters were not replenished after the first day.
- The common areas of the hotel are VERY busy. There is live music in the bar each night (plus Sunday brunch) and it was packed at all hours. Also expect to wait for a table for breakfast as the Cafe is quite bustling.
- The historic nature of the hotel makes for some strange design elements, such as needing to walk up a flight of stairs and through part of the bar in order to reach the tower rooms elevator bank, and the gym being located right next to the ballroom (I walked out in my workout gear and literally bumped into a bride in full wedding regalia, LOL).
- The mens locker room in the fitness center has no lockers. There is a small steam room and a shower available, but no place to change clothes or store belongings. Very odd and frankly makes those amenities functionally useless. There are two massage rooms, but no list of services/prices/availability was provided.
Overall, this was an OK use of the Cat 1-7 certificate, but in the future I will return to the delightful HR Regency instead