Review: The Otis Hotel Austin, Marriott Autograph Collection

9 months ago 75

After spending a week successful Houston with friends, I decided to widen my clip successful Texas and bask a instrumentality sojourn to the vibrant metropolis of Austin.

With my travel coming unneurotic somewhat spontaneously, my accommodation strategy was rather piecemeal. The Otis Hotel Austin, Autograph Collection caught my oculus astatine the close price, and I decided it would beryllium a bully accidental to cheque it retired for a night.

The Otis Hotel Austin – Booking

Typically, The Otis Hotel Austin tin beryllium booked for 40,000–65,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night. If you’re paying with cash, expect prices of approximately $200–300 (USD) positive tax, which tin emergence to arsenic precocious arsenic $500 (USD) during large section events.

Visiting connected the Saturday of Memorial Day agelong weekend, points prices were amazingly low, astatine 45,000 Bonvoy points. Meanwhile, I noticed that last-minute currency rates were rather tenable successful comparison, successful the scope of $170 (USD) positive tax.

In the end, I booked my enactment with a Free Night Award worthy 35,000 points, which I topped up with an further 10,000 points. On paper, this was alternatively mediocre value; however, I decided to publication this mode for a fewer reasons.

My Free Night Award was expiring a fewer days later, truthful this was a cleanable accidental to redeem it for immoderate value. It happened to acceptable with my question plans, and it so proved to beryllium the astir cost-effective enactment successful the metropolis connected that peculiar night.

Moreover, the currency outgo of the aforesaid nighttime would person exceeded the $125 (USD) yearly interest I wage for the recognition paper from which I had earned the escaped night, the American Express US Marriott Bonvoy Business Card.

With usage deadlines and fixed values, I usage a little barroom for redeeming certificates than I bash for redeeming points, and I’m satisfied to redeem them for immoderate nett gain.

For immoderate currency bookings astatine the The Otis Hotel Austin, you’ll beryllium blessed to cognize that it participates successful Marriott Luminous, a preferred spouse program. By booking your enactment done an authorized question advisor, you’ll person a fig of different perks and benefits astatine nary other cost, which travel successful summation to those you whitethorn bask with Marriott Bonvoy status.

Book with Prince of Travel and Marriott Luminous

Book a edifice enactment with Prince of Travel done Marriott Luminous and bask exclusive further benefits astatine nary outgo to you, including:

Daily meal for 2 guests
Room upgrade, taxable to availability astatine check-in
Early check-in and precocious check-out, taxable to availability
Welcome amenity
$100 (USD) spot recognition astatine prime properties
Third, Fourth, oregon Fifth Night Free astatine prime properties

Book The Otis Hotel Austin

The Otis Hotel Austin – Location

The edifice is located a artifact distant from the southwest country of the University of Texas campus. The country is harmless and lively with pupil life, dotted with modern lodging and eateries.

It’s a abbreviated region from the State Capitol grounds, and walkable to the halfway of downtown. However, if you’re going immoderate further than field oregon the Capitol, it’s astir apt much expeditious to bid a inexpensive 10-minute rideshare instead, oregon instrumentality Austin’s ubiquitous scooter rentals for a spin.

Overall, the determination is perfect for visiting the university, acceptable for a tourist, but subpar if you’re successful municipality for an event, arsenic determination are respective different hotels person to the city’s lawsuit spaces.

To get to The Otis from the airport, it’s astir a 30-minute thrust successful mean traffic. There’s besides a nonstop autobus from the airdrome which stops on the borderline of campus, a fewer abbreviated blocks from the hotel.

The nationalist autobus had maine astatine the edifice wrong 45 minutes for $1.25 (USD). Note that you can’t wage by recognition paper for a autobus summons astatine the airport. Instead, download the CapMetro app, bargain a fare utilizing your mobile wallet, and scan it to committee nationalist transit vehicles.

The Otis Hotel Austin – Check-in

The Otis Hotel Austin shares a gathering with an AC Hotel. Don’t beryllium alarmed if you spot “AC” connected the broadside of the operation and wonderment if the Autograph Collection pulled a accelerated 1 connected you!

Upon my arrival, I was rather taken by the elegance of the lobby. There was nary mistaking this spot for thing but the Autograph Collection banner.

The lobby has an earthy seating area, with dim, lukewarm lighting, and ample brownish leather. With a timeless classy aesthetic, it’s a precise inviting abstraction to curl up with a solid of whiskey – but let’s prevention that for the bar.

Check-in was smooth, and the unit eagerly welcomed maine to Austin and explained the hotel’s features. The metropolis of Austin has beardown traditions of euphony and innovation, and the edifice puts a unsocial stamp connected its Autograph Collection sanction by embracing those pursuits.

The Otis offers a catalogue of implicit 1,000 vinyl records, which guests tin freely bask successful their room. You tin chat with the hotel’s Vinyl Ambassador successful the lobby for a recommendation.

As a Titanium Elite member, I was offered the prime betwixt 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, oregon restaurant breakfast daily. I opted for breakfast, much retired of curiosity than anything.

I ne'er crossed paths with the AC Hotel’s lobby oregon amenities. The 2 hotels felt rather separate, and speech from the 2nd level making up the AC Hotel’s facilities, the rooms are side-by-side similar a operation duplex, alternatively than stacked successful a high-floor/low-floor statement similar I’ve seen successful Calgary, with the premium The Dorian supra and the midscale Courtyard below.

The Otis Hotel Austin – High Floor King Room

With suites astatine afloat occupancy, I was assigned to a King Room connected a precocious floor. I was placed successful Room 922.

The introduction to the country is peculiar, arsenic you travel done the bath first.

Still, the introduction is appointed arsenic an entry, with a velvet-exterior closet containing the edifice standards: an iron, a safe, and bathwear.

The bath itself has a reasonably modular three-piece setup.

Located adjacent to the closet is the room’s vanity, with a rectangular reflector successful a backlit framework and lamps connected either side.

Opposite from present is simply a walk-in ablution with sliding solid doors. The toilet is housed successful its ain country conscionable adjacent to here.

The chamber is separated from the bath by a sliding barn door. The chamber has a overmuch much noticeable benignant than the bathroom, with woody panels pointing each which mode connected the headboard and sliding door.

The king furniture was comfortable, if not a interaction steadfast for my preference.

By the window, there’s a azygous chaise longue for lounging.

The walls are adorned with artwork that showcases touches of the city’s character.

Across from the bed, the table is simply a precise suitable workstation, with a padded luggage rack conscionable to its side.

The java presumption connected the table offers Nespresso and different blistery beverages.

Each country astatine The Otis comes appointed with a vinyl grounds player, which is simply a reasonably unsocial point to find astatine immoderate hotel.

Every country has a transcript of a Janis Joplin medium and a Leon Bridges medium by default, 2 esteemed musicians separated by generations who some person beardown ties to Austin’s affluent taste history. You tin besides petition to get immoderate different grounds successful the hotel’s collection.

I’m nary audiophile, but I was pleasantly amazed to observe however enjoyable it was to beryllium and perceive for a while, arsenic the top-notch dependable prime sucked maine in. This unsocial diagnostic was possibly the astir unexpected mode I’ve ever recovered myself incentivized to linger successful a edifice country longer than I had planned.

The grounds subordinate has a useful Bluetooth switch, which you tin usage to watercourse the hotel’s curated Spotify playlists. Of the fewer I sampled, I recovered myself astir compelled by Austin’s up-and-coming section artists.

In summation to the euphony catalogues, the country had a broad run-down of amenities astatine and adjacent the hotel. There’s a monthly “fresh sheet” of events astir town, arsenic good arsenic a database of dog-friendly activities which, on with different utile resources, tin beryllium recovered by scanning a QR code.

Despite its charm, the country was not without its flaws. For one, it’s not that spacious.

My country was advertised arsenic having a field view, but I’m rather definite my westward vista didn’t look the easterly campus.

There’s besides nary fridge successful the room. Normally not a diagnostic I marque usage of, this was an unwelcome find erstwhile I came location with a Texas-sized information of leftover meat.

The Otis Hotel Austin – Breakfast

Austin is simply a foodie’s playground, and choosing hotel breakfast arsenic a invited amenity is simply a spot suspect. I didn’t person plans during my 1 greeting astatine The Otis, however, and I figured I’d accidental it implicit 1,000 points.

Breakfast is served successful the hotel’s main restaurant, Acre 41, from 7–11am connected weekdays and from 7am–2pm connected weekends for brunch.

At check-in, I was told that the meal voucher lone covered an American breakfast. Hotel argumentation besides seems to bespeak that the elite payment is lone for the weekday meal menu, and not for the play brunch menu.

Much to my pleasure, my server proactively suggested that I could bid immoderate of the brunch entrees! Not lone did this unfastened the paper up to immoderate luncheon dishes, it’s conscionable all-around much absorbing and generously portioned than what I’d expect to find for basal meal fare.

At my server’s recommendation, I chose the wagyu flat-iron steak, cooked medium-rare, with scrambled eggs.

Words can’t picture however close of a prime I made.

Without a doubt, opting for the meal payment astatine The Otis didn’t permission maine wanting for thing much intriguing astir municipality that morning. I’d similar to ideate that the remainder of the paper is conscionable arsenic good, but if I ever return, I can’t successful bully conscience not bid the aforesaid crockery again!

The Otis Hotel Austin – Dining & Bar

Aside from breakfast, Acre 41 is unfastened for luncheon and meal service, arsenic well. Lunch begins erstwhile meal ends, and goes until 2pm, and meal work is disposable from 5–10pm daily.

As I made my mode done the restaurant, I couldn’t assistance but announcement that everything looks similar whiskey. The colour of the chairs, the floor, the ceiling, the woody trim – it each conscionable screamed fermented grains.

A item successful Acre 41 is the barroom area, which is located adjacent to a revolving door. Once again, I was reminded of whiskey.

Unsurprisingly, determination was a ample enactment of whiskey disposable astatine the bar, illuminated overhead. This time, I chose not to indulge, but it’s bully to cognize that I would person had options if I did.

If you’re game, support an oculus retired for Happy Hour specials from Monday–Friday betwixt 4 and 6:30pm.

The Otis Hotel Austin – Other Facilities

The Otis has a amusive rooftop barroom and excavation atop the edifice connected the 11th floor, called Otopia Rooftop Lounge. The abstraction is unfastened from 5–11pm connected astir days, and until midnight connected Fridays and Saturdays.

Day passes are disposable for guests not staying astatine the edifice who privation to bask the pool.

The lounging country is an appealing and comfy abstraction to bent out, with artificial turf and a shaded canopy covering the sizeable area.

Being situated a spot extracurricular of the bosom of downtown, determination are varied views of antithetic parts of the city, including natural, residential, business, and authorities vistas.

The excavation was precise crowded each clip I passed by, and unfortunately, I was incapable to drawback a discreet photo.

The 24-hour fittingness centre is besides connected the apical floor, well-outfitted for immoderate benignant of strength, cardio, oregon mobility workout.

Conclusion

Autograph Collection has decisively emerged arsenic 1 of my favourite Marriott Bonvoy brands, and The Otis Hotel Austin has done a large occupation of cementing that impression.

In a metropolis known for its events, which tin often pb to cookie-cutter accommodations, I was blessed to observe a edifice with a charming plan and immoderate section flair.

I’d surely see returning to The Otis again for my adjacent sojourn to Austin, particularly if my plans didn’t marque its somewhat out-of-the-way determination a detriment.

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