The Driskill Hotel, in the Unbound Collection by Hyatt

Our Verdict

The Driskill Hotel in Austin, Texas is part of Hyatt's Unbound Collection. While it is an independent and historical hotel, the great thing is that you can earn and redeem Hyatt points since the hotel is part of the Unbound Collection. Hyatt describes the Unbound Collection as a global collection of unique and independent stay experiences.

The Driskill

The Driskill was built in 1886. And it's the oldest operating hotel in Austin and one of the most famous hotels in Texas. From the minute you first step in the hotel lobby, you'll notice the dozens of columns brilliantly lining the lobby and the spotless marble floors. Needless to say this hotel is elegant, gorgeous and simply grand. While we love a new modern hotel, we absolutely love old historical properties. Needless to say, we were almost giddy about getting the opportunity to stay at The Driskill.

The Driskill Hotel has the perfect location in Downtown Austin. Located right in the middle of downtown on 6th Street, the hotel is conveniently located to all of the Downtown Restaurants, Bars and Attractions.

While the hotel is elegant and historical, it's also been rumored to be haunted. While we didn't notice anything unusual during our stay, there are at least three stories over the years that support the the theories of the historical property having spirits wandering the halls. For one, there's a story of a young girl who fell to her death down the grand staircase. And another about the two “suicide brides” who killed themselves in the same bathtub in the same room (room 525 to be exact) 20 years apart to the day. Who knows if these ghost stories have any truth to them. But our advice. Don't stay in room 525.

On our way to our room, we immediately noticed how long the the hallways are. And they remind you yet again that this hotel was built in another era.

The halls are lined with old paintings plus you'll find historical decor in common areas throughout the hotel.

Our Room

Conceived and built by Col. Jesse Driskill, the somewhat recently renovated (1996) Driskill Hotel features 189 guest rooms and suites.

We stayed in a King Room in the historical wing. While the room was on the smaller side (like you would expect from a hotel built in 1886), it was large enough and quite comfortable. The room was decorated with both elements of historical and Texan decor. The room was furnished with a king size bed, couch, closet, desk and two night stands.

The bathroom was again on the small side with a vanity and tile lined tub and shower.

The Driskill Hotel uses June Jacobs Spa Collection Toiletries, the same brand you'll find at most Grand Hyatt properties.

Overall the room met our expectations. It was comfortable, had updated technology including plenty of USB & regular outlets to recharge. And luckily for us, no signs of any paranormal activity.

Dining

The Driskill has several restaurants and a bar.

The main restaurant at The Driskill is The Driskill Grill. Unfortunately we didn't get a chance to try The Driskill Grill as it is closed on Sundays. But the restaurant serves up a fine dining experience in an elegant space, serving à la carte and prix fixe tasting menus along with wine pairings.

We did enjoy dinner and a few cocktails at The Driskill Bar. The Driskill Bar serves up pub fare including burgers, salads and small bites. We shared an order of beer cheese loaded fries while sipping on some handcrafted cocktails.

For dinner we both had salads followed by a piece of chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream. Everything was delicious.

The 1886 Cafe & Bakery features a coffee counter with baked goods, plus serves up all-day American fare in a Victorian tearoom-style setting. Our breakfast at The 1886 Cafe & Bakery and both of our meals were delicious. And service was great too.

Amenities

The hotel has a fairly decent size gym with free weights and several treadmills, elliptical machines and bikes.

While the hotel doesn't have an actual spa, they do have massage rooms along with locker rooms. The men and women's locker rooms feature a steam room. The steam room did have a fairly pungent smell and we decided to skip using it.

Overall Impression

Needless to say, we loved our stay at The Driskill. It is luxurious, historical and even romantic. The service was great and the hotel offered a great home base for exploring Downtown Austin. We can't wait to return.

And for recommendations on things to do in Austin, be sure to check out our Weekend Wanderings, Austin Guide.

If you want to book a room at The Driskill, be sure to check out the Virtual Travel Gurus. When you book your room at The Driskill with them, you'll not only earn Hyatt Points but get a room upgrade, free breakfast and a $100 food and beverage credit.