Why here?
Downtown gets a new profile this year with the debut of the 37-story, 1,048-room Fairmont Austin Hotel, just one of a host of properties under construction or in the planning stages. Of course, this Texas city remains famous for its music offerings, and its rich culinary scene continues to broaden.
NEARBY IN BASTROP
• The city of Bastrop, 40 minutes southeast of Austin, is creating a convention and visitors bureau to be led by Dale Lockett, formerly of the San Antonio and Albuquerque, N.M., bureaus.
• A renovation of all 60,000 square feet of event space at the 491-room Hyatt Lost Pines Resort & Spa has been completed. Earlier, guest-room bathrooms were upgraded, the Firewheel Cafe kitchen was redone, and the spa was remodeled.
LAKESIDE LUXURY
The Lake Austin Spa Resort is celebrating its 20th anniversary with 20 new treatments (try the oxygen facial). The property also has inaugurated luxury water-taxi service from downtown Austin.
AUSTIN
Local Update
• This September will mark the opening of the 1,048-room Fairmont Austin Hotel, the largest Fairmont yet. The property will connect to the Austin Convention Center via the $6 million Red River Canopy Walk. Plans call for almost 140,000 square feet of in-house meeting space and a Willow Stream spa with nine treatment rooms, including two couples' massage rooms.
• The 413-room Radisson Austin has been purchased by the Sydell Group and is being turned into the 428-room Line ATX Hotel. Three restaurants, four bars and 22,000 square feet of meeting space are planned for the property, which will debut in 2018. The hotel remains open while the gradual transformation takes place.
• The 220-acre, 70-room Travaasa Austin Resort will be redeveloped, expanded and rebranded by its new owners, the Miraval Group. To be completed by January 2019, the project will add 50 guest rooms, and total indoor and outdoor meeting space will be reconfigured to span 15,864 square feet. The spa will grow from 10,893 square feet to 21,011 square feet with 30 treatment rooms, and the existing pool will be converted into a spa pool. In addition, the three-meal restaurant and dining terrace will be expanded, adding an option for private dining. New choices will include a pool café, a cocktail bar, a mobile demonstration kitchen, and a grab-and-go marketplace.
• The combined Aloft & Element Austin Downtown will open in July with a total of 422 rooms (the Aloft will have 278; the Element, 144). The project will feature a full-service restaurant, an outdoor lounge area and 3,000 square feet of meeting space.
RETRO FUN
The 123-room
LoneStar Court harkens back to an era of cross-country trips along Route 66 in tail-finned Buicks. Groups can gather in 2,000 square feet of space indoors or in a 1,500-square-foot pavilion.
SAVORY SIPS
An array of artfully crafted cocktails awaits at Red Ash Italia, including the Havana 3 A.M. (El Dorado 12-year-old rum, Luxardo maraschino, lime and Angosturabitters). The dinner menu is equally creative and fresh; pastas are house-made daily. Parties of 16 to 20 people are welcome. (512) 379-2906
Meeting Hotels: Downtown, Texas' capital city has more than 8,500 rooms. Top meeting properties include the 1,012-room JW Marriott Austin, 800-room Hilton Austin, 492-room Renaissance Austin Hotel, 448-room Hyatt Regency Austin Downtown, 319-room Hotel Van Zandt, 262-room Hilton Austin Airport, 194-room Hotel Granduca Austin and 190-room InterContinental Stephen F. Austin. Several resorts can be found nearby, including the 491-room Hyatt Regency Lost Pines, 385-room Horseshoe Bay Resort and 309-room Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa.
To find and compare hotels, and send RFPs, visit mcvenues.com.
Convention Center: Austin Convention Center; exhibit space, approximately 247,052 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 54; (512) 404-4000
Airport Transit: Austin--Bergstrom International Airport, about eight miles from downtown. Transfer cost by taxi, $28; by shuttle, $12. At press time, Lyft and Uber services were suspended in the city.
Taxes: Room tax, 9%; sales tax, 8.25%; total tax on rooms, 15%
Group Venues: Rustic raw space is the hallmark of the Waller Ballroom, a melange of exposed brick and wood in an early 1900s package. The 1,681-square-foot ballroom seats 120 for dinner or holds 270 for a reception. (512) 298-8661
Emmer & Rye offers American fare served dim sum-style (e.g., roasted beets, crème fraiche and charred dill; or red-potato pavé, brown butter and garlic chive) in a casual setting. The downtown eatery offers an outdoor patio and a private dining area; seating is available for up to 100; up to 250 are accommodated for receptions. (512) 366-5530
The Mexic-Arte Museum celebrates cross-border culture and other influences with colorful exhibits of traditional and contemporary Mexican, Latino and Latin American art. More than 1,500 works make up the museum's permanent collection, while the library holds a stash of rare books. More than 200 people can be hosted for a reception in the main and annex galleries on the first floor. (512) 480-9373
Contact: Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau, (800) 926-2282