I had the fun of making a quick trip to Austin, Texas for, a long weekend. The hotel pick, Kimpton Hotel Van Zandt. One of the draws to this was the architecture with light fixtures made from musical instruments throughout the property. A visit to their website will do better picture justice than I could do. The hotel had many other things I look for, from views to dining, to the amenities.
Here is a breakdown of my take on the Kimpton Hotel Van Zandt.
Location-Located in what is known as the Rainey district is not far from the live music venues. One could easily walk to catch the entertainment from within the hotel to as close as across the street. It was an easy walk if you chose to go downtown or get there even more quickly with a Lyft or Uber.
Rooms-It is a 16-floor hotel offering a variety of room types. I can recommend you choose one of the lake view room categories. I thoroughly enjoyed sitting at the large window looking out over the water and cityscape while enjoying a glass of champagne. The bedding was comfortable, plenty of dresser and storage space for unpacking, and a nice large bathroom with two sinks. There was a refrigerator and robes. Room service is available during select hours from Geraldine’s. Not necessarily issues, but oddities were there was no coffee maker, and the shower design was a half glass vertical partition.
Amenities-Hotel had two dining options, live music, rooftop pool with a bar, almost making it unnecessary to leave. I enjoyed Cafe 65 daily for my morning cup of tea, hit The Pool Deck several times, and ate at Geraldine’s one night to not only enjoy the cuisine but the live music. The whole place had a great vibe, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves to the fullest. Be sure to make reservations at Geraldine’s and for most fine dining if you want to go somewhere specific. For the pool, like most anything, you need to be the early bird to catch the worm. Lounge chairs and those with umbrellas are limited. I suggest getting down by 11 am. The pool does have the option of cabana rentals which seemed to be very popular with some birthday and wedding guests. The hotel did have a gym which I did not make it to, and bikes for exploring.
On the whole, I enjoyed this hotel. I would recommend it for most travelers looking for a stay in Austin, TX. And to top off, the great feel of this place was the friendly staff. It was a real show of southern hospitality from the doorman to the concierge, the barista, and the poolside waitress. There wasn’t a single person that didn’t serve with a smile and upbeat attitude. I certainly would consider staying here again.
Lisa Rossmeissl is the owner of Boomerang Escapes, a home-based agency located in Old Bridge, New Jersey with agents in TN, MS, and WI.
She has been a professional travel consultant since 2008 and specializes in Australia and the South Pacific. Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, and Cook Islands are among the specialist certificates she holds. Her agency’s focus is on creating custom itineraries with their client’s wants, desires, and budgets in mind. She and her planners believe in getting to know the traveler to ensure they have a vacation to remember. With each planner specializing in a different market area, Boomerang Escapes can offer a wide variety of leisure vacation planning.
